Actor George Clooney received the prestigious Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, delivering a moving speech on the power of art. Speaking at the festival’s opening ceremony, Clooney shared, “We’re living through a moment in time where the people in charge and 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,” as quoted by Variety. Referring to political turmoil, he further continued, “The first people that authoritarians try to shut down are not politicians. They’re journalists who ask questions, they’re the artists who refuse simple answers, the filmmakers, writers, actors and musicians who insist that someone you never met is deserving of your empathy.”