LIDO DI VENEZIA, ITALY: Woody Allen received a mixed response at the 80th annual Venice Film Festival as he attended the premiere of his new film ‘Coup De Chance’ with his wife Soon-Yi Previn and adopted daughters Manzie Tio, 23, and Bechet, 24.
The 87-year-old controversial director was hand-in-hand with his 52-year-old wife as they arrived at the Venice Lido ahead of the film's first official screening on Monday, September 4.
Previn looked stunning in a sophisticated black evening dress, while Allen was appropriately dapper in a black dinner suit and white dress.
The ‘Midnight in Paris’ director was welcomed with loud applause at the film festival. However, the cheers were soon drowned out by boos from those opposed to his presence amid allegations that he sexually assaulted his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow, whom he shares with former partner Mia Farrow.
A slew of scuffles also broke out at the Festival as protesters attempted to get on the red carpet before Allen’s arrival.
The group, which included more than 20 people, chanted slogans like “no rape culture”; “we are speaking for those without a voice against the director predators”; “a rapist is not a sick man, he is the healthy son of patriarchy”; “No spotlight for rapist directors”; and “The alpha male doesn’t exist.”
After being stopped shortly past the carpet, the protesters formed a line and took off their shirts before chanting more. The demonstration lasted only a few minutes before they were led out of the festival area by police, according to Hollywood Reporter.
Is Woody Allen planning to retire?
These protests came after Allen told Variety that ‘Coup de Chance’ might be his last film as he is considering retirement.
"I was thinking this is my 50th film and I have to decide if I want to make more films. There are two things that I thought about. One is, that it’s always such a pain in the neck to raise money for a movie. And do I want to go through it?” he said.
‘Coup de chance’ is a French thriller, which was mostly filmed in Paris. The film revolves around a couple whose lives are torn apart by the arrival of a former flame.
The cast includes Lou de Laage, Valerie Lemercier, Melvil Poupaud, and Niels Schneider.
Woody Allen reiterates denial of Dylan Farrow’s abuse claims
Further in the interview, Allen told Variety that he is "always willing" to meet his estranged daughter Dylan as he again denied her longstanding sexual abuse allegations.
Dylan previously alleged that Allen touched her inappropriately in August 1992, when she was seven. She stated that the controversial director abused her in an attic of the Connecticut home where she lived with her mother Mia Farrow and siblings.
The allegations were investigated, and no charges were ever brought. The story was brought back to light in 2014 when Dylan detailed the abuse while speaking with New York Times columnist Nick Kristof.
Ronan Farrow, the journalist brother of Dylan, also wrote about it in 2016 and condemned Hollywood for continuing to work with their father.
In his recent interview, Allen was asked for his reaction to the HBO documentary 'Allen v Farrow'. He said, "My reaction has always been the same."
"The situation has been investigated by two people, two major bodies, not people, but two major investigative bodies," he stated. "And both, after long detailed investigations, concluded there was no merit to these charges, that, you know, is exactly as I wrote in my book, 'Apropos of Nothing.' There was nothing to it."
"The fact that it lingers on always makes me think that maybe people like the idea that it lingers on. You know, maybe there's something appealing to people. But why? Why? I don't know what you can do besides having it investigated, which they did so meticulously. One was less than a year and the other one was many months. And they spoke to everybody concerned and, you know, both came to the exact same conclusion," he continued.
Allen said he has not seen Dylan or Ronan Farrow in years, but would not say no to meeting them. "Always willing to but no, no…," he said.
