The Locarno Film Festival will celebrate Italian actress, director and musician Asia Argento with a Lifetime Achievement Award during its 79th session next August.
Argento will accept the award in Piazza Grande on the evening of August 13 and will also present works by Jorge Thelen Armand. La muerte no tini dueno (Death has no master), which premiered at the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes this year and in which she stars.
“Since her first appearance on screen as a child in Lamberto Bava’s sequel Devils 2 (1986) and starring Palombilla Rosa (1989) by Nanni Moretti “Asia Argento, one of the most distinguished European artists of her generation, has built a unique body of work that includes passionately beloved films, auteur cinema, and intimate self-portraits,” said Locarno. Argento emerged as one of cinema’s most daring presences, winning two David Di Donatello Awards for Best Actress for her film. Perdiamoci da vista (1994) by Carlo Verdone and Travel companion (1996) by Peter Del Monte. Along with her father, Dario Argento, she starred in a slew of blockbuster films – starting with “The Movie.” shock (1993) – would reshape the canon of the legendary Italian author, best known with Stendhal syndrome (1996).”
As an actress, she has collaborated with famous directors such as Patrice Chéroux (Queen Margot1994), Abel Ferrara (New Rose Hotel1998 and Go go tales2007), Gus Van Sant (Last days2005), George A. Romero (Land of the Dead2005), Sofia Coppola (Marie Antoinette(2006), Olivier Assayas (Boarding gate2007), Catherine Breillat (The last mistress2007), Bertrand Bonello (In war2008), Tesa Covey and Rainer Fremel (Vera2022).
Locarno praised Argento for “moving easily between Italian productions and international teams and bringing a strong, distinctive cinematic feel to each collaboration.” She has also starred in blockbuster films like xXx (2002), directed by Rob Cohen, and thrillers such as Red siren (2002) directed by Olivier Megaton.
“In parallel with her career as an actress, Argento directed an impressive series of her own films, beginning with her memorable feature debut. Scarlet Diva (2000) to The heart is deceitful above all else (2004) and Audacity Misunderstood (2014), following a restless creative path in search of new forms of expression and self-exploration.
Described by Giona A. Nazzaro, Locarno’s artistic director, describes her as “an artist who has always managed to reimagine what it means to make films, constantly challenging herself and taking personal risks.” “Driven by a radical creative calling, through which she explored the boundaries and explored the possibilities of cinema, both as an actor and as a director, Asia Argento embodies a vitality, generosity and restlessness that stands among the most vivid representations of all that cinema has to offer,” he said.
The 79th Locarno Film Festival will be held from August 5 to 15. Darren Aronofsky will receive the Locarno Medal of Honor this year.
