Venice Film Festival: A sizzling affair
The heat is on
“Oh my God, it’s so hot, I’m so hot!” exclaimed Nicole Kidman as she entered the Sala Grande, the central cinema of the Venice Film Festival, for the world premiere of her erotic thriller Babygirl. Fanning her face and airing her neck under the not-quite-powerful-enough air conditioning, she added, “It’s so much cooler in here!” while posing for a selfie with a fan.
Kidman’s words echoed the sentiments of nearly every festival attendee. If last year’s buzzword was “strikes,” this year it’s undeniably “sweat.” The relentless heatwave has turned the festival into a sweltering ordeal, even for the A-listers who usually remain unbothered by such mundane issues.
A festival drenched in sweat
An unprecedented and prolonged heatwave across Italy, fueled by a lingering African anticyclone, has seen temperatures soar into the upper 80s Fahrenheit. This has transformed much of the festival into a muggy, dripping mess within seconds of any outdoor exposure. Even the shade offers no respite.
While the average guest might find this somewhat unpleasant, spare a thought for the celebrities. They’ve been squeezing into high fashion for red carpet premieres and parties, facing thousands of camera lenses ready to capture every bead of sweat, glistening forehead, or damp patch in dazzling high-definition.
The red carpet struggle
At the premiere of the Apple TV+ crime caper Wolfs on Sunday night, George Clooney was seen wiping sweat from his brow and wafting his tuxedo jacket to cool down. Photographers, equipped with mini fans, attempted to cool their overheating subjects. One fan was reportedly given to Brad Pitt’s girlfriend, Ines de Ramon, to help her cope.
Other attempts to stay cool have sometimes backfired. Producer David Hinojosa, waiting in a festival car to be dropped off at the Babygirl premiere, awkwardly clutched a bottle of San Pellegrino for hydration. As he made his “movie star” exit, cameras caught him trying to hide the bottle behind the billowing white dress of director Halina Reijn.
Fashion vs. function
The clash between the festival’s timing and fashion seasons has added to the discomfort. Brands are keen to push their fall and winter collections, offering options like velvet and wool, which are far from ideal in the sweltering heat. Giulletta Canzani Mora, founder of image and management company Good Sisters, noted, ”We were presented with red carpet looks in velvet and wool, but we said, ‘No way! We can’t dress like this with the heat!’”
Despite protests, many men were spotted sporting velvet tuxes. Mora, married to prominent French actor Jonathan Cohen, allowed her client Angelia Woreth to brave the humidity in jeans and a sequin jacket for the premiere of And Their Children After Time. “She was very hot,” Mora noted, ”but it was a very important moment for her.”
Makeup and hair woes
Makeup artist Iván Gómez, who worked with Poppy Delevingne and Úrsula Corberó (star of Casa de Papel), lamented the challenges posed by the humidity. “We’re praying that the product stays in place because humidity is the worst condition,” he said. Gómez carries multiple fans and overuses oil control blotting sheets and mattifier primers to combat the heat.
The hair situation is even worse when clients want a “loose natural style.” Gómez styled Delevingne’s hair in a “super cool effortless look,” but within 30 minutes, it looked like a complete mess. He also did the makeup for an unnamed actress and producer for Venice’s glitzy amFar gala, but her smooth ponytail turned into a rock-and-roll ponytail by the time she stepped on the red carpet.
Stars who beat the heat
Not all stars struggled equally. Nicholas Hoult appeared relatively fresh at The Order photocall, wearing a Bottega Veneta Wales wool jacket. The fashion label assured that the jacket was made of wool and cotton, making it lightweight and breathable. At The Brutalist world premiere, writer/director Brady Corbet managed to appear at ease in a full tuxedo with a bow tie, despite the peak heat.
Angelina Jolie raised eyebrows by turning up for the premiere of Maria wearing a faux fur stole, looking entirely unfazed by the brutal heat. She spent time on the red carpet happily doing interviews and posing for photographs with fans. Was there a miniature battery-operated air conditioning unit secretly sewn inside the fur? One publicist quipped, “If anyone has the answer about the fur, please tell me.”
The future of the festival
Should a similar punishing heatwave return next year, the Venice Film Festival could face challenges in attracting big Hollywood names. The likes of Telluride and Toronto offer more cooling, sweat-free climes. There have already been suggestions that “Venice moves to October.”
The Venice Film Festival remains a glamorous affair, but this year, it’s been a sizzling one. The heat has added an unexpected layer of drama, making it a memorable event for all the wrong reasons.