Oasis mania hit Venice Film Festival on Saturday night as Liam and Noel Gallagher presented the world premiere of their highly anticipated documentary “Don’t Look Back in Anger.”
The rock doc received an eight-minute standing ovation as the once-estranged brothers held hands and raised them triumphantly. Though the Gallaghers aren’t one for emotions, Noel at one point appeared to be wiping tears from his eyes while Liam hyped up the crowd. The atmosphere inside the Palazzo del Cinema was electric, with fans clamoring to get a photo, autograph or just a look at the iconic musicians. Before the screening, the brothers were greeted with cheers of “C’mon, boys!” and “Fight!” One fan even brought a Manchester City flag (their football club of choice) and flew it over the balcony.
As the documentary rolled on, the rowdiness continued — attendees clapped after most of the live performances in the film and, as the audience sang along to “Champagne Supernova,” several were reduced to audible tears. During the actual standing ovation, the brothers — understandably new to the film festival world — looked like they had no idea what to do, with Liam eyeing his watch and mouthing, “Should we fuck off?” before creator Steven Knight seemingly convinced him to stay. But all hell broke loose when the Gallaghers descended into the crowd to sign autographs, turning the theater into a mild mosh pit as fans jockeyed for a selfie or signature. One thing’s for sure, this is likely to be the closest Venice Film Festival gets to a rock concert.
