- Title: Woody Allen hails 'very lucky life' as he presents 50th film
- Date: 4th September 2023
- Summary: VENICE, ITALY (SEPTEMBER 4, 2023) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF "COUP DE CHANCE" DIRECTOR WOODY ALLEN, ACTOR LOU DE LAAGE, ACTOR VALERIE LEMERCIER ARRIVING BY BOAT VARIOUS OF ALLEN, DE LAAGE AND LEMERCIER POSING FOR PHOTOS ALLEN WALKING, COMING TO FANS, GIVING AUTOGRAPHS / ALLEN WALKING AWAY VARIOUS OF FANS FILMING ALLEN ON MOBILE PHONES / ALLEN WALKING BY FANS ALLEN WALKING AWAY A
- Embargoed: 18th September 2023 14:51
- Keywords: Coup de Chance Lou de Laage Venice Biennale Venice Film Festival Woody Allen movies in Venice
- Location: VENICE, ITALY
- City: VENICE, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA001912604092023RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: U.S. director Woody Allen presented his 50th film to the Venice Film Festival on Monday (September 4), telling reporters he had had a "very, very lucky life", making no reference to the scandals that have dogged his latter years.
"In a few months, I will be 88 years old. I have never been in a hospital. I have never had anything terrible happen to me," he told reporters ahead of the premiere of his first French-language film "Coup de Chance".
The four-time Oscar-winning director of "Annie Hall" and other comedies has had a turbulent personal life that has seen him increasingly shunned by many celebrities and executives in Hollywood.
He hit the headlines in the 1990s following his affair and marriage to Soon-Yi Previn, the adopted daughter of his former lover Mia Farrow, as well as sex abuse accusations by their adopted daughter Dylan Farrow.
He has always denied the accusations and was never charged.
The Venice Film Festival was denounced by some critics for giving Allen a prestigious out-of-competition slot for his new movie, but it received loud applause at Monday's press screening and the director himself was given a warm reception on the Lido.
Allen originally intended to cast U.S. actors in the main roles, but said he had always been inspired by European filmmakers so was happy to switch languages, even though he didn't speak French.
Like many of his films, "Coup de Chance" draws inspiration from the themes of love, adultery, and death.
However, Allen said it was not worth dwelling too long on death.
"There is nothing you can do about it. It is a bad deal and you are stuck with it," he said.
(Production: Cristiano Corvino, Christian Levaux, Malgorzata Wojtunik) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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