Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron’s ‘Roma’ wins top prize at Venice

ROME (AP) — “Roma,” Alfonso Cuaron’s intimate, black-and-white portrait of the women who raised him in Mexico City’s turbulent 1970s, has won the top prize at the 75th Venice Film Festival.

Cuaron accepted the Leone d’Oro on Saturday, which he said was the birthday of the woman who inspired the lead character Cleo, a young domestic worker with her own troubles amid political strife in the city’s Roma neighborhood.

The jury prize went to “The Favorite” by Yorgos Lanthimos, about the women surrounding Queen Anne; Olivia Colman won best actress for her role as the queen.

Director Yorgos Lanthimos holds the Silver Lion Best Director award for ‘The Favourite’ at the awards photo call of the 75th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Image: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

Director Jennifer Kent holds the Special Jury Prize award for “The Nightingale” at the awards photo call of the 75th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Image: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

Best director went to Jacques Audiard for “The Sisters and Brothers.” Willem Dafoe picked up best actor for “At Eternity’s Gate,” Julian Schnabel’s homage to Vincent Van Gogh.

Actor Willem Dafoe holds the Coppa Volpi Best Actor award for ‘At Eternity’s Gate’ at the awards photo call of the 75th edition of the Venice Film Festival in Venice, Italy, Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018. Image: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

Guillermo del Toro headed the jury. NVG

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