George Clooney, the biggest star in Venice is not at the Festival

The arrival is already a small show. He introduces himself: “Hi, I’m George. This is my wife Amal.’ Inside a dark suit, the usual legendary smile on his face, arm in arm with LoveHere you are George Clooney. Between the photographers who go crazy and the guests who all approach with glasses of champagne in hand, the air is immediately different. The biggest star who is in Venice is not at the Film Festival: she is always in the Lagoon, but at the Cini ai Foundation Diane von Furstenberg Award, the awards created by the designer for women who celebrate other women. At the Lido it is the day of Adam Driver, here at the Mostra in a barricade version, with the attacks on Amazon and Netflix that do not negotiate with the actors’ union on salaries. And in this edition with few stars, who forfeited because of the strike, Clooney looks like the apparition of the holy savior of Hollywood, landed on the island of San Giorgio to donate a little stardust and glamour.

It is here, in reality, as the companion of his wife Amal, one of the most highly regarded human rights lawyers in the world, who receives the DVF Leadership Award for his work on behalf of victims of human rights abuses around the world, together with, among others, the Secretary General of the United Nations Amina J. Mohammed, environmental and human rights activist Helena Gualinga. Among the guests are, among others, Emma Thompson, Rita Ora And Nancy Pelosithe Speaker Emeritus of the US Congress.

George smiles, he seems very happy to be in Venice: «It’s beautiful, this is where I got married. First we went for a tour in Amman where we had the wedding party. It’s the most romantic city in the world.” Then to kindly leave the scene, he looks around and asks us: «But where is my wife? I lost it”. No, George, she went to say hello to Diane Von Furstenberg, who shakes everyone’s hand, laughs, makes jokes (“tonight we’re saving the world”) and speaks a strange Esperanto of Italian and English. Emma Thompson also arrives, they compliment each other on how well they are, they tease each other a little, they hug, they take a picture together. Then George joins Amal, they enter the awards ceremony: she will go on stage, he will be in the audience. And in her acceptance speech, she gives him and all of us a declaration of love: «It all started here in Venice nine years ago. And now we’re here together.” No red carpet this year, but a trail of glamor and little hearts has remained here on the island of San Giorgio.