by Ella IDE VENICE, Italy (AFP) — Venice was hit by the highest tide in more than 50 years late Tuesday, with tourists wading through flooded streets to seek shelter as a fierce wind whipped up waves in St. Mark’s Square. The exceptionally intense “acqua alta,” or high waters, peaked at 1.87 meters (six feet) as the flood alarm sounded across the Italian city of canals, the tide monitoring center said. “We’re currently facing an […]
Tag: Venice
World Heritage sites threatened by sea level rise
PARIS, France (AFP) — From Venice and the tower of Pisa to the medieval city of Rhodes, dozens of UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Mediterranean basin are deeply threatened by rising sea levels, researchers warned Tuesday. All but two of 49 UN-recognised icons of human civilization rimming the Mediterranean Sea risk being damaged by the rising watermark, soil erosion, or both, with few options for protecting most of them, they reported in the scientific […]
Coen Brothers are surprise entry at Venice film fest
by Terry DALEY Agence France-Presse ROME, Italy (AFP)–Offbeat American filmmakers the Coen Brothers were the surprise entry in the 2018 Venice Film festival line-up, unveiled Wednesday, making their new western a contender for the Golden Lion award. “The Ballad of Buster Scruggs” is competing for the coveted gong alongside 20 other films featuring a raft of Hollywood stars, including Ryan Gosling, Natalie Portman and Willem Dafoe. Starring Tim Blake Nelson, James Franco and Liam Neeson, […]
Venice Film Festival opens with glitzy gala ceremony
VENICE, Italy (Reuters) — A gala ceremony and Alexander Payne’s “Downsizing,” a satire about shrinking humans to five inches tall as a solution to over-population and global warming, opened the Venice film festival on Wednesday (August 30). Payne and his leading stars, Matt Damon, Kristen Wiig and Hong Chao were given a warm applause ahead of the film’s world premiere in front of guests including Italian President Sergio Mattarella. Also on hand at the ceremony […]
Venice film festival kickstarts Oscars jousting
by Angus Mackinnon Agence France-Presse VENICE, Italy (AFP) — The 74th Venice film festival gets underway Wednesday with Alexander Payne’s sci-fi satire “Downsizing” in the high-profile opening slot that is increasingly coveted as a launchpad for the Oscars. Starring Matt Damon and Kristen Wiig, “Sideways” director Payne’s latest quirky creation is a tale of a lower middle class couple in the US midwest. But the downsizing of the title is not a reference to job […]
Philippine film ‘The Woman Who Left’ wins Venice Golden Lion
by Ella Ide VENICE, Italy (AFP) — Philippine film “The Woman Who Left”, a revenge tale shot in black and white by director Lav Diaz, won the top Golden Lion prize at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday. “I want to dedicate this film to the Filipino people and their struggle, and humanity’s struggle,” Diaz said as he received the award. Holding his Lion aloft, the man behind Melancholia (2008) and Century of Birthing […]
George Clooney, Amal Alamuddin tie the knot in Venice
(Reuters) – The world’s most famous bachelor, George Clooney, broke a vow to remain single on Saturday and married human rights lawyer Amal Alamuddin during a weekend of lavish celebrations in Venice. The Italian city of gondolas and palazzi looked like Hollywood on the Adriatic as A-list guests cruised between luxury hotels for the extravaganza, billed as the party of the year even as details were kept largely secret. Clooney’s representative, Stan Rosenfield, broke a long silence […]





