Venice Film Festival kicks off with Paolo Sorrentino’s ‘La Grazia' and questions about Gaza

VENICE, Italy (AP) — The Venice Film Festival kicked off with the world premiere of Paolo Sorrentino’s “La Grazia” Wednesday night on the Lido. The opening ceremony of the festival also saw Francis Ford Coppola presenting filmmaker Werner Herzog with a lifetime achievement prize.

The 82nd edition of the glamourous international film festival is playing host to many Hollywood stars, including George Clooney, Julia Roberts and Dwayne Johnson, and famed auteurs, from Guillermo del Toro to Kathryn Bigelow, who all have films debuting over the next 10 days. The conflict in Gaza has also already been an everpresent topic both outside the festival's walls, where protesters gathered, and during the news conferences.

The festival, which takes place on the Lido, chose to open with the newest film from one of Italy’s most revered working filmmakers. “La Grazia” stars Sorrentino’s longtime collaborator Toni Servillo as a fictional Italian president who is paralyzed by indecision near the end of his term, grappling with signing a bill that allows euthanasia and mourning his late wife.

Sorrentino said that he was inspired to write the film by a real case of an Italian president who pardoned a man that had killed his wife, who was suffering from Alzheimer's. The title of the film, can be translated to “the pardon” in English, he said.

“This was a moral dilemma that was interesting to tell,” Sorrentino said. “I have thought for years that moral dilemmas are very interesting for storytelling.”

Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera told The Associated Press that “La Grazia” took them by surprise.

“It’s a different Sorrentino from what we are used to,” Barbera said. “Far less baroque and formalistic than the previous films he made. It’s a very unexpected story.”

Sorrentino, best known for his Oscar-winning film “The Great Beauty,” made his debut at the Venice Film Festival 24 years ago with the film “One Man Up.” He also won the Silver Lion prize in 2021 for “The Hand of God,” which went on to be nominated for an Oscar. Many films that premiere at Venice go on to Oscar nominations and wins.

“La Grazia” is one of the 21 films playing in the festival’s main competition. Other titles vying for the prestigious Golden Lion prize include del Toro’s “Frankenstein,” Bigelow’s “A House of Dynamite,” Yorgos Lanthimos’s “Bugonia,” Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine” and Kaouther Ben Hania’s “The Voice of Hind Rajab."

Winners are decided on by a jury of international filmmakers and actors, including “Sideways” director Alexander Payne and Brazilian actor Fernanda Torres. Payne, who is president of this year's jury, said he arrived to Venice yesterday and was soon seated next to Francis Ford Coppola watching a restoration of a 1920s silent film.

“I thought, ‘I’m in heaven,” Payne said. “This is heaven.”

News about the real world has also been top of mind at the festival, where steps away from the main headquarters, anti-war protesters gathered earlier Wednesday to turn the spotlight to Gaza. A march is also planned for Saturday evening.

Martina Vergnano, an activist with the Social Centers of the Northeast, one of the protest organizers, said hundreds of associations, social centers and film festival participants had signed onto the petition to participate in the protest Saturday. Vergnano spoke in front of the red carpet alongside about a dozen protesters flying Palestinian flags and holding a banner that read: “Free Palestine, Stop the Genocide” with the time and date of Saturday’s protest.

There have been calls to disinvite actors like Gal Gadot and Gerard Butler from attending the festival for their views, but Barbera said that the festival does not boycott artists, nor does it make political statements.

Sorrentino, who recently called the situation in Gaza a “genocide” was asked about Mubi, the company that is distributing his film. Mubi, the indie film shop behind last year's “The Substance,” has come under scrutiny because of funder Sequoia Capital's ties to the Israeli military. The filmmaker redirected the floor to “somebody from Mubi," who declined to speak. A moderator redirected the conversation back to the film.

Payne also faced questions Wednesday afternoon about the conflict and Hollywood's responsibility to address it.

“I feel a little bit unprepared for that question,” Payne said. “I’m here to judge and talk about cinema.”

