What is it about photos from the 1990s that we all find so alluring? The fact that they feature the same celebrities who still rule the industry today, except when they were more candid and less guarded? Or is it the pared-back fashion and a more relaxed red-carpet mood that feels fresh in today’s ultra-airbrushed landscape?
Whatever it is, there’s no denying their appeal, particularly if said shots are from the world’s most glamorous film festivals—sun-drenched, star-studded affairs where Hollywood heavyweights get to let loose and run riot. There’s Sundance, of course, and Cannes, but also the Venice Film Festival, the latest edition of which kicked off this week. The latter has all the glitz and storied history of its counterparts, but with the added advantage of being set in one of the most jaw-droppingly beautiful and romantic places on earth—a paradise of floating gondolas, glittering islands, ancient bridges, meandering canals, and pristine beaches.
Here, we revisit the best photos from the showcase in the ’90s and the aughts, from Melanie Griffith and Antonio Banderas canoodling on a water taxi to Salma Hayek serving looks dockside.
