The 16. Queer Lion Award – collateral award of the 79th Venice International Film Festival, ideated in 2007 by Daniel N. Casagrande – has been awarded to Aus meiner Haut (Skin Deep) di Alex Schaad (presented in 37. International Critics’ Week).
Motivation:
The Queer Lion 2022 goes to Aus meiner Haut (Skin Deep) di Alex Schaad for the representation of the dynamics that codify the complex language of feelings, by telling a love story that literally transcends bodies. What initially appears as a body swapping horror movie, quickly starts overcoming both cinematic genres and genders. In doing so, it poses surprisingly clever and daring questions, challenging the very nature and purpose of love, be it the mind, the body, the pleasure or the laws of desire. In demolishing the idea of pre-established roles in favor of endless fluid possibilities, the movie boldly succeeds in turning the acronym LGBTQ into a single word.
The jury – chaired by Rich Cline, journalist and film critic – chose the winner among the following 19 titles:
Il signore delle formiche by Gianni Amelio (Italy, 134’, 2022)
The Whale by Darren Aronofsky (Usa, 117’, 2022)
TÁR by Todd Field (Usa, 158’, 2022)
Monica by Andrea Pallaoro (Usa, Italy, 106’, 2022)
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed by Laura Poitras (Usa, 113’, 2022)
L’immensità by Emanuele Crialese (Italy, France, 97’, 2022)
Chleb i sól (Bread and Salt) by Damian Kocur (Poland, 100’, 2022)
L’origine du mal by Sébastien Marnier (France, Canada, 125’, 2022)
Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy by Nancy Buirski (Usa, 101’, 2022)
Blue Jean by Georgia Oakley (Uk, 97’, 2022)
Lobo e cão (Wolf and Dog) by Cláudia Varejão (Portugal, 111’, 2022)
Běžná selhání (Ordinary Failures) by Cristina Groșan (Czech Republic, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, 84’, 2022)
Casa Susanna di Sebastien Lifshitz (France, Usa, 97’, 2022)
Le favolose di Roberta Torre (Italy, 80’, 2022)
Les damnés ne pleurent pas di Fyzal Boulifa (France, Belgium, Morocco, 110’, 2022)
Trois nuits par semaine di Florent Gouëlou (France, 103’, 2022)
Anhell69 di Theo Montoya (Colombia, 75’, 2022)
Eismayer di David Wagner (Austria, 87’, 2022)
Aus meiner Haut (Skin Deep) di Alex Schaad (Germany, 103’, 2022)
The award ceremony will take place on Friday, September 9th, at 6:00PM, at the Hollywood Celebrities Lounge of Circolo del Tennis, Lungomare Marconi, 41/D, Lido di Venezia.
