With just over a month until the opening ceremony, the people behind the 69th Venice Film Festival are gearing up to announce what will be showing, in competition or otherwise. On Sunday it was confirmed that Indian film director Mira Nair will be opening the festivities with her completed project THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST.
Riz Ahmen (of FOUR LIONS fame) stars as a Wall Street worker who becomes torn between his love for his native country (Pakistan), his dreams and aspirations and a hostage situation. Of course, like many films we’ve been reporting on recently, this is based on a book which has been translated into 25 languages – so some may know the story, while for others it’ll be a surprise.
Nair, who is the director behind Golden Lion winner VANITY FAIR, has already shown her work at the Italian festival – five times already! Alberto Barbera, the festivals artistic director, has commented on the film saying it ‘deals with topical issues’ and Nair was ‘inspired by profound ethical and moral reasons’. Sounds intriguing.
THE RELUCTANT FUNDAMENTALIST is set to open the Venice Film Festival on 29th August. It co-stars Kiefer Sutherland, Kate Hudson, Martin Donovan and Live Schreiber.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
