Showing posts with label labiennale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label labiennale. Show all posts

Sunday, 25 August 2013

Entering the Venetian Mood - Great Films set in Venice


I apologize for the recent lack of posts, but I've been away and busy with flats-hunting, and the organization of my week in Venice. 
I will publish a lot of material from the last exhibitions I saw, and I am also preparing a dedication to Bruce Springsteen's career after reading his biography.
So, while preparing all this, I decided to dedicate a short post to the most famous films set in Venice, in preparation of the Venice Film Festival.
Hope you enjoy it!


Let's go back to the 1950s and to one of the greatest authors of all time: Orson Welles and his Othello, which also won the Palme D'Or in Cannes in 1952.
Luchino Visconti celebrated Venice more than once: first, in his Senso (1954), reflecting the decadence of aristocracy. In 1971, he came back to shoot the adaptation of Thomas Mann's Death in Venice, in which, decline, one of his favourite themes, is the center of the plot.
The melodrama Summertime (1955) directed by David Lean shows the adventures of a stunning Katharine Hepburn on the Lido.
Two years later Dino Risi will direct Venice, the moon, and you starring the unforgettable Alberto Sordi in the character of a fond gondolier.
In 1962 Joseph Losey will direct Eva starring the beautiful Jeanne Moureau.
One year later Gianfranco de Bosio directed The Terrorist, set in the winter of 1943. 
Back in 1935 also the musicals' stars Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers reconstructed Venice in the studio for Top Hat, one of the greatest American Musicals.



The famous Giacomo Casanova is the protagonist of Luigi Comencini's film Childhood, vocation, and first experiences of Giacomo Casanova, Venetian (1969) and also of Il Casanova by Federico Fellini (1976), which is considered one of his masterpieces.
Always in 1976 Joseph Losey will direct his Don Giovanni.
In 1982, Michelangelo Antonioni directed Identification of a Woman starring the Canal Grande as location.

San Barnaba's church is part of a mystery in Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
Marhsall Herskovitz directed Owner of her destiny in 1988, whose story takes us back to the Venice of the Fourteenth Century. This historical period was also used by Mauro Bolognini in the film La Venexiana in 1986.
If you love English comedies you must watch Blame It on the Bellboy (1992) by Mark Herman.

The hilarious Woody Allen also chose Venice as setting in the comedy Everyone says I Love You (1996).
A comedy of other kind is Bread and Tulips (1999), directed by Silvio Soldini.
The psychological thriller Toyer (2004) starring Juliette Binoche directed by Brian de Palma uses the Venice Carnival as background to a serial killer's story.
However, the film which suscitated most attention in the last years was probably the adaptation of The Merchant of Venice (2004) directed by Michael Radford, and starring Al Pacino, Kate Blanchett, Ian McKellen, and Joseph Fiennes, together with the film dedicated to the life of the composer Antonio Vivaldi: Antonio Vivaldi, a prince in Venice (2006), directed by J.L. Guillermou.


"Venice never quite seems real, but rather an ornate film set suspended on the water."
(Frida Giannini)

Aren't you already in love? 




Friday, 26 July 2013

70th Venice Film Festival: Official Programme

The films for this year's festival were announced yesterday, I am very excited about many films, but, especially, about the big names that are going to play a part in the Festival. It will certainly be a great honour just to see their work.
Starting from the opening night Alfonso Cuarón will come back with his first film after 7 years, Gravity, starring George Clooney and Sandra Bullock
The films in competition are:

MERZAK ALLOUACHE - ES-STOUH (LES TERRASSES)
Algeria, Francia, 94'

GIANNI AMELIO - L’INTREPIDO
Italia, 104'

ALEXANDROS AVRANAS - MISS VIOLENCE
Grecia, 99'

JOHN CURRAN - TRACKS
Regno Unito, Australia, 107'

EMMA DANTE - VIA CASTELLANA BANDIERA
Italia, Svizzera, Francia, 90'

XAVIER DOLAN - TOM À LA FERME
Canada, Francia, 105'

JAMES FRANCO - CHILD OF GOD
Usa, 104'

STEPHEN FREARS - PHILOMENA
Regno Unito, 94'

PHILIPPE GARREL - LA JALOUSIE
Francia, 77'

TERRY GILLIAM - THE ZERO THEOREM
Regno Unito, Usa, 107'

AMOS GITAI - ANA ARABIA
Israele, Francia, 84'

