Venice opens with Murdoch tale as festival tackles sexism

The Venice Film Festival opened on Wednesday with the world premiere of Danny Boyle's 'Ink,' a film that portrays the rise of the British tabloid The Sun and the machinations of its young proprietor, Rupert Murdoch, played by Guy Pearce. The New York Times described the film as arriving in Boyle's 'trademark rollicking style,' chronicling how tabloid scandal became a commodity that sells newspapers and shapes public life.

The choice of an opening film about the birth of tabloid journalism set a pointed tone for a festival that has long been a barometer of the cultural zeitgeist. Speaking at the opening, actor-director Maggie Gyllenhaal, who chairs the jury, said the industry has a 'systemic problem' with sexism, noting that only two films directed by women are in contention for the Golden Lion this year.

For Tuscany, whose own cultural capital of Florence draws millions of visitors each year to its Renaissance treasures, the festival's opening serves as a reminder of Italy's outsized role in shaping how the world consumes art and storytelling. The Lido's red carpet is a stage where the global image of Italian culture is continuously renegotiated, much as Florence's museums and piazzas do year-round.