10 Directors Who Were PISSED OFF At Film Premieres
1. Michelangelo Antonioni Stormed Out With His Crying Lead Actress - L'Avventura
L'Avventura is largely accepted to be one of Michelangelo Antonioni's greatest works, and despite winning the Jury Prize at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival, its premiere at the fest remains one of Cannes' most contentious to date.
Star Monica Vitti described the premiere as "a real-life drama," with critics and general audience members alike laughing throughout the film and eventually even booing.
This prompted Vitti to break down in tears and be led out of the theater by an incensed Antonioni, yet the next day he was sent a list of signatures from filmmakers and writers who deemed the film the best screened at Cannes that year.
A second screening at the festival followed, after which the tide turned completely, leading to L'Avventura's Jury Prize win and subsequent critical and commercial success.