Acea, in collaboration with the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia of Rome and the Fondazione Cinema per Roma, presented the retrospective at the Casa del Cinema Drops of cinema and the contest The thousand faces of water, two initiatives born as part of the 20th Rome Film Fest, kicking off October 15th, to explore the element of water through the eyes of renowned directors and young videographers. The highlight will be the October 24th event dedicated to ACEA at the Sala Sinopoli, featuring a preview screening of Luc Besson's "Dracula," one of the most anticipated films of this year's film festival.
At the press conference moderated by Alessio Viola, Sky journalist, participated, Salvatore Nastasi, President of the Cinema Foundation for Rome, Gabriella Buontempo, President of the Experimental Center of Cinematography, Virman Cusenza, Acea's communications director. Everyone emphasized the special connection between water and cinematic imagery and the fact that Rome, Queen of the Waters and capital of the aqueduct tradition, is the ideal place to celebrate this bond.
The “Drops of Cinema” contest and exhibition
the contest “The Thousand Faces of Water” This year, the festival has a new theme, "The Guardians of Water," and has seen young directors and filmmakers try their hand at creating original short films that narrate the element of water through fiction, documentary, or animation. The aim is to raise public awareness of the importance of saving and reusing water, in line with the Acea Group's sustainability strategies. The best work among the three finalists from the 150 entries will be selected by a jury composed of ACEA and critics from the Centro Sperimentale and will be screened on October 15th in the Teatro Studio Gianni Borgna at the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone. The winning filmmaker will receive a prize of €5.000.
The Gocce di cinema review is also renewed, created in collaboration with the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, which is a retrospective of nine films linked to water, with titles such as Atalante, by Jean Vigo, Overwhelmed by an unusual destiny in the blue sea of August by Lina Wertmüller, Fitzcarraldo by Werner Herzog, Lady in the Water by M. Night Shyamalan, Sunset Boulevard by Billy Wilder. Added to these are three titles from the Film Fest selection: Son of Janus, by Luigi Grispello, Choose Earth – Blue Print by Anne de Carbuccia and The Enigma of Velázquez by Stéphane Sorlat. Also previewing the new series Sandokan with Can Yaman and Alessandro Preziosi, set in the waters of Malaysia.
ACEA's initiatives from October 15th, in detail
From October 15th, the starting date of the event and for the entire duration of the Film Festival, the historic Teatro Olimpico in Rome will host some of the films of the festival and it will be transformed into the ACEA Olympic TheatreThe foyer will then feature an exhibition of images, works, and industrial engineering objects from "ACEA Heritage," an exhibition created to showcase the history and culture of ACEA at the company's Rome headquarters in Piazzale Ostiense, led by CEO Fabrizio Palermo. Finally, during the event, the ACEA stand will be set up at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, where guests can meet the stars of the films on the program and view the short films competing in the "The Thousand Faces of Water" contest. The stand will be reached by walking along the Blue Carpet, a reminder and highlighting the importance of water resources.
“Water Generation, ACEA's water resource protection and training program – explained Virman Cusenza, ACEA Communications Director -, puts water at the center of citizens' lives, seeking to raise public awareness on this issue. This year, the contest, which we've relaunched and is receiving excellent participation, introduces a concept that represents an upgrade from last year: 'The Guardians of Water'. The starting point of the first edition was, in fact, raising awareness about water consumption and conservation, he explains, thus avoiding waste. This year, with 'The Guardians of Water', we wanted to empower citizens to not simply consume water more sensibly and rationally, but also to play a stewardship role, thus becoming an active participant in the process of water valorization. With 'The Guardians of Water', we wanted to directly empower citizens with their role if they want to ensure a future for water and, therefore, for themselves. We believe that cinema is the ideal vehicle for conveying the values intrinsic to a resource like water.
