Movies News
China's Jia Zhangke wins Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival
By DPA
Sep 9, 2006, 18:12 GMT

Venice, Italy - Sanxia Haoren (Still Life), by Chinese director Jia Zhangke, on Saturday won the Golden Lion award for best film at the Venice Film Festival.

The film, which recounts the story of a miner and a nurse who return to their village that was destroyed by the building of China's Three Gorges Dam, had been a last-minute 'surprise' entry to the list of 21 movies vying for the coveted award.

Hellen Mirren, who won over critics with her spectacular performance as Queen Elizabeth in Stephen Frear's The Queen, was named Best Actress.

The Best Actor award went to Ben Affleck, who stars in Allen Coulter's Hollywoodland.

The jury's special prize went to Private Fears in Public Places by veteran French director Alain Resnais.

The Venice film festival is the world's oldest. This year's edition was its 63rd.