Ellen Burstyn Wipes Away Tears, Hugs Taika Waititi and Pamela Anderson as Heartfelt Drama ‘Place to Be’ Earns 6-Minute Venice Ovation

Ellen Burstyn wept as Kornél Mundruczó’s heartfelt drama “Place to Be” was embraced at Venice Film Festival with a six-minute standing ovation on Wednesday.

The 93-year-old acting icon hugged her co-stars Taika Waititi, Pamela Anderson and Murray Bartlett while the crowd cheered for her emotional performance as an elderly woman who goes on a road trip to return a pigeon. After the applause stopped, Burstyn shouted “Thank you!” as she and Waititi, whose friendship anchors the adventure, blew kisses to the audience.

Before the afternoon premiere began, paparazzi could be heard screaming for Anderson — who wore a stunning orange dress with a dramatic train — from inside the Sala Giardino theater. Burstyn did not stop for photographers, but entered the theater using a walker after suffering a recent fall.

The out-of-competition film stars Oscar winner Burstyn as Brooke, a no-nonsense elderly woman who forms an unlikely friendship with arrogant divorcee Nelson (Taika Waititi) as she treks across the country to return a lost racing pigeon to its owner. The movie stars Pamela Anderson and Murray Bartlett as Brooke’s concerned children and includes cameo roles from Edgar Ramirez and Lena Waithe.

Burstyn is having a big moment at Venice this year as the “Exorcist” and “Requiem for a Dream” star is being honored with the festival’s Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. In addition to “Place to Be,” Burstyn also stars in jury president Maggie Gyllenhaal’s short film “Flesh Impact” — playing an elder Marilyn Monroe — which also had its world premiere at the festival last week.

“Place to Be” marks Hungarian filmmaker Mundruczó’s second film of the year, after his Amy Adams-starrer “At the Sea,” which premiered at Berlin Film Festival in February. His English-language debut “Pieces of a Woman,” which earned its star Vanessa Kirby an Oscar nomination for best actress, bowed at Venice in 2020 and competed for the prestigious Golden Lion.