'Ad Astra' premieres at Venice, propelling soul-searching Brad Pitt's in deep space

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American director James Gray's film "Ad Astra" premiered here at the Venice Film Festival on Thursday, offering a multi-dimension story that explores the humanity's eternal thirst for exploration, and the painful journey of a man into his own soul.

Starring in the role of astronaut Roy McBride is Brad Pitt, tasked with travelling to the outer edges of the solar system to find his long-time missing father and, in doing so, save the earth from destruction.

The movie's complex narration always runs along this double level: on the one side, there is the science-fiction adventure of the brave protagonist, appearing glacially determined in carrying out his mission.

On the other, the same man's intimate soul-searching, and his increasingly personal drama while he rethinks about his relation with his father, and the deep emotive wounds his disappearance has left in him.

Reaching a delicate balance between these two levels was at the core of this film's direction, according to Gray.

"Before the production began, I had seen a quote in a wall of an exhibit, and I sent it to Brad... it said 'History and myth always begin in a microcosm of the personal'," Gray explained at the joint press conference with the main cast.

"So, we decided to try and tell the smallest possible story in the biggest possible tapestry... the tiny becomes the universal," he said.

Confronting the most acute solitude of the deep space, and realizing what treasure the earth is for humankind also play a strong role in the film.

Another, more subtle feature was an exploration of what masculinity means today, according to Brad Pitt.

"Both James and me have grown up in an era where we were taught men have to be strong, and have to show no weakness," the actor and film producer explained.

"There is a certain value in that, that is entering the world and holding your own... but it also creates a barrier, because you deny those pains or those things that make you feel shame."

"So, looking back, I guess we were asking ourselves 'is there a better definition for us', and whether being more open could allow a better relationship with your loved ones, with your parents, with your kids, and with yourself," Pitt stressed.

Gray admitted movies from the 1970s played an important part in his artistic education, and in the recent shaping of the character of Roy McBride.

"The movies of the 1970s had complex characters, which were not all good or all bad... they were human," Gray explained.

"This is the complexity I like, and what I am drawn to... is a more complex view that just a black-and-white image of the world."

Ad Astra is one of the 21 films competing in the major selection of the 76th Venice FF, which is running at the Lido until Sept. 7. 

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