Israeli film 'Lebanon' wins top prize at Venice Film Festival

"Lebanon," an Israeli film that recounts Israel's 1982 invasion of its northern neighbor through soldiers' eyes, won the top prize at the Venice Film Festival Saturday.

The festival jury announced the Golden Lion and other prizes on the last day of the 11-day international festival.

The anti-war film, directed by Samuel Maoz, tells the story of paratroopers searching a hostile town. The conflict is seen through the binocular-aided eyes of soldiers in an armored vehicle.

"I dedicate this work to people all over the world that come back from the war safe and sound," the director told the audience at the award ceremony. "They work, get married, have children, but the memories get stuck in their souls."

Maoz was a young man when he served as a combat soldier in the Israel Defense Forces during the invasion.

The operation led to a two-decade long occupation by Israel.

"Variety" has described the film as the boldest and best of the recent mini-wave of Israeli movies; the New York Times called it "an astonishing piece of cinema."

The awards jury was headed by Ang Lee, himself a Golden Lion-winning director.

Iranian-born Shirin Neshat won the Silver Lion for best director for "Women Without Men," set against the backdrop of Iran's foreign-backed coup in 1953.

Best actor went to Britain's Colin Firth in designer Tom Ford's directorial debut "A Single Man," and best actress went to Russian Ksenia Rappoport for "La Doppia Ora."