Sunday, September 04, 2011

Day 5 - 68th Venice International Film Festival


Sunday usually is a quiet day but today there are some great things happening at Venice, let’s take a look

Venezia 68 – In Competition

Most English reviewers are extremely excited with Shame by Steve McQueen; honestly I need no endorsement, I liked McQueen’s Hunger and obviously his next movie had to be must be seen for me no matter the story or the cast, but he was gracious and included two of my nowadays favorite actors, Michael Fassbender and Carey Mulligan, so can’t complain. Suggest you watch this movie as soon as comes near you.





Emanuele Crialese has done some interesting movies like Respiro or Nuovomondo so his latest Terraferma obviously is must be seen for me and well, story could be interesting if you care to explore how a stranger can be “something” in an “new” environment, as no one must be denied the right to be elsewhere… very interesting, isn’t?



Out of Competition

Early afternoon started with Nicholas Ray’s We Can’t Go Home Again which is a restored version of Ray’s experimental masterpiece with “journalistic” approach to footage from 1911 to 2011; then we have Susan Ray’s Don’t Expect Too Much (Nicholas Ray 1911-2011) what I call a companion piece that explains the first with Nicholas own words; late night, i.e. midnight brings the screening of Alois Nebel by Tomáš Lunák an animated film that could be interesting for the story as you know, animation can go beyond what reality can do.

Early night, the screening of Wilde Salome by Al Pacino, yes Al Pacino is the director and the film star of this experimental work that mixes fiction, documentary and I should say: imagination. This film is the winner of the Glory to the Filmaker Award.



Orizzonti

Today five short films plus I’m Carolyn Parker: The Good, The Mad and The Beautiful, by none other than Johathan Demmme that yes calls my attention. Also today, The Invader by Nicholas Provost from Belgium.

Controcampo Italiano

Sunday morning started with the screening of L’Arrivo di Wang by Manetti bros preceded by Roberto de Paolis’ short film Alice; later Pivano Blues – Sulla Strada di Nanda by Teresa Marche, with Patti Smith performing at the red carpet! (wow!).

Retrospective

Today Ana by Alberto Grifi and Massimo Sarchielli; also, the 1942 film Il Betturale del San Gottardo by Ivo Illuminati and Hans Hinrich

Giornate Degli Autori – Venice Days

Today the screening of Portret V Sumerkakh (Twightlight Portrait) by Angelina Mikonova that could be interesting for the bare production values and Habibi Rasak Kharban (Habibi) by Susan Youssef with another exploration about the forbidden love between Jews and Palestinian.

International Critics’ Week

Today La Terre Outragee by Michale Boganim, a puzzling French, German Polish and Ukrainian production that I have been reading about for a while and yes, calls my attention.

Collateral Events

Today the screening of the first of three films that are competing for the European Premio Lux, from Greece a film that yes I’m absolutely curious about, Rachel Tsangari’s Attenberg. Film is also Greece’s submission to 2012 Oscar. By the way in case you didn’t know it by now, Yorgos Lathimos is an actor in this film.

So that’s for today and since the only “stars” come from UK I know coverage will be less intense than other days, even when Pacino is around. Let’s hope I find some good/interesting photos and videos.

Not So Serious News

You might or might not recognize her, but this is Patti Smith at the red carpet. Sorry (Thank YOU!!) Getty Images but had to share this one.


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