The Venice Film Festival, ongoing until September 12, 2026, has seen a noticeable shift in its atmosphere this year as several major Hollywood studios opted not to premiere films, reportedly deterred by last year’s lukewarm receptions to star-driven projects. The resulting absence of high-profile celebrities has created more room for smaller, risk-taking films, prompting a focus on works that engage with contemporary anxieties and ethical questions.

Among the most discussed entries is the nearly four-hour biopic *Musk*, which offers an intense portrayal of the world’s richest man. However, the festival’s artistic centerpiece is widely regarded as *Dau*, a 195-minute film exploring the life and environment of Soviet physicist Lev “Dau” Landau. Directed by Russian-born Ilya Khrzhanovsky, who shot most of the footage between 2008 and 2011, the film straddles a line between historical drama and experimental cinema. It delves into Landau’s complex relations with the Soviet military and the women in his life, including his wife Nora, portrayed by Radmila Shchogolieva, and others involved in their unconventional marriage.

*Dau* also evokes debate around its production ethics. Lead actor Teodor Currentzis, a Greek-Russian conductor, and Khrzhanovsky himself have faced criticism for ties to Russian state funding and allegations of pushing non-professional actors to psychologically taxing lengths—claims the director denies. The film’s funding has also been linked to Sergei Adoniev, a Russian oligarch currently under sanctions. Despite these controversies, critics praise the film’s visual and thematic richness, noting its homage to filmmakers like Tarkovsky and its striking, painterly visuals that merge surrealism and historical detail.

*Dau* is part of a broader multimedia project encompassing dozens of films, series, books, and installations, created through an immersive process involving thousands of non-professional actors and extensive improvised dialogue. The scale reportedly includes a 12,000-square-meter set and hundreds of hours of footage, underscoring the project’s ambition to create a comprehensive artistic universe.

Other notable works at Venice include South Korean director Lee Chang-dong’s *Possible Love*, which examines class tensions and trauma through the story of a laid-off factory worker’s wife and a documentary filmmaker. The film continues thematic concerns about economic insecurity seen in previous South Korean films showcased at the festival.

English-language films also featured. In *Primetime*, Robert Pattinson portrays Chris Hansen, the former host of NBC's *To Catch a Predator*, in a film that interrogates the ethics of televising encounters with alleged online predators. Directed by Lance Oppenheim, the documentary raises questions about whether the format exploited societal fears for entertainment, especially as the narrative tone becomes increasingly sensational.

Javier Bardem and Penélope Cruz star in *Bunker*, a psychological drama about a Spanish architect in London who faces moral questions when commissioned by a tech billionaire to build a doomsday shelter. French writer-director Florian Zeller explores themes of alienation amid sleek modernist settings, though some critics note the film relies on familiar tropes and symbolic devices that occasionally undermine its emotional impact.

The festival also presented *Naza*, a documentary co-directed by Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor that examines Israeli military operations in Gaza through interviews with former operatives involved in designing remote-killing technologies. Filmed in Tel Aviv, the testimonies, often given from shadowed rooftops, offer a stark, matter-of-fact look at the mechanics and human cost of targeted strikes. Interviewees reflect on dehumanization on both sides and contextualize their actions within a framework they acknowledge as genocidal. The film draws parallels with historical genocides and confronts viewers with the enduring complexities of moral responsibility.

Together, these films paint a picture of a Venice Film Festival less focused on star power and more engaged with probing societal and historical dilemmas, from personal trauma and class conflict to state violence and the nature of power.