The festival runs through Sept. 6.

For more coverage of the 2025 Venice Film Festival, visit https://apnews.com/hub/venice-film-festival.

Francis Ford Coppola, left, presents the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement to Werner Herzog during the opening ceremony and the premiere of the film 'La Grazia' during the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Lena Herzog, from left, Francis Ford Coppola, and Werner Herzog pose for photographers on the red carpet for the opening ceremony and the premiere of the film 'La Grazia' during the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Toni Servillo poses for photographers on the red carpet for the opening ceremony and the premiere of the film 'La Grazia' during the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Jury member Fernanda Torres poses for photographers at the Jury photo call during the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Photo by Alessandra Tarantino/Invision/AP)

Jury president Alexander Payne, sixth from left, and jury members Zhao Tao, from left, Fernanda Torres, Mohammad Rasoulof, Cristian Mungiu, Stephane Brize and Maura Delpero pose for photographers at the Jury photo call during the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Photo by Alessandra Tarantino/Invision/AP)

Festival director Alberto Barbera, left, and jury president Alexander Payne depart from the Hotel Excelsior en route to the Jury press conference at the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Paolo Sorrentino arrives at the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Photo by Scott A Garfitt/Invision/AP)

Pro Palestine demonstrators hold Palestinian flags during a press conference in front of the red carpet to announce a demonstration on Saturday, Aug. 30 during the 82nd edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Photo by Alessandra Tarantino/Invision/AP)

A view of the main cinema ahead of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (Photo by Alessandra Tarantino/Invision/AP)

Film posters outside the Excelsior hotel ahead of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (Photo by Alessandra Tarantino/Invision/AP)

A view of the main cinema ahead of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (Photo by Alessandra Tarantino/Invision/AP)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison Friday in the first verdict from eight criminal trials over the martial law debacle that forced him out of office and other allegations.

Yoon was impeached, arrested and dismissed as president after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December 2024 triggered huge public protests calling for his ouster.

The most significant criminal charge against him alleges that his martial law enforcement amounted to a rebellion, and the independent counsel has requested the death sentence in the case that is to be decided in a ruling next month.

In Friday's case, the Seoul Central District Court sentenced Yoon for defying attempts to detain him, fabricating the martial law proclamation and sidestepping a legally mandated full Cabinet meeting.

Yoon has maintained he didn’t intend to place the country under military rule for an extended period, saying his decree was only meant to inform the people about the danger of the liberal-controlled parliament obstructing his agenda. But investigators have viewed Yoon’s decree as an attempt to bolster and prolong his rule, charging him with rebellion, abuse of power and other criminal offenses.

Judge Baek Dae-hyun said in the televised ruling that imposing “a grave punishment” was necessary because Yoon hasn’t shown remorse and has only repeated “hard-to-comprehend excuses.” The judge also restoring legal systems damaged by Yoon’s action was necessary.

Yoon, who can appeal the ruling, hasn’t immediately publicly responded to the ruling. But when the independent counsel demanded a 10-year prison term in the case, Yoon’s defense team accused them of being politically driven and lacking legal grounds to demand such “an excessive” sentence.

Prison sentences in the multiple, smaller trials Yoon faces would matter if he is spared the death penalty or life imprisonment at the rebellion trial.

Park SungBae, a lawyer who specializes in criminal law, said there is little chance the court would decide Yoon should face the death penalty in the rebellion case. He said the court will likely issue a life sentence or a sentence of 30 years or more in prison.

South Korea has maintained a de facto moratorium on executions since 1997 and courts rarely hand down death sentences. Park said the court would take into account that Yoon’s decree didn’t cause casualties and didn’t last long, although Yoon hasn’t shown genuine remorse for his action.

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol shouts slogans outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A supporter of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol waits for a bus carrying former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs as police officers stand guard outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs and flags outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

Supporters of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol hold signs outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

A picture of former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is placed on a board as supporters gather outside Seoul Central District Court, in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, Jan. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)