Natalie Portman takes Black Swan to Venice

Petite actress Natalie Portman attended the “Black Swan” photocall at the Palazzo del Casino during the 67th Venice International Film Festival on Wednesday, September 1st,2010 in Venice, Italy. The dark psychological drama is the opener for the Italian Film Festival and features Ms. Portman as a ballerina who finally lands the lead role but loses her grip on reality as the pressure builds.

Also in attendance were screenwriter Mark Heyman, producer Scott Franklin, her adorable co-star Benjamin Millepied, and director Darren Aronofsky.

“(Director) Darren (Aronofsky) talked to me about this (sex) scene in our first meeting eight years ago,” Portman told reporters in Venice following a press screening and ahead of the formal evening red carpet world premiere.

“He described it as: ‘You’re going to have a sex scene with yourself,’ and I thought that was very interesting because this movie is in so many ways an exploration of an artist’s ego and that narcissistic sort of attraction to yourself and also repulsion with yourself.”

Aronofsky took home top honors at the festival two years ago with the Mickey Rourke film, “The Wrestler.”