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Ellen Burstyn Wins Golden Lion at Venice Film Festival

9/7/2026

Summary

Story summary

Ellen Burstyn stars as a 100-year-old Marilyn Monroe in the Venice Film Festival short “Flesh Impact.”
Maggie Gyllenhaal wrote and directed the 17-minute film as jury president.
Burstyn also receives the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the same ceremony.
Genesis Motor commissioned the film for Monroe’s centennial, featuring its vehicle in the opening scene.
Dakota Johnson co-stars as a younger Monroe, after an AI-generated Monroe face test was discarded.

History

Historical Context

The 1955 film The Seven Year Itch, starring Marilyn Monroe, popularized the idea that marital happiness declines after seven years, first seen in George Axelrod’s 1952 play. Ellen Burstyn’s centenarian Monroe in the Venice-premiered short Flesh Impact, using AI likenesses commissioned by Genesis Motor and directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, shows the icon’s branding power. U.S. data recorded a median divorce length of 7.5 years in 1974.

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Story summary

Ellen Burstyn stars as a 100-year-old Marilyn Monroe in the Venice Film Festival short “Flesh Impact.”
Maggie Gyllenhaal wrote and directed the 17-minute film as jury president.
Burstyn also receives the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the same ceremony.
Genesis Motor commissioned the film for Monroe’s centennial, featuring its vehicle in the opening scene.
Dakota Johnson co-stars as a younger Monroe, after an AI-generated Monroe face test was discarded.

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