Guillermo del Toro’s monster thriller The Shape of Water has won the Venice Film Festival’s top prize, the Golden Lion.
A jury led by American actress Annette Bening chose the film from among 21 competing at the 74th annual festival – an edition where the world’s social divisions and the spectre of climate change resonated through many of the entries.
The Shape of Water beat contenders including George Clooney’s Suburbicon and Alexander Payne’s Downsizing. In a four-star review, the Guardian’s Xan Brooks described it as “stylish and charming; red meat for the senses with some sugar on top”.
The runner-up Grand Jury Prize on Saturday went to Israeli director Samuel Maoz’s Foxtrot.
Palestinian actor Kamel El Basha and British actress Charlotte Rampling took the festival’s acting trophies.
The world’s oldest film festival wrapped up on Saturday after 11 days that brought stars including Clooney, Matt Damon and Jennifer Lawrence to the canal-crossed Italian city.
