Anuparna Roy scripts history, wins Best Director at Venice Film Festival for 'Songs of Forgotten Trees’
Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy made history at the 82nd Venice Film Festival, winning the Best Director award in the Orizzonti Competition for her film Songs of Forgotten Trees.
Presented by Anurag Kashyap, Songs of Forgotten Trees was the only Indian entry in the Orizzonti section. The film explores the lives of two migrant women in Mumbai as they grapple with loneliness, survival, and fleeting human connections.
The award was announced during the festival’s closing ceremony on Saturday by French filmmaker Julia Ducournau, president of the Orizzonti jury. Accepting the honour in a white saree, Roy described the moment as “surreal,” while thanking the jury, her producers, the cast, and Kashyap for their support.
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Roy devoted part of her remarks to the conflict in Gaza. “Every child deserves peace, freedom, liberation, and Palestine is no exception,” Roy said. “I stand beside Palestine. I might upset my country but it doesn’t matter to me anymore.”
Here are the winners from the 21 films in the main competition, as decided by a jury chaired by American director Alexander Payne:
- Golden Lion for Best Film - "Father Mother Sister Brother" by Jim Jarmusch (United States)
- Silver Lion Grand Jury Prize - "The Voice of Hind Rajab" by Kaouther Ben Hania (Tunisia)
- Silver Lion award for best director - Benny Safdie for "The Smashing Machine" (United States)
- Volpi Cup award for best actress - Xin Zhilei for "The Sun Rises on Us All" by Cai Shangjun (China)
- Volpi Cup award for best actor - Toni Servillo for "La Grazia" by Paolo Sorrentino (Italy)
- Award for best screenplay - "A pied d'oeuvre" ("At Work") by Valerie Donzelli (France)
- Special jury prize - "Sotto le Nuvole" ("Below the Clouds") by Gianfranco Rosi (Italy)
- Marcello Mastroianni Award for best young actor or actress - Luna Wedler in "Silent Friend" by Ildiko Enyedi (Switzerland)