Portman makes directorial debut in Venice

Natalie Portman poses for photographers during a photocall at the Venice Film Festival September 2, 2008. [Agencies]

Actress Natalie Portman presented her debut as a director at the Venice film festival on Tuesday with a short movie about a young woman who is dragged along to her grandmother's romantic date.

"Eve", screening out of competition in the Venice short film section, stars Hollywood veterans Lauren Bacall and Ben Gazzara as the witty grandmother and the widower who takes her out for dinner. Early reviews have been positive.

Portman, 27, said she had always had a fascination with the older generation, and drew inspiration for Bacall's character from her own grandmother.

"The film was definitely inspired by personal experience and also all my friends, female friends, starting to define themselves in relation, and in reaction to, their mothers and their grandmothers," the Oscar-nominated actress told a news conference.

Having started her acting career as a child, she said that she had long wanted to be on the other side of the camera and will present a second short work at the Toronto film festival which starts later this week.