Hugo Chavez Enters Venice Film Festival Lion's Den Attacking Capitalism

As if "Capitalism" didn't already have a bad enough public relations image problem with movies starring Matt Damon and Michael Moore attacking it at this Year's Venice Film Festival now comes Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez who received a movie star welcome Monday at the Venice Film festival where he walked the red carpet with director Oliver Stone for the premiere of the documentary "South of the Border."

Hundreds of admirers, some chanting "president, president," gathered outside of the Venice Casino for Higo Chavez's arrival. A few held up Venezuelan flags and a banner in Spanish that read "Welcome, president."

Chavez threw a flower into the crowd and touched his heart, and at one point took a photographer's camera to snap a picture himself. Security outside the Casino was tightened in advance of his arrival with military police checking bags.

Chavez praised Stone's work for depicting what he said were improvements made across Latin America.

"Rebirth is happening in Latin America, and Stone went to look for it and he found it," Chavez told reporters. "With his cameras and his genius, he's captured a good part of that rebirth."

Stone says "South of the Border" is meant to illustrate "the sweeping changes" in South America in recent years as a direct counterpoint to what some say is Chavez's depiction as a dictator by U.S. and European media.

Stone spent extensive time with Chavez for the 75-minute documentary, which is premiering at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, and also interviewed the leaders of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba and Paraguay, whom Stone said "are on the same page" as Chavez.

"He's a guy you should meet and get to know. ... He's the star of the movie," Stone said in an interview before the premiere.

Stone said he wanted to illustrate changes that put leaders in many South American countries in power who represent the majority of their populations, a movement started with Chavez. He cited Bolivian President Evo Morales, the first Indian to be elected president, and Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, a well-known trade unionist.

"If you look now, there are seven presidents, eight countries with Chile, that are really moving away from the Washington consensus control," Stone said. "But in America, they don't get that story."

Stone was invited to Venezuela to meet Chavez for the first time during the Venezuelan leader's aborted rescue mission of Colombian hostages held by FARC rebels. The mission was aborted, but Stone said the Chavez he met was different than some U.S. media depictions.

He returned in January to interview Chavez, and continued on to four other countries to interview Chavez's allies, with Cuban and Ecuadorean leaders joining him in Paraguay.

Stone is best known for his dramas, but he also has made four documentaries, including "Comandante," the 2003 documentary based on a meeting with Cuban leader Fidel Castro, which the director says in many ways led him to Chavez.

"South of the Border" is showing out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, which ends Saturday with the awarding of the Golden Lion.

Venice Film Festival Attracts Hollywood Stars

Matt Damon is one of several Hollywood A-listers due to grace the red carpet in 2009, as studios appear prepared to foot the substantial bill and come to Venice in order to generate buzz for their pictures as the awards season kicks off.

Hundreds of fans waiting outside the main cinema where Venice Film Festival gala premieres are held each day will be hoping to catch a glimpse of Nicolas Cage, George Clooney, Oliver Stone, Charlize Theron, Eva Mendes, Richard Gere and Sylvester Stallone among others.

The 2009 edition of the Venice Film Festival, the world's oldest film festival looks set to eclipse 2008, which, despite awarding Mickey Rourke's acclaimed comeback "The Wrestler" with the Golden Lion for best film, was seen as lackluster and lacking star power.

"On paper it looks good, and these people will be doing the red carpet giving the festival the glamour I think it needs," said Lee Marshall, film critic for Screen International and a Venice regular.

"That was lacking last year, considered by many to be a limp festival from that point of view. Many media representatives canceled pretty much after the program was announced." Of course, last year this time the entire world finance system was collapsing.

Whether it is still not collapsing in September 2009 is questionable, but surely after what may be considered one of the most difficult psychological years in history the Hollywood stars are glad to be back in Italy for the Venice Film Festival, in the city which gold standard collapsed years ago and may be a good place this year to reflect on Capitalism.

And indeed, in addition to war movies, after almost a decade of unending wars waged byt eh United States of North America, Capitalism is one of the theme's of this year's 2009 Venice Film Festival. Matt Damon Informant and Michael Moore Capitalism both will be screened at the 2009 Venice Film Festival.

As usual Venice promises a global line-up, with Egypt's "The Traveler," featuring Omar Sharif, in competition alongside pictures from China, Austria, Israel, Japan, France, Hong Kong, Germany and Italy.

Not for the first time fashion is in focus, with designer Tom Ford bringing his directorial debut "A Single Man" starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.