There have already been plenty of terrific pictures that’ve unspooled at the Venice Film Festival (check out our full coverage), and as the fest rolls into its second half, there’s more to come. And one picture looking to earn some shine on the Lido is Laurie Simmons‘ “My Art,” which looks to be a slightly meta tale about the life and aspirations of an aging artist.
Simmons, a longtime artist herself, stars in the picture and has enlisted an extensive ensemble including her daughter Lena Dunham, Robert Clohessy, John Rothman, Josh Safdie, Parker Posey, Blair Brown, and Barbara Sukowa, for the film about a 65 year-old woman who still dreams of artistic validation, and finds inspiration in some unlikely allies and old Hollywood movies. Here’s the official synopsis:
Ellie Shine (Laurie Simmons) is a single artist living in New York City. Ellie has a good life: a stable teaching job, successful friends, and a loyal, aging dog named Bing. As her decades-old dream of a respectable place in the art world becomes more elusive, her frustration with her lack of recognition feels alarmingly urgent. When she is offered the summer house and studio of a famous friend she seizes the opportunity to hit the reset button on her life and work. She unwittingly finds inspiration in two out-of-work actors who maintain the gardens at her summer retreat: Frank (Robert Clohessy), a recent widower trying to reassemble his life by turning his back on a mediocre acting career, and Tom (Josh Safdie), a young, hungry actor whose wife (Parker Posey) has a less ambitious vision for their idyllic country life. Joining them is John (John Rothman), a thrice-divorced, disillusioned lawyer looking for a summer distraction. This unlikely trio helps Ellie reinvent her artistic identity by participating in her DIY art videos—improbable recreations of old Hollywood films. They accompany Ellie on an odd and unexpected journey toward finding her late-blooming artistic momentum.
“My Art” premieres on Tuesday, September 6th at the Venice Film Festival. Check out the exclusive trailer below, along with two clips from the film.
Click here to see our full coverage from the 2016 Venice Film Festival.