There is an air of novelty in the crowded Istrian stone courtyard which separates the Lido Cinema building from the Casino and from the Sala Darsena to the red (however still of that colour?) Sala Giardino. There is a lot of anticipation. And it's not so much the anxiety of knowing who will get the votes of the jury of the 80th Venice Film Festival presided over by Damien Chazelle for the Golden Lion and various prizes. Mainly looking for iinterpret what will happen (more in the palaces of Rome than in those of Venice) in the coming weeks and months as regards the future “governance” of the Biennale, the main Italian cultural institution with a strong international vocation.
Cicutto expires in March 2024
The presidency of Robert Cicutto will expire in March 2024, so much so that the curator of the Visual Arts Exhibition for 2024 has already been nominated, who will be the Brazilian Adriano Pedrosa. But Cicutto, film producer, former president of the Istituto Luce Cinecittà, had been chosen by the former minister of cultural heritage Dario Franceschini in 2020 in perfect continuity with its predecessor, Paul Baratta who led the Biennale for over 14 years. Cicutto deserves full credit for having collected and defended the rich and cumbersome legacy of Baratta by strengthening the Dance, Theater and Music sectors and above all for having won the challenge of an in-person film festival in September 2020, still in the midst of the pandemic, without any consequences. Not to mention that the budget 2022 closed with a active record of more than 12 million euros. Even the latest data Architecture Biennale with the attendance record they confirm the vitality of an institution that has a front line of great experience entrusted since 2008 to the general manager, Andrea Del Mercato. Mashed potato Venezia 80, despite the Hollywood actors' strike, it is attracting considerable interest and attendance. Witness the tickets sold to the public on the 5th day of the Exhibition were 35.496 (+9% on 2022) of which 6.375 season tickets (+17% on 2022) and the total admissions to theaters 114.851 (+18% on 2022).
Favino for Italians. Anti-rapist feminists
Like every year controversy they have been an inevitable accompaniment to the exhibition. Deflated by the director himself, Alberto Barbera. Feminists' accusations against the so-called "rapists" Polanski, Allen and Besson (exonerated in court), caused much discussion (and will still cause discussion) in thestatement by Pierfrancesco Favino, protagonist of the opening film "Commander" by De Angelis in favor of Italian actors on Italian stories. There is, beyond everything, the need to interpret where the new wind of right-wing politics will blow and what impact it will have on the future of Italian cinema and the Venice Film Festival.
Boos for ministers Sangiuliano and Salvini
The Minister of Cultural Heritage Gennaro Sangiuliano, present at the pre-opening of the exhibition dedicated to Gina Lollobrigida, received timid applause and even a few boos. Nothing comparable to the "buuu" and loud whistles reserved for the Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini.
And yet, it will be up to this new political class decide the future of the Biennale. In Cicutto's place, Minister Sangiuliano would be ready to take the field Pierangelo Buttafuoco, journalist and writer from Catania, former editor of Il Secolo d'Italia but representative of the "dialoguing" right wing which even the president of the Leonardo Foundation, Luciano Violante, former magistrate and former president of the Chamber, does not dislike. But as has been observed, directing the largest Italian cultural institution, from music to theatre, passing through architecture and dance, up to cinema, is not quite like writing an article or a novel.
Stumbling blocks of the previous right-wing spoil systems
It must be said that every time a centre-right government has tried to get its hands on the Biennale it has messed it up. In 2011 the minister Giancarlo Galan he wanted to replace Paolo Baratta with Giulio Malgara but you have to march in front of an outcry. Also in 2004 for David Croff the nomination was rejected by the Culture Commission of the Senate but Minister Urbani nominated him anyway. The process for the appointment of the Cicutto's successor provides that the ministry receives the advisory opinion of the Culture commissions of the Chamber and Senate on the name indicated by the minister and that then a Ministerial Decree signed by Sangiuliano to ratify the choice. On the name of Buttafuoco however, there would already be the consent of two prominent members of the board of directors of the Venetian Foundation: the vice president, Louis Brugnaro, Mayor of Venice, and the President of the Region, Luca Zaia. To ensure that everything takes place without incidents, the director of the ministry of cultural heritage, the "multifaceted" Except Nastasi.
Does Barbera leave witness to Farinelli?
They also depend on the regime change at the Biennale summit other appointments: one of all that of the director of the Exhibition. We talk about resignation anticipate for Alberto Barbera who theoretically could lead yet another exhibition in 2024. An armchair that would not mind a Gianluca Farinelli, former director of the Cineteca di Bologna which in 2022 the mayor of Rome Gualtieri appointed president of the Fondazione Cinema per Roma. Farinelli could find support in an exponent of the Brothers of Italy, Federico Mollicone, president of the Culture commission of the Chamber.
But no regime change for nonagenarian directors
But for directors and actors a real “regime change” it's still far away. Roman Polanski and Liliana Cavani have blown out 90 candles, Woody Allen 87. If we exclude Castellitto junior, the new generations are still far from the Exhibition, hostage to the "sacred monsters". Liked “Evil Does Not Exist” by the Japanese Oscar-winner Ryusuke Hamaguchi, set to music by Eiko Ishibashi, As well as "Conductor" by Bradley Cooper and the feminist Frankenstein "Poor Things" by Yorgos Lanthimos, which revive the stars of Carey Mulligan and Emma Stone. "Priscilla" by Sofia Coppola was liked by British and American journalists who, unlike the Italian ones, appreciated it very much “Finally the dawn” by Saverio Costanzo. It remains to be seen whether the young jurors can find the journey of hope of the Senegalese protagonists of Matteo Garrone's new film convincing. "I, Captain".
When the so-called "sacred monsters" are honored by Cavani (the only woman so far) with a Lion for her career, she is half convinced with "The Order of Time", Allen always surprises in his 50th feature film "Coup and Chance" while the Polanski of “Palace” produced by Barbareschi (ubiquitous) is an unsuccessful "cinepanettone".
