Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez received a movie star welcome at the Venice Film Festival, where he walked the red carpet with director Oliver Stone for the premiere of the documentary “South of the Border.” Hundreds of admirers, some chanting “president, president,” gathered outside of the Casino for the leader's arrival Monday. Chavez threw a flower into the crowd and touched his heart, and at one point took a photographer's camera to snap a picture himself. He praised Stone's work for depicting what he said were improvements made across Latin America. “Rebirth is happening in Latin America, and Stone went to look for it and he found it,” Chavez told reporters. Stone spent extensive time with Chavez for the 75-minute documentary, and also interviewed the leaders of Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Bolivia, Cuba and Paraguay, whom Stone said “are on the same page” as Chavez.
