Last month, the 78th annual Venice Film Festival rolled around in grand style, attracting some of the biggest Hollywood stars to the red carpet once again—and there to witness all of it firsthand was Canadian actor Sarah Gadon. Known for her appearances in TV hits Alias Grace and True Detective, as well as her collaborations with the legendary auteur David Cronenberg, had a schedule more packed than most. Serving on the jury, this year lead by Parasite filmmaker Bong Joon-ho, she was part of the team that eventually awarded the top prize to Audrey Diwan’s powerful abortion drama L’Événement.
For Gadon, the experience couldn’t have been more enjoyable, even if the invitation to be part of the historical festival’s jury was a responsibility she didn’t take lightly. “I was shooting a film in Northern Ontario, working super early mornings, and honestly just grateful to be on set during a pandemic,” she says of receiving the initial ask. “My agent called me and told me the news, and I jumped up and down—it felt like it came out of nowhere. Festivals have been operating online for the past year and the idea of going to a film festival in person, not to mention one as prestigious and glamorous as Venice, felt like a dream.”
Arriving a little ahead of the festival to counter jet lag, Gadon spent the first few days exploring the city’s winding alleyways and rich culinary offerings, before diving headfirst into a whirlwind fortnight of photocalls and red carpet premieres. She also managed to squeeze in a few dips in the pool of the Hotel Cipriani and a trip to the island of Murano, famous for its historic tradition of glassblowing. (Naturally, Gadon picked up a few pieces to take home to remind her of this special week.)
Part of the excitement was simply being able to get dressed up again for these various events after over a year of isolation and quarantines. Over the course of the two weeks, Gadon stepped out in everything from a breathtaking Armani Privé gown for the festival’s opening night to a hot pink Valentino confection for its final awards ceremony, while her go-to jewelry pieces came courtesy of Pomellato. “At first it was stressful,” says Gadon. “Being on the red carpet doesn’t come naturally to me, nor do these moments of exposition. I also knew that unlike attending a festival with a film, I was going to have to be there for more than just a couple of days, but for two whole weeks. That meant multiple red carpet looks and outfit changes—it was initially very daunting. But I started to meet with designers and I decided to really lean into the creativity of it. I chose outfits that were inspired by some of my all-time favorite actresses, and I had the privilege of working with extremely talented teams.”
Still, the real highlight of her festival experience happened far from her stylish showings on the red carpet. Instead, it took place in the conference rooms where she and her fellow jury would gather to discuss and debate which of the stacked lineup of movies deserved to take home the festival’s highly esteemed prizes. “I studied film theory and criticism, and to be squabbling about movies with some of the best directors and actors of my generation was surreal,” says Gadon. “I love arguing with people about movies and we all really went for it. In a period of time where it feels difficult to have meaningful dialogue, it was so refreshing to have passionate debates that always concluded with love and respect—even if we left discussions with no unanimous point of view!”
Here, Gadon takes Vogue behind the scenes of her two weeks at Venice Film Festival, from her time off exploring the city to applying the finishing touches to her knockout red carpet looks.
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