Oscar Isaac in 'In The Hand of Dante.' Venice Film Festival Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment A pensive Julian Schnabel had much to say about death and immortality in art when he screened his latest film, In The Hand of Dante, as the opening night film at Tribeca Festival Lisboa on Wednesday night in Lisbon, Portugal. Schnabel, wearing his signature artist smock and fedora, during a post-screening Q&A discussed themes of art and the creative process, and argued artists create as a way to confront a fear of death. "Whether you're an actor or you're a painter, you're using yourself as a guinea pig and the tool, and you make this thing and the thing becomes the thing that lasts. It's a way of transgressing death," he insisted. Related Stories Movies Tribeca Names Rebecca Glashow as New CEO Movies From NYC to Lisbon, Tribeca Festival Lisboa on Mission to Bridge Transatlantic Divide Schnabel then added" "I'm not going to be around here for very long. I might be here for a few more years." Even if he lived to be 100 years old, the filmmaker known for his art history biopics Basquiat and At Eternity's Gate added "the thing is the work, becoming the poem is the thing." At another point in the Q&A, after referring to a line in the film claiming God is a woman, Schnabel touted the influence of his wife, Louise Kugelberg, on the film as she stood in the audience to take credit for co-writing and editing the film. In the Hand of Dante is adapted from Nick Tosches' 2002 novel of the same name, and stars Oscar Isaac as both the middle ages poet Dante Alighieri and a modern-day author drawn into a dangerous quest when a handwritten manuscript of The Divine Comedy resurfaces via the Vatican and lands in the hands of a New York mob boss. The film, which bowed in Venice, also stars Gal Gadot, Gerard Butler, Al Pacino, John Malkovich, Martin Scorsese and Jason Momoa. Tribeca Festival Lisboa runs through to Nov. 1. THR Newsletters Sign up for THR news straight to your inbox every day Subscribe Sign Up The Outsiders Why Diane Lane Says She Was "Overwhelmed" Filming 'The Outsiders' Warner Bros. 'Hello Kitty' Movie Sets 2028 Release From Warner Bros. World Lens TIFFCOM From 'Nobody' to Global Contenders: China's Animation Sector Comes of Age Ken Watanabe 'Kokuho' Review: Japan's Oscar Submission Is a Stunning Tale of Art, Ambition and Bloodlines Set in the World of Kabuki international How a German Mom-and-Pop Outfit Built 'Stitch Head,' a New Animated Halloween Classic Universal Pictures H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Lea Salonga to Lead Voice Cast for DreamWorks Animation's 'Forgotten Island' The Outsiders Why Diane Lane Says She Was "Overwhelmed" Filming 'The Outsiders' Warner Bros. 'Hello Kitty' Movie Sets 2028 Release From Warner Bros. World Lens TIFFCOM From 'Nobody' to Global Contenders: China's Animation Sector Comes of Age Ken Watanabe 'Kokuho' Review: Japan's Oscar Submission Is a Stunning Tale of Art, Ambition and Bloodlines Set in the World of Kabuki international How a German Mom-and-Pop Outfit Built 'Stitch Head,' a New Animated Halloween Classic Universal Pictures H.E.R., Liza Soberano, Lea Salonga to Lead Voice Cast for DreamWorks Animation's 'Forgotten Island'