Nobody, not even Jim Jarmusch himself, seemed to think his latest, Father Mother Sister Brother, had a shot at winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival earlier this month. Not because the film wasn't terrific - it was - but because it was so modest, minimalist, and odd, a true curiosity amid an awards-season-friendly lineup of big titles defined by their ambition and/or their hard-hitting urgency.
The palazzo, an eighteenth-century landmark on the Grand Canal, became the canvas for the maison's vision. Its Baroque architecture, sharpened by Tadao Ando's minimalist interventions, offered a stage that was both historic and modern. Guests arrived by boat to the private dock, ascending marble steps into a hall reimagined for the night. Crystal chandeliers glowed above round tables dressed in rich red silks, polished silver, and white porcelain.
As ever, the New York Film Festival, which begins on September 26 at Lincoln Center, marks the start of our city's cinematic season. There are, admittedly, far more films than you've likely got time to see. But that's what we're here for. So unless you have limitless funds and nothing else to do-in which case, let us introduce you to the $17,500 Gold Pass-consider starting with one of the high-buzz titles below.