Ellen Burstyn Receives Venice’s Golden Lion With Flesh Impact
Ellen Burstyn received Venice’s lifetime-achievement honor as Flesh Impact screened, with her and Dakota Johnson playing two versions of Marilyn Monroe.
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Flesh Impact
Ellen Burstyn and Dakota Johnson play two versions of Marilyn Monroe in Maggie Gyllenhaal’s short film, made for the centenary of Monroe’s birth.
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Overview
Johnson portrays Monroe at the height of her fame, while Burstyn plays an imagined older version. Peter Sarsgaard and Sepideh Moafi also appear. Gyllenhaal wrote and directed the film. Presented by Genesis, the production brings together The Cut, Superprime and INNOCEAN. Lawrence Sher is the cinematographer and Affonso Gonçalves is the editor. Flesh Impact screened at the 2026 Venice Film Festival in Venice Open, out of competition, alongside Burstyn’s Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement presentation on September 7.
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