At least in America, the narrative is I'm a Cannes favorite. But, in fact, I've had my best experience in Venice, both with the audience and the jury.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I will never forget experiencing Venice for the first time. It feels like you are transported to another time - the art, music, food and pure romance in the air is like no other place.
Cannes is a very strange place. I tried to show up as best I could and to try not to be cynical.
I've been delighted by Cannes and Toronto but I keep saying I don't know how good we're going to be received in America because that's where it's most challenging.
Venice, Italy, is one of my favorite cities, a place I've been lucky enough to visit twice.
Cannes is the oldest film festival in the world, and I've long dreamed of having one of my films there in competition. It's a dream that lay dormant for a long time; I stopped believing in it.
Cannes is a sort of gladiators' arena, and that's the fun part of it. When you accept to come here to open the festival, you know you are going to be criticised. I have no problem with the fact that I expose myself and the movie, and it's normal that I can disagree with the way some people feel.
Then I realized my early work did have something special that audiences adored apart from what I humbly thought about them. They occupy a distinguished niche in Italian film history and probably always will.
I've been to Cannes 15 or 16 times, and every time I go, there's a kind of soul-stirring feeling.
I have an Italian comedy at the Venice Film Festival.
Cannes or any other major festival is basically an animal in its own nature, creating very specific perceptions of films in a moment.
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