JONATHAN GLAZER - UNDER THE SKIN
Regno Unito, Usa, 107'

DAVID GORDON GREEN - JOE
Usa, 117'

PHILIP GRÖNING - DIE FRAU DES POLIZISTEN
Germania, 175'

PETER LANDESMAN - PARKLAND
Usa, 92'

HAYAO MIYAZAKI - KAZE TACHINU
Giappone, 126'

ERROL MORRIS - THE UNKNOWN KNOWN
Usa, 105'

KELLY REICHARDT - NIGHT MOVES
Usa, 112'

GIANFRANCO ROSI - SACRO GRA
Italia, 87'

MING-LIANG TSAI - JIAOYOU (STRAY DOGS)
Taipei cinese, Francia, 138'

Among the films out of competion, I am very curious to see The Canyons by Paul Schrader, Che Strano chiamarsi Federico - Scola racconta Fellini by Ettore Scola, At Berkeley by Frederick Wiseman, Sorcerer by William Friedkin (restored), My Darling Clementine by John Ford (restored), Le Mani sulla Città by Francesco Rosi (restored), La Bête Humaine by Jean Renoir (restored). I can't wait to see these restored classics on the big screen.
Moreover, screened at two independent sections of the Festival I would love to see some of the films independently chosen by the Italian Filmmakers Associations, and 100 Authors, and the 7 films (all debut films) chosen by a selected group of scholars. 

Here's the link to Alberto Barbera's (Director of the 70th Festival) introduction: 


"Thus, the past and the future of cinema symbolically join hands, in an edition of the Festival that looks to the future, in the conviction that its mission is far from over."
Alberto Barbera

Tuesday, 16 July 2013

Waiting for August

Even though I'm getting quite bored, and I really miss London, I'm very excited for all the things I am going to see during the next month.
First of all, if everything goes the right way, I'll spend a week in Cap d'Antibes, a family tradition since I was born, and, from there, I will keep you updated about Le Musee Picasso.
The collection is hosted inside the Chateau Grimaldi, which had been Picasso's house in 1946. Nowadays the collection presents 245 works by Pablo Picasso.
I have been there many times since my childhood, but every year I look at those works of art with different eyes. Art is a never-ending story, it follows the process of growing up, and great art never stops from surprising you.



Moreover, I will spend a day in Milan to see three exhibitions at Palazzo Reale. You all know about my obsession with Alfred Hitchcock, so I cannot miss Alfred Hitchcock in the Universal Pictures' Films. From the reviews I have read, the exhibition is supposed to be an hommage to the American period of the director, with many interactive rooms such as one dedicated to The Birds (1963) celebrating 50 years this year, and another dedicated to Bernard Hermann's soundtracks. If you happen to be in Milan, the exhibition will be held until September 22. Don't miss it!


Another exhibition I am going to see is Guido Crepax: Portrait of an Artist, dedicated to the comic book illustrator who invented the character of Valentina. His work is very interesting for me because it is very much connected to cinema and photography. This one will last until September 20.




Last, but not least, Palazzo Reale also hosts the exhibit: Modigliani Soutine and the Damned Artists - The Netter Collection. The collection presents 120 works of art signed by some of the most important artists who painted in Montparnasse at the beginning of the 20th Century, in which Jonas Netter played a key role as a talent scout. I'm very interested in this kind of artistic period, and in the charm the damned artists suscitate.



If you thought this post was over, you are completely wrong, because the best part hasn't come yet. I'm officially attending the Venice Film Festival, thanks to my badge as a film student. I have already booked my hotel on the splendid Giudecca, and I'm leaving on August 27 and coming back on September 4, in order to go back to London.
This isn't just a wonderful experience for my studies, but Venice is also my dad's hometown, and I'm very glad to have a week on my own to wander around the city.
Bernardo Bertolucci is going to be the President of Jury of this year's edition, Paul Schrader (very famous for being the New Hollywood screenwriter, starting from Taxi Driver) is going to be the President of the International Jury in the section called Orizzonti, and William Friedkin (director of The Exorcist) will be honored with the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement. I will keep you updated directly from the Lido, hoping to photograph some actors, and directors, and share everything with you. You can also find the latest updates here:
Starting from next week they will send me the Festival's programme, and I'll start organizing my calendar.

Meanwhile I'll keep working to save some money, and keep searching for a flat in London.
This is going to be a great summer.