Tilda Swinton and Richard Gere’s Ode to Venice

Tilda Swinton showed off her impeccable Italian speaking skills in 2009’s Io Sono Amore. Monday evening, the statuesque actress paid homage, with help from Richard Gere, to legendary director Luchino Visconti at the Venetian Heritage gala, hosted by Isabella Rossellini. Two hundred guests, including Roberto Bolle, Alba Clemente, Princess Firyal of Jordan and Michael Stipe, gathered at the newly revamped Pershing Square Signature Center where Swinton and Gere gave a live performance of Guido Torlonia’s Caro Luchino, a work celebrating Visconti with a mixture of spoken text and film clips. Afterwards, attendees joined the actors at a seated dinner.