- Microsoft expects to spend $80 bn on AI this fiscal year
- AC Milan rally past Juventus to meet Inter in Italian SuperCup final
- Trump-backed Republican Johnson elected speaker of US House
- Gaza rescuers say about 30 killed as truce talks resume
- UK, Germany electricity cleanest on record in 2024
- Oil from Russian tanker spill reaches Sevastopol
- Man arrested for supplying drugs to Liam Payne: Argentine police
- US House rejects Trump-backed speaker in first ballot
- European ministers urge inclusive transition on Syria visit
- Rickelton hits Test best as South Africa on top against Pakistan
- Lebanon minister says working to 'resolve' Syria's new entry restrictions
- US announces $306 mn in new bird flu funding
- Salah targets Premier League glory in 'last year' at Liverpool
- Rockets fired from Gaza as Israeli strikes kill 16, rescuers say
- Marseille coach De Zerbi defends 'strong' Ligue 1
- Rickelton, Bavuma tons put South Africa in strong position
- Breeding success: London zoo counts its animals one-by-one
- Fofana could miss rest of Chelsea's season
- Republican speaker, Trump face test in Congress leadership fight
- Man Utd 'starving for leaders' ahead of Liverpool clash: Amorim
- Alcohol should have cancer warning label: US surgeon general
- Biden blocks US Steel sale to Japan's Nippon Steel
- Wall Street stocks bounce higher, Europe retreats
- Neil Young says he will play Glastonbury after all
- Frenchman Castera plots roadmap for Dakar success
- Doha hosts PSG clash with Monaco in French Champions Trophy
- Hamilton 'excited for year ahead' after Ferrari switch
- Man City must 'think' about De Bruyne future: Guardiola
- Biden blocks US-Japan steel deal
- French police to face trial for 'suffocating' death
- British novelist David Lodge dies aged 89
- Indonesia says 2024 was hottest year on record
- South African Lategan wins Dakar Rally prologue
- Barca coach Flick optimistic but 'not happy' over Olmo situation
- Djokovic Australian Open preparations take hit with loss to Opelka
- Indian duo self-immolate in Bhopal waste protest
- Indian food delivery app rolls out ambulance service
- Arsenal must 'flip coin' in Premier League title race, says Arteta
- European stock markets retreat after positive start to year
- World food prices dip 2% in 2024: FAO
- The horror of Saydnaya jail, symbol of Assad excesses
- Sabalenka sets up Brisbane semi against Russian teen Andreeva
- Top European diplomats urge inclusive transition in Syria visit
- Liverpool's Slot says Man Utd 'much better' than league table shows
- UK electricity cleanest on record in 2024: study
- Rampant Czechs set up United Cup semi-final against US
- Rohit omission from decisive Test 'emotional' says India's Pant
- Beijing slams US over potential Chinese drone ban
- Blinken to visit South Korea with eye on political crisis
- Vietnam's capital blanketed by toxic smog
Peter Sarsgaard wins Venice best actor for dementia portrayal
Peter Sarsgaard, who won best actor at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday for his performance as a man suffering from dementia, has forged a lauded career as a character actor.
Sarsgaard's performance in "Memory" is the most personal yet for the 52-year-old actor from Illinois, United States, who dedicated the award to an uncle who recently died from the disease.
"This film came to me in a magical kind of way," he told reporters in Venice.
"My uncle was a guy who was very important in my life. He was so positive and happy even to the day he died."
Sarsgaard plays alongside Jessica Chastain in the hard-hitting drama from Mexican director Michel Franco.
It seeks to show that dementia sufferers can still lead fulfilling lives, and raises difficult questions about their right to continue making decisions for themselves.
Sarsgaard spoke with carers and people with dementia to prepare for the role.
"A lot of time when we see dementia in movies, it's the most extreme stage at the very end and it paralyses us all with fear, and I really didn't want to depict that," he said.
A dedicated activist, the actor used his acceptance speech to back the ongoing Hollywood strikes, especially related to the threat from artificial intelligence.
"This holy experience of being human will be handed over to the machines and the eight billionaires who own them," he said.
"If we lose that battle in the strike, our industry will be the first of many to fall."
- Eclectic roles -
Born on March 7, 1971, Sarsgaard first came to prominence with an intense performance as a rapist in 1999's "Boys Don't Cry".
He followed it with an eclectic selection of movies, usually appearing in key supporting roles.
These have included blockbusters like "The Batman", "K-19: The Widowmaker", "Knight and Day" and "The Magnificent Seven".
And also many indie dramas, such as eco-terrorism film "Night Moves" and quirky coming-of-age tale "Garden State".
He earned Golden Globe nominations for his roles in "Shattered Glass" and "An Education", and has worked with A-list directors including Sam Mendes (2005's "Jarhead") and Woody Allen ("Blue Jasmine").
As well as successful theatre work, he has appeared in high-profile TV shows including "The Looming Tower" and "Dopesick" for which he was nominated for an Emmy.
He also acted for his wife Maggie Gyllenhaal in her film "The Lost Daughter", which won best screenplay in Venice in 2021.
L.Mason--AMWN