"All the Beauty and the Bloodshed", a documentary about U.S. photographer Nan Goldin and her fight against the wealthy Sackler family, won the top Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival on Saturday, Trend reports citing Reuters.
Made by investigative journalist Laura Poitras, the film interweaves the remarkable story of Goldin's life with her campaign to hold the Sacklers and their pharmaceutical firm accountable for the U.S. opioid crisis.
It is only the second time in the 79-year history of the film festival, often seen as a launch pad for Oscar hopefuls, that the main prize has gone to a documentary.
The runner-up Grand Jury prize went to an intense French courtroom drama "Saint Omer", by director Alice Diop making her debut in fiction after a string of documentaries.
"All the Beauty and the Bloodshed" beat out a string of more high-profile rivals, including a quartet of movies by U.S. streaming giant Netflix and well-considered European dramas.