The Venice Film Festival hosted the premiere of an unusual film about Marilyn Monroe. In the 17-minute short **Flesh Impact**, director Maggie Gyllenhaal attempted to present an alternative fate for the Hollywood star — Monroe, who did not die young but lived to celebrate her 100th birthday. The film is dedicated to the centenary of the actress's birth. Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926, and died in August 1962 at the age of 36. The main surprise of the film is the image of an elderly Monroe, played by 93-year-old Oscar winner Ellen Burstyn. In the story, 100-year-old Marilyn arrives at a New York theater for an audition. Before performing a monologue, she reflects on her long life and career — the very life that the real Monroe never had. Young Marilyn is portrayed by Dakota Johnson. A curious coincidence: the actress is currently 36 years old — the same age Monroe was at the time of her death. Viewers are shown different periods of the heroine's life: a difficult childhood, years of overwhelming fame, and an imagined old age. The filmmakers are not so much trying to reconstruct the biography of the movie star as they are contemplating who Monroe could have become if she had been given a few more decades of life and the opportunity to continue her acting career. The title **Flesh Impact** is related to a phrase by director Billy Wilder, who directed Monroe in the films "The Seven Year Itch" and "Some Like It Hot." This is how the director characterized the rare ability of the actress to create an almost physical sense of presence on screen. Maggie Gyllenhaal, who is also heading the jury of the main competition at the Venice Film Festival this year, attempted to show not only the famous image of the blonde sex symbol but also the woman behind it. However, critics received the experiment with mixed feelings. In particular, British Vogue noted that the 17-minute film lacks depth: the themes of sexism and Monroe's complicated fate are outlined, but the creators found it challenging to explore them in such a short time. Still, the very idea of seeing Marilyn as the world could never see her — an elderly actress with decades of life experience behind her — became one of the most unusual experiments of this year's Venice Film Festival.
