Hollywood star George Clooney used his acceptance speech for the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Venice Film Festival on Wednesday to criticize what he called "authoritarians who peddle fear." The actor, 65, received a prolonged standing ovation for his remarks that emphasized human connection and the unifying power of cinema.
"Nobody laughs in a different language. Nobody cries in a different language. Parents worry the same, kids dream the same," Clooney stated, highlighting commonalities among people. "Love looks remarkably similar… which makes it hard to believe that we're as different as we're constantly being told."
Clooney asserted that those in power, particularly those with financial influence, are promoting division. "We're living through a moment in time where people in charge, the people with the most money, are telling us to fear one another. But we know better than that, don't we? Because history does teach us a lesson," he said.
He identified journalists, artists, filmmakers, writers, actors, and musicians as targets of authoritarians, stating that these are the individuals who are often silenced for questioning or refusing simple answers. "Stories are always dangerous to people who peddle in fear," Clooney added. "The people who are afraid of books and music and stories are never the heroes in history." While acknowledging that movies do not solve immediate crises like wars or inflation, he argued they possess the power to remind people that "a stranger is never a stranger, and that he might just be the hero in somebody else's story."
Earlier in the day, Clooney had also sharply criticized the current U.S. administration, referring to those in charge as "the least qualified people" and lamenting a perceived absence of "decency." He alluded to the term "kakistocracy," meaning a government run by the least qualified or most incompetent citizens.
"We've had some other difficult times but this is one of them," he said, referencing a period of unrest in 1968. "There is a great word, kakistocracy, which is a country run by the least qualified people. I think maybe we have a kakistocracy right now but we will get through it."
He expressed hope for a political reset following the November elections and a potential "restoration" in 2028. Clooney specifically denounced President Donald Trump's administration as "cruel," asserting that basic standards of decency have vanished from public life. He cited a tweet by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that appeared to mock the appearance of an overweight female Canadian soldier.
Laura Dern, a longtime friend and co-star from Clooney's first film, "Grizzly II: Revenge," presented the award. Maggie Gyllenhaal, the jury president, echoed Clooney's sentiments on cinema's impact, stating her interest in films that offer human interaction and diverse perspectives. "I'm interested in having an interaction with something human, even if that human has a very different experience or point of view than I do," Gyllenhaal said.
This marks Clooney's return to the Venice Film Festival, where he has been a regular presence for nearly 30 years. Significant personal and professional moments, including his wedding to Amal and the debut of his Oscar-nominated film "Good Night, And Good Luck," have occurred at the festival. Last year, he attended to promote his film "Jay Kelly," which featured a character receiving a lifetime achievement award in Italy, making this year's recognition a full-circle moment.