Natalie Portman starrer dark psychological drama Black Swan, is creating waves at the ongoing 67th Venice film festival. The Darren Aronofsky-directed film explores the mind of an insecure and jealous ballerina played by Portman.

The film deviates from a typical thriller, without the usual elements of horror, gore and haunted mansions. It rather delves into the mind of a ballerina who is consumed by jealousy and obsession in her search for perfection. She struggles to emerge out of it. The arrival of a rival dancer, played by Mila Kunis, triggers both obsessive jealousy and sexual liberation. Portman who so far has done clean-cut roles on screen has a steamy lesbian sex scene in the film.

The 41-year-old Aronofsky won the Golden Lion in Venice Film Festival two years ago for The Wrestler. In a press conference he said that there were elements of similarities between the two films. In both wrestling and ballet dancing, performers use their bodies in extreme intense physical ways, he said.