A fairy tale in which a mute cleaner in a government laboratory falls in love with an aquatic creature facing dissection there - an appeal to embrace differences - premiered at the Venice film festival on Thursday.
Mexican director Guillermo del Toro's "The Shape of Water" stars Sally Hawkins as Elisa, the cleaner in the lab whose life changes when she befriends the amphibious creature, which has been captured by government scientists to study its breathing patterns for use in advances in space travel.
"It's a very political, very fabulistic fairy tale about love and coming together..., about how we are told to stay apart for stupid reasons when we are all together," del Toro, a 52-year-old, previous Academy Award nominee, told Reuters.
The film is one of 21 U.S. and international movies vying for the Golden Lion that will be awarded on Sept. 9 after days of screenings, parties and red carpet glamour.
"The Shape of Water" features a fantastical creature - a cross between human and fish with glowing spots on its skin - to point to "the otherness" people so often reject, Del Toro said.
But the notion of otherness is evoked through other characters as well, be it Elisa's black friend Zelda, played by Octavia Spencer, or her secretly gay neighbour, played by Richard Jenkins.
"I’m Mexican and I know what it is to be looked at as the 'other'," Del Toro said. "The creature represents something that can be either divine or debased according to who looks at it."
Michael Shannon stars in the movie as Strickland, a ruthless government agent uninterested in genuine science and willing to cut the creature into pieces, if that is what he is ordered to do.
"He doesn't see anyone because his arrogance is so big," Del Toro said. "It speaks about the issue we have today that choosing fear over love is a disaster."
Hawkins was told about the role at a time when she herself was writing notes for a film about a mermaid, a coincidence she said was "magic and rare".
"When all those synchronistic, odd things that are almost beyond you happen, then you know it’s for a good reason," the Britain-born actress said.
The film is set in 1960s America but Del Toro, the maker of movies such as "Hellboy" and "Pan's Labyrinth", said the tale is relevant today.
"It's so hard to talk about emotions these days ... and talk about love but it's still the strongest force in the universe. The Beatles and Jesus cannot be wrong."
Reuters
Thu Aug 31 2017
![Don't be cynical about love, director Del Toro says in adult fairytale Don't be cynical about love, director Del Toro says in adult fairytale](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2015-10/61444454048_GuillermoDelToro.jpg)
The film is set in 1960s America but Del Toro, the maker of movies such as "Hellboy" and "Pan's Labyrinth", said the tale is relevant today. - Filepic
Kim Pan-gon letak jawatan berikutan komitmen peribadi
Pengurus pasukan kebangsaan Malaysia, Kim Pan-gon menyatakan perletakan jawatan tersebut kerana komitmen peribadi.
#AWANInews
#AWANInews
![Penggunaan dron tingkat keberkesanan pemantauan pencemaran - Nik Nazmi Penggunaan dron tingkat keberkesanan pemantauan pencemaran - Nik Nazmi](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/71721102997_SimposiumDronKeban.jpg)
Penggunaan dron tingkat keberkesanan pemantauan pencemaran - Nik Nazmi
Penggunaan dron membolehkan pemantauan pencemaran alam sekitar dan hidupan liar serta pencerobohan hutan dilaksanakan dengan lebih berkesan.
![Kim Pan-gon letak jawatan ketua jurulatih Harimau Malaya Kim Pan-gon letak jawatan ketua jurulatih Harimau Malaya](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-06/71718142997_KimPanGon.jpg)
Kim Pan-gon letak jawatan ketua jurulatih Harimau Malaya
Kim Pan-gon, bakal menjadi satu-satunya individu yang bakal meninggalkan pasukan manakala Pau Marti bersama staf sokongan yang lain kekal di Kelana Jaya.
![Bekas pengawal peribadi Wan Azizah cedera kemalangan Bekas pengawal peribadi Wan Azizah cedera kemalangan](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721109015_bekaspengawalperib.jpg)
Bekas pengawal peribadi Wan Azizah cedera kemalangan
Bekas anggota polis wanita yang kini bekerja sebagai pengawal peribadi cedera setelah motosikal ditunggangnya melanggar sebuah SUV di lebuh raya PLUS.
![Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81719996195_MKulasegaran.jpg)
Rang Undang-undang Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentang akhir tahun ini - Kulasegaran
RUU Kebebasan Maklumat dijangka dibentangkan di Parlimen pada akhir tahun ini selepas cadangan ketetapan bagi penggubalan Akta Kebebasan Maklumat dibawa ke Jemaah Menteri untuk kelulusan.
![Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721108438_azizi.jpg)
Azizi dilantik Ketua Polis Perak baharu
Timbalan Ketua Polis Perak Datuk Azizi Mat Aris dilantik sebagai Ketua Polis Perak yang baharu hari ini.
![ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/51721108165_ADUNRembiaPN.jpg)
ADUN Rembia sertai Pas, tak 'lompat parti' - Takiyuddin
Menurut Takiyuddin, keahlian Muhamad Jailani yang juga wakil rakyat UMNO diterima pada 10 Jun tahun lalu, namun diumumkan secara rasmi hari ini.
Kita perlu belajar hidup dengan COVID-19 - Pakar
Itu kata Pakar Perubatan Kesihatan Awam, Bahagian Kawalan Penyakit, Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM), Dr Aznida Mohamad Zaki yang berkata pihaknya akan berusaha semampu mungkin dalam menggalakkan praktis kendiri dikalangan orang awam bagi mencegah penularan wabak seperti mana yang pernah dilakukan sebelum ini.
LHDN lulus 141,406 permohonan PKPS 2.0
Lembaga Hasil Dalam Negeri (LHDN) telah meluluskan sebanyak 141,406 permohonan program khas pengakuan sukarela (PKPS) 2.0 yang melibatkan 102,572 bilangan kes pembayar cukai individu, 27,707 bilangan kes syarikat dan selebihnya melibatkan lain kategori seperti pertubuhan.
![Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2024-07/81721017239_TBFADILLAH.jpg)
Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah
Pelan Transformasi Air sasar tingkatkan air bersih, tingkatkan liputan sistem kumbahan - Fadillah
![Oscar: Filem fantasi romantik, The Shape of Water rangkul filem terbaik Oscar: Filem fantasi romantik, The Shape of Water rangkul filem terbaik](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/http://img.astroawani.com/2018-03/51520233782_theshapeofwater.png)
Oscar: Filem fantasi romantik, The Shape of Water rangkul filem terbaik
Filem The Shape of Water dinobatkan sebagai anugerah filem terbaik di anugerah Oscar kali ke-90 hari ini.