ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Noah Baumbach's 'Marriage Story' Premieres at Venice Film Festival

festival-fair · 2026-05-04

At the 76th Venice International Film Festival, Noah Baumbach's 'Marriage Story' debuted as Netflix's first entry in competition. The film, starring Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson, chronicles a marriage's dissolution with both comedy and tragedy, drawing from Baumbach's own 2013 divorce from Jennifer Jason Leigh. Baumbach described the film as exploring a marriage through its divorce, revealing what was lost. The screenplay, meticulously crafted, presents dual perspectives of the couple, a New York theater artist pair navigating an amicable separation that turns contentious over their child's upbringing. Driver noted extensive preparation through late-night conversations. Baumbach cited Ingmar Bergman's 'Persona' as an influence. The film is seen as a potential Oscar contender, echoing 'Kramer vs. Kramer'.

Key facts

  • Noah Baumbach's 'Marriage Story' premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival.
  • It is Netflix's first film in competition at Venice.
  • The film stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.
  • Baumbach's own divorce from Jennifer Jason Leigh in 2013 inspired the story.
  • The film presents parallel viewpoints of the separating couple.
  • Baumbach cited Ingmar Bergman's 'Persona' as an influence.
  • Driver described extensive preparation through long conversations.
  • The film is considered a potential Oscar contender.

Entities

Artists

  • Noah Baumbach
  • Adam Driver
  • Scarlett Johansson
  • Jennifer Jason Leigh
  • Ingmar Bergman
  • Margherita Bordino

Institutions

  • Netflix
  • Venice International Film Festival
  • Artribune

Locations

  • Venice
  • Italy
  • New York

Sources