ON THIS PAGE:
- The Banshees of Inisherin: McDonagh, Farrell, Gleeson
- Venice for the liberation of Julian Assange
- In Viaggio by Rosi
A story of friendship on an island off the west coast of Ireland. Martin McDonagh looks at the past with The Banshees of Inisherin, reuniting the leading couple of his debut film In Bruges, Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson:
McDonagh: “I always wanted to go back and work with Colin and Brendan again. Filming in the west of Ireland was a beautiful idea right from the start. I used to go to those areas as a child with my father and relatives.”
Farrell: “Conversation, the sharing of thoughts and feelings always triggers judgments, but the exchange of ideas in a way where you feel open to express them is a wonderful thing-it’s something that will never die.”
Gleeson: “I don’t think men in Ireland 100 years ago were able to talk freely about their feelings. For me, the value of friendship is fundamental: I remember the rehearsals of In Bruges with Martin and Colin with great joy.”
Venice for the liberation of Julian Assange
Venezia 79 is strongly supports freedom of expression and information. The Audiovisual Archive of the Workers’ and Democratic Movement and the Association Articolo 21 promoted a meeting dedicated to Julian Assange, WikiLeaks founding journalist. He’s detained in the UK and at risk of extradition (and a 175-year prison sentence) to the U.S., whose war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan he has denounced by leaking confidential documents. In attendance were, among others, Vincenzo Vita (President of AAMOD) Giorgio Gosetti (General Delegate of Venice Days), Giuseppe Giulietti (President of the Federation of Press), Monica Andolfatto (Secretary of Journalists of Veneto), Manuela Piovano (Vice President of ANAC) and actress Ottavia Piccolo. Also speaking were GdA President Andrea Purgatori and Carlo Bartoli, President of the National Order of Journalists. The latter, together with Secretary Paola Spadari and with Stefania Maurizi (author of the book Secret Power), gave the order’s honorary membership to Assange. “Pasolini,” Maurizi commented, “used to say, ‘I know, but I don’t have proof.’ Thanks to Wikileaks we got the proof.”
Emanuele Bucci
“Papa Francesco knows how to speak even to nonbelievers”
“I made this film with great humility and very little knowledge of the rules of the Catholic Church,” said Gianfranco Rosi, director of In Viaggio, Out of Competition at Venice 79. “I discovered that Papa Francesco has the ability to speak to believers as well as non-believers with a universal language that also passes through silences and gestures”. The documentary traces Bergoglio’s travels during his 9-year pontificate through countries around the world plagued by poverty, wars and climate emergencies.
Vania Amitrano
