“The Duke” will have its world premiere at the 2020 Venice Film Festival, the first major film event to be held since Covid-19 forced much of the world into lockdown.
British comedy-drama “The Duke” will have its world premiere at the 2020 Venice Film Festival.
The film stars Oscar-winning duo Jim Broadbent and Helen Mirren, and cast members include Fionn Whitehead, Matthew Goode, and Anna Maxwell Martin. BAFTA Award winner Roger Michell directed the film with a script written by Richard Bean and Clive Coleman.
About the Movie
“The Duke”, based on a true story, is about a 60-year-old taxi driver, Kempton Bunton, who stole a Goya painting from the National Gallery in London almost 60 years ago. It was the first and only theft in the Gallery’s history.
Kempton Bunton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on the condition that the U.K. government provide free TV for the elderly. However, he spun a web of lies — only 50 years later would the full story emerge.
As people around the world deal with the new realities of the Covid-19 pandemic, “The Duke” is a timely story that explores human connection and empathy.
The Venice Film Festival will be the first major film event held since the pandemic forced much of the world to enter lockdown. Attendees of the event will adhere to safety measures, including social distancing, to make the film festival as risk-free as possible.
The Venice Film Festival kicks off on September 2 and will run through September 12.
Pathé, a film company, will distribute “The Duke” in the UK, France, and Switzerland in Spring 2021 and will also manage sales for the rest of the world.