George Clooney celebrated a lifetime achievement award at the Venice Film Festival by stepping behind the lens and taking photographs of the press.
The 65 year old actor received the prestigious Golden Lion as the annual Italian festival opened, but he quickly swapped his new trophy for a camera. He borrowed a lens from the gathered paparazzi to take his own pictures of the photographers.
Tiziana Fabi, a news photographer working for Agence France-Presse, briefly traded places with the star. She posed for Clooney while holding his Golden Lion trophy.
During his acceptance speech, Clooney described the award as an "incredible honour" before joking about the lifetime achievement recognition. "Do [the award committee] know something I don't?" he asked the audience.
The actor then delivered a politicised address, telling the festival that the world is "living through a moment in time where people in charge... are telling us to fear one another."
Authoritarians and journalists
Clooney warned about the threats facing free expression and the press. "The first people that authoritarians try to shut down are not politicians. They're journalists who ask questions," he said.
He also highlighted the role of the creative industries in challenging fear. "They're the artists who refuse simple answers. They're the filmmakers, writers, actors and musicians who insist that someone you have never met is deserving of your empathy. Stories are always dangerous to people who peddle in fear," he continued.
The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement is one of the highest honours at Venice, which is the oldest film festival in the world. Clooney first rose to global prominence on the medical drama ER before establishing himself as a leading Hollywood star in films such as Ocean's Eleven and Gravity. He has also directed multiple historical dramas, including Good Night, and Good Luck, which focused on broadcast journalism and political intimidation.
Premiere of Danny Boyle's Ink
Later in the evening, Clooney returned to the red carpet alongside his wife, Amal, for the premiere of Danny Boyle's new film Ink. The actor wore a classic Giorgio Armani tuxedo, while the 48 year old lawyer wore an elegant black Tom Ford gown.
Amal Clooney is a prominent international human rights barrister who frequently represents journalists and political prisoners. Her legal work closely mirrors the sentiments her husband expressed on stage regarding the importance of a free press and the dangers of authoritarian rule.
Ink is an adaptation of the 2017 stage play by British writer James Graham. The film follows media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his takeover of The Sun newspaper in 1969, a purchase that transformed the British media landscape. Murdoch relaunched the broadsheet as a populist tabloid, fundamentally altering the national conversation.
Directed by Boyle, whose previous work includes Slumdog Millionaire and Trainspotting, the film stars Guy Pearce as Murdoch. Jack O'Connell plays Larry Lamb, the newspaper's editor, while Claire Foy appears as a fictional executive.
Speaking about her role in the newsroom drama, Foy said she found the environment "really intoxicating" to explore.
"They had power at their fingertips. They knew what they wrote would be... what people believed," Foy said.
