By Lindsey Bahr, Film Writer

VENICE, Italy (AP) --

"Ad Astra" looks and sounds like a space epic with a movie star lead in Brad Pitt, but there's a lot more going on beneath the surface.

Pitt said Thursday at the Venice International Film Festival that he and director James Gray are really digging into the idea of masculinity.

"Having grown up in an era where you're taught to be strong and not show weakness … there is certain value in that but there's also a barrier that's created denying those pains or those things you feel ashamed to reveal," Pitt said. "I think we were asking the question: Is a better definition for us actually being more open divining a better relationship with your loved ones, with your parents, with your kids, and with yourself?"

"Ad Astra" follows Pitt's detached astronaut character Roy McBride on a journey to the outer reaches of space to find his estranged father, a famous astronaut himself who has long been thought dead.

In addition to starring, Pitt also produced the film which he said was one of the most challenging he's ever done. Not only did he and Gray use primarily practical sets (he laughed that he and friend George Clooney "exchanged some discomfort stories" about the strings and rigs used to simulate anti-gravity in space films) but it's an emotionally taxing role as well.

Pitt had to draw on personal pains and wounds to make his performance as honest as possible. Gray, who has been a friend of Pitt's for 25 years, would send him emails every day revealing ideas from his own life that would help set the tone for whatever was needed for that particular day on set.

"We don't have a normal male relationship, we've always been quite open about our foibles and had big laughs at our embarrassing moments and (been) open about our feelings about our perceived failures or missteps," Pitt said. "It was a really unique experience."

Gray said he thinks its important that actors don't "worry about being liked or hated or sympathetic or unsympathetic."

"You can only worry about being honest about who you are and be vulnerable and open," he added.

The film had its world premiere at the 76th edition of the Venice festival and is in competition for the Golden Lion, alongside films like "Joker" and "Marriage Story." Past winners like "The Shape of Water" and "Roma" have in recent years gone on to win or gain best picture nominations come Oscar time. But when asked about the Oscar prospects of "Ad Astra," Pitt, who has yet to win an Oscar for acting despite being nominated twice, deflected.

"Every year I see amazing talent getting acknowledged and amazing talent not getting acknowledged. And my feeling is when your number comes up it's great fun and when someone else's number comes up it's very fun to see," Pitt said. "How was that for a dodge?"

His focus right now is simply finally releasing the film to the public. "Ad Astra's" release date has been pushed back a few times, as Fox integrated its release schedule with Disney after the acquisition.

"I just want to get this film out," Pitt said. "It's a challenging film. It's subtle and it's operating on many cylinders and it has something to say about who we are, the soul, why we hang on, what's our purpose? I'm curious to see where it lands. "

"Ad Astra" opens nationwide on Sept. 20.

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