Amal Clooney arrived in Venice wearing a dramatic turquoise sequined dress as she enjoyed a night out with her husband George Clooney at the film festival.
The 48-year-old human rights lawyer required a helping hand as she exited her private boat to reach the shore on the second night of the glitzy event. George Clooney, 65, dressed in a smart navy blue suit as the couple headed out for the evening, hours after he paid tribute to her during a powerful speech.
The Venice Film Festival, held annually on the Lido island in Venice, Italy, is the world's oldest film festival and one of the international film industry's most prominent gatherings.
The evening outing followed Wednesday's ceremony where George Clooney received the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. Speaking at the event, the Hollywood actor praised his wife's legal career and human rights work.
The Golden Lion represents the highest award presented at the Venice Film Festival, honoring outstanding cinematic achievements and career contributions.
“By the way, my wife's the only person to have ever put ISIS on trial and won,” Clooney said. “She's a badass, and she gets the job done. We do it for our families. We do it for our friends.”
Amal Clooney is a British-Lebanese human rights lawyer who has represented Yazidi survivors of human rights abuses. Her legal work includes securing historic victories holding members of ISIS, the militant extremist group, accountable for genocide against the Yazidi population.
Legal Standpoints and Family Life
George Clooney noted that his wife has taken difficult legal positions over the years that have drawn heavy criticism.
“Amal’s taken some very difficult stands over the years, and we’ve had to face some pretty heavy criticism based on that,” he said. “I wrote an op-ed about President Joe Biden. I got some s***.”
Clooney was referring to a public opinion piece he authored during the presidential campaign regarding President Joe Biden's candidacy.
“We have really interesting conversations around the table,” Clooney added. “But you know, we also have two nine-year-old kids, and we have a normal family life, and there’s a lot of laughing and a lot of love, and we’re very lucky, and we’re really aware of that.”
The actor also addressed public criticism directed at entertainers who speak out on human rights and political issues, rejecting claims that actors should remain silent.
“I didn't give away my freedom of speech the minute I became an actor,” he defiantly said. “It also means that people can get mad at you and not like you anymore. Fair enough. That's how this works.”
“You can't demand freedom of speech and then say, 'But don't say bad s*** about me'. Right? That's the deal,” he added.
Criticism of the US Administration
Clooney also referenced his ongoing public exchanges with President Donald Trump, noting that the two have traded swipes over several years.
“I get mean tweets from the President of the United States. That's okay. I can handle it. I'll do all right. I'll be fine. But that's part of life,” Clooney said.
On Wednesday, Clooney launched a scathing attack on the US administration, branding those in charge “the least qualified people” and slamming what he said was a complete absence of “decency”.
“We've had some other difficult times but this is one of them,” he said. “There is a great word, kakistocracy, which is a country run by the least qualified people. I think maybe we have a kakistocracy right now but we will get through it.”
The term kakistocracy derives from the Greek words kakistos, meaning worst, and kratos, meaning rule, used by political commentators to describe governance by the least competent individuals.
“We will have an election in November that should be a check and balance and then in 2028, with any luck, we will have some restoration,” Clooney added.
Defense Secretary Tweet and Historical Context
The Oscar-winning star went on to denounce Trump's administration as “cruel”, arguing that basic standards of decency had disappeared from public life.
“The idea that cruelty is the base, that being cruel and unkind is part of the fun of all this,” Clooney told press, in the latest of a string of attacks the actor has made against the running of the US.
Clooney drew on a social media post published by US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth involving a member of the Canadian military. On Monday night, Hegseth posted an image from a cadet training center in British Columbia with the caption: “This is real”.
The image appeared to mock the physical appearance of an overweight female Canadian soldier presenting a medal at a youth camp. British Columbia is Canada's westernmost province, hosting Canadian Armed Forces training facilities.
“You see what the secretary of defense just tweeted out a picture about women in the military in Canada and you're going, 'What is wrong with you?'” Clooney said.
“'Where is the sense of decency in all this?' I'm ashamed of all of that but we will get through it and we will come out better on the other side,” he added.
Calling himself an optimist, Clooney likened current political tensions in the United States to historical moments of turmoil he witnessed in his youth, specifically 1968.
“I'm old enough to have been through 1968 in the States when every city in the United States was set on fire and we lost Martin Luther King and Bobby Kennedy in the same year,” he said.
The year 1968 was a turbulent landmark in modern American history, characterized by widespread social unrest, civil rights protests, and the political assassinations of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy.
“There was tons of violence. The Capitol was surrounded with tanks. We've had some other difficult times, but this is one of them,” Clooney concluded.
