“We feel the responsibility (of) being the first one. We know the festival of Venice will be a sort of test for everybody,” said festival director Alberto Barbera. “We worked a lot on strict plans of safety measures to ensure that everybody who attended the festival would be safe until the end. And if it works like we hope, everybody can learn from our experience.”

Usually, the public is warmly welcomed at Venice both indoors and out: They flock to screenings, and wait in the sun for hours to secure a spot along the red carpet, standing ten-deep to catch a glimpse of celebrities making their entrances.

This year, a huge wall was erected to block their view and dissuade them from gathering, though some dedicated fans crowded at the entrances and peeked through the fencing to try to catch a glimpse of Matt Dillon or Tilda Swinton as they arrived for the opening ceremony.

Swinton, who was awarded a lifetime achievement Golden Lion on Wednesday, gave them a treat for their persistence, sporting a gilded Venetian-style masquerade mask and offering a tribute to the lagoon city for having dared to have the festival at all.

“I would like to thank our sublime Venice and all who sail in her, the most venerable and majestic film festival on Earth, for raising her banner this year,” she said in her acceptance speech. “Viva Venezia! Cinema Cinema Cinema! Wakanda Forever!” she said, citing the salute made famous by the late “Black Panther” star Chadwick Boseman.