Alberto Barbera honors the legendary American actress with a career award, pairing her with director Werner Herzog to celebrate two paths destined to remain etched in the history of cinema.
The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement of the 82nd Venice International Film Festival (August 27–September 6) has been awarded to the legendary American actress Kim Novak (Vertigo, Picnic, Bell, Book and Candle). To mark the occasion, the world premiere of Kim Novak’s Vertigo, a documentary by Alexandre Philippe created in exclusive collaboration with the actress, will be presented.
In accepting the honor, Kim Novak said: “I am deeply, deeply moved to receive the prestigious Golden Lion Award from such a highly respected film festival. To be recognized for the body of my work at this time in my life is a dream come true. I will treasure every moment spent in Venice. It will fill my heart with joy.”
Festival Director Alberto Barbera commented on the award: “Elevated to the role of Diva without ever aspiring to it, Kim Novak was one of the most beloved stars of a whole era of Hollywood cinema. From her accidental debut in the mid-1950s to her premature and voluntary retreat from the golden cage of Los Angeles shortly after, she always remained a singular figure. She never stopped criticizing a system that she resisted from within, choosing her roles — and even her name — on her own terms. The Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement celebrates a free star, a rebel at the heart of the system, who lit up cinephile dreams before retiring to an Oregon ranch to devote herself to painting and horses.”
Despite her glamorous appearance, few know that Kim Novak was the first woman to launch her own production company in 1958. She knew that doing so would give her control, and she had no interest in being Harry Cohn’s puppet at Columbia. Cohn famously said he “created Novak to make Rita Hayworth nervous.” But no star can be manufactured. One must be born with magic — and last as a legend. Novak’s face was extraordinary, and the camera adored her. It couldn’t be faked. Her brilliant performance in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, alongside James Stewart, became iconic and continues to move and haunt audiences today.
Her visual art has been exhibited and honored in a retrospective of her work at the prestigious Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio, where some of her pieces are now on permanent display. Her work has also been shown at the San Francisco Historical Society and the National Museum in Prague. In 2020, the Butler Institute published a book about her life and art. Kim Novak’s paintings reflect the influence of both her troubled childhood and her time in Hollywood. It was only after her career in show business ended that she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Following the death of her husband from cancer in 2020, she devoted herself entirely to painting and writing poetry. She also continued to pursue her dream of riding her favorite horse, Poet, and of living peacefully at home with her three rescue dogs.
