Most people figured that Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” would win the Golden Lion, and that it did, but apparently there was a block of the jurors who fought hard for Ryusuke Hamaguchi’s “Evil Does Not Exist.”
Here is Venice Film Festival director Alberto Barbera, at yesterday’s press conference, giving us a brief behind-the-scenes look at the jury deliberations:
It wasn't a unanimous decision. As far as I know, the tug-of-war among the jurors had to do with Ryūsuke Hamaguchi’s Evil Does Not Exist.
Hamaguchi’s film went on to win the Grand Jury Prize (second place). Apparently, Matteo Garrone‘s “Io Capitano” was never in the running for the Golden Lion, but the filmmaker did win the Best Director prize.