One of the Italy’s greatest filmmakers, Bernardo Bertolucci, will be received an honorary Golden Lion Award for lifetime achievement. In an official statement, Bertolucci was described as, “one of the greatest directors of contemporary cinema whose work, between poetry and history, has left a deep mark on modern cinema.”

An Academy Award Winner for The Last Emperor, Bertolucci’s filmmaking career began in 1962 with the film, The Grim Reaper, made when he was 22. Bertolucci first attracted wide critical attention with The Conformist, which was followed by the controversial international hit, Last Tango in Paris.

Bertolucci will receive his award on September 8, to coincide with a screening of a restored version of his film, The Spider’s Strategem.