Nicole Kidman had to rush home after arriving in Venice due to the death of her mother. She was chosen as Best Actress at the 81st edition of the famous film festival for Babygirl.
Hollywood star Nicole Kidman was unable to collect her Best Actress award in person at the Venice Film Festival due to the death of her “beautiful and brave” mother. The actress won the award for her role as a CEO who has an affair with a young intern, played by Harris Dickinson, in director Halina Reijn's Babygirl, Mirror.co.uk reports.
In a note read by Reijn, Kidman addressed the festival audience on Saturday night, saying she was “heartbroken.” It read: “I arrived in Venice today and shortly after I learned that my beautiful and brave mother Janelle Ann Kidman has just passed away. I am in shock and have to go to my family, but this award is for her, she shaped me, guided me and made me. I am beyond grateful to be able to say her name to all of you through Halina. The collision of life and art is heartbreaking and my heart is broken. We love you all.”
According to Mirror.co.uk, The actress The Australian actress had paid tribute to her late mother earlier this year, when she became the first Australian to be honoured with the American Film Institute's prestigious lifetime achievement award. At the time, she addressed the fact that her mother was unable to see her being honoured due to health issues. In April, she said: “My mum's not here, but she sent me a card and she was crying.” The Australian actress continued: “So this is for her, she's been there through everything since I was a little girl crying in bed, saying, 'mum, I wasn't wanted, I'm not pretty enough, I'm too tall, I'm covered in freckles, I'm this, I'm that', and she's always cheered me on, so this is for her.”
The 81st Venice Film Festival concluded on Saturday. Director Pedro Almodóvar's English-language debut feature, The Room Next Door, took home the festival's most prestigious award, the Golden Lion, which is given to best film. The film, starring Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton, received a nearly 20-minute standing ovation when it premiered at the festival.
The final day of Venice also saw the world premiere of Horizon: An American Saga Chapter 2, with Vincent Lindon winning Best Actor for his portrayal of a single father whose son is radicalised by the far right in French drama The Quiet Son. The Luigi De Laurentiis Award for Best New Film went to Sarah Friedland’s Familiar Touch, about an octogenarian’s transition to assisted living as she grapples with her age, her memory and her relationship with her carers.