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- The return of Polanski according to Ardant and Barbareschi
- Big movies and successful festivals to grow tourism
- A party at Des Bains to celebrate the reopening
- Dario Argento presents Dario Argento Panico
The return of Polanski according to Ardant and Barbareschi
Members of the cast of Roman Polanski’s The Palace presented Out of Competition at Venice 80, were on the Lido talking about the film and the acclaimed (as much as discussed) filmmaker. “I already knew Roman. He directed me on stage,” said Fanny Ardant. “I found great joy in working with a passionate man who is searching for perfection in details from morning to night on the set. It is a privilege to be on set with him. My character is a condensation of life and energy; he is crazy, and I had so much fun.”
Luca Barbareschi, producer of The Palace, stressed the difficulties of making Polanski’s film, which currently has no distribution in France, the U.S., or other Anglo-Saxon countries: “I think Barbera has given this Festival a strong independence. When Barbera took J’Accuse was fearless. And this year, he was equally brave in taking another Polanski film, The Palace, as well as Woody Allen and Wes Anderson—all not very comfortable characters. The Film Festival has to be a place of experimentation, provocation and expressive freedom for artists, who cannot have a moral judgment. Otherwise, we would have to tear down the Sistine Chapel and many works of Caravaggio.”
Big movies and successful festivals to grow tourism
Incentivizing the making of great films that tell the story of the area while creating employment opportunities; commitment (and support) in the development of festivals that are increasingly appreciated in the cinema environment and able to attract fans and spectators. These are the two directions in which the Apulia Film Commission, in concert with Pugliapromozione, is engaged, summarized at the Lido in a meeting during Mostra del Cinema. The conference, “Movies as Tourism Promotion”, featured Apulia Film Commission President Annamaria Tosto, General Director Antonio Parente, Senate Culture Commission President Roberto Marti (Lega), Otranto Mayor Francesco Bruni and actors Stefania Rocca and Michele Riondino. “The happy experience made with what done so far,” it was reiterated several times, “is to use audiovisual stories as a flywheel for the territory and tourism. The most recent example is Comandante, the film by Edoardo De Angelis with Pierfrancesco Favino competing in the official selection, made mainly in the port of Taranto, with local workers and artisans. On the large festival front, the focus is on the Otranto Film Festival, directed by Stefania Rocca and scheduled for the second half of September, and the Cinzella Festival, led by Riondino, which ended last August 15.
A party at Des Bains to celebrate the reopening
Venice, Sept. 2, 2023 – For more than a century, and until a few years ago, the Des Bains has been one of the landmarks of the Lido and the Venice Film Festival. The famous liberty-style hotel has been closed for over a decade but will be back in business soon. Yesterday, Des Bains was the set of a (very crowded) party hosted by Campari. The hotel’s foyer welcomed guests in a triumph of red, while at the reception, the keys were handed over to begin a journey into passion and creativity. A historic bar was also active, where it was possible to enjoy a selection of cocktails created for this special night and then walk through an “experiential tunnel” with a cinematic inspiration tracing the hotel’s history through films.
GIORNATA DEL 01-09-2023
Dario Argento presents Dario Argento Panico
Dario Argento presented Simone Scafidi’s documentary Dario Argento Panico, the first biopic exploring the life and great works of the Italian Master of the Thrill—a journey between fiction and reality with the participation of international guests. “I would love to make a film in Venice, but it is very difficult and expensive, perhaps for this reason that many blockbusters are made here. My film that I care for most? I can’t answer that. I often get asked this question, but it’s hard to answer. Every film has its soul.”
