Anyway, I was inside the hotel, and in the hall I met the photographer I had met on the boat. He asked me if I wanted to see where the press conference was located. Of course I said yes! So he took me to the third floor of the Excelsior hotel. Then he said he had to go, and I stayed there. I knew I couldn't  stay there because I didn't have any pass, but I decided to risk.  

I saw that a security guy saw me talking with the photographer, so I started speaking in English and told this security guy that I was a journalist and my friend, the photographer, took me there because I had forgot my pass in the hotel. The security guy believed me, so I could stay in that room.  

After 5 minutes, Jim arrived together with all The Truman Show staff, actors and director. All the journalists welcomed them with a never-ending applause, and Jim hesitated to sit down, enjoying the warm welcome.     

I reached the seats of the first rows and took some other pics.  

Jim had a big smile on his face and very messy hair. He recognized me, smiled and said "Hi!"  

Journalists started interviewing Peter Weir, and nobody asked a question to Jim...So I put my hand up in the air and a hostess asked me if I wanted to say something. I asked Jim: "This was the first time you worked together with a director who's more famous than you..." - and Jim replied ironically: "What?", showing a surprised and funny face. So everybody started laughing. I answered: "I'm sorry. I love you. I just told that because the director is here!"  Then I said: "Were you worried about not being allowed to express your own ideas?" Jim replied with a very long answer, remembering when Weir showed up at his house with a binder full of pictures and things that inspired him. Jim said how he started painting up with the soap the wall of mirrors of his dining room, trying to produce what Weir wanted. He also said that the most of the time Weir accepted Jim's ideas, even though the director advised Jim when the things he was doing were too much. Anyway, Jim was very polite, looking at me during all his reply. I felt so happy.  

"American movies are a lot better this year. They've rediscovered they must write stories that touch the soul or heart, not just technological feats, and have returned to more human film making. Last year's fare constituted a lot of soulless mechanical films, but this year films like The Truman Show are about feelings, inner lives and philosophical global themes. It was a pity that Mr Peter Weir preferred a non competing spot because we could have two certain winners: Peter Weir and Jim Carrey," said the Venice Film Festival's artistic director, Felice Laudadio at The Truman Show press conference.  

The festival's hit was, without any doubt, The Truman Show, received euphorically on the Lido and shown in the Notti & Stelle (Night and Stars) out-of-competition gala screenings. 

Italian film critics already knew and highly lauded Peter Weir, so their appreciation towards his film wasn't a surprise, but nobody could ever imagine the enthusiasm they showed after seeing Jim Carrey's performance. 

Just a few days before the screening of The Truman Show, reading Italian magazines and newspapers, it was easy to think that Jim Carrey was an over actor, just able to act foolish films. On the 7th of September, the day after the European premiere of his film, newspapers reported unanimous rave reviews for Jim Carrey, who according to the most critics deserves an Academy Award as Best Actor. 

Anyway, all the journalists and critics clapped enthusiastically even at the end of the conference.