The 76th edition of the Mostra Internazionale d'Arte Cinematografica of Venice kicks off today, Wednesday 28 August, and will end on 7 September: directed by Alberto Barbera under the aegis of the Venice Biennale, this is the last edition under the presidency of Paul Baratta, who has come to the end of his mandate as number one of the cultural institution of the Lagoon. But above all this year's exhibition will be celebrated in the name of women: it is in fact the young actress Alessandra Mastronardi to conduct both the opening night and the closing ceremony, on the stage of the Sala Grande in the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido.
The opening film of the event is La vérité (The Truth), directed by the Japanese director Kore-eda Hirokazu (A Family Affair; The Third Murder; Like Father, Like Son) and starring two famous French women, Catherine Deneuve, Juliette Binoche, flanked by American star Ethan Hawke. The program of the review also includes the recognition of the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement to the Spanish director Pedro Almodovar: “Almodóvar – commented Baratta – is not only the greatest and most influential Spanish director after Buñuel, but the author who was able to offer the most articulated, controversial and provocative portrait of post-Franco Spain. The themes of transgression, desire and identity are the chosen terrain of his works, imbued with corrosive humor and cloaked in a visual splendor that gives unprecedented flashes to the camp and pop-art aesthetics to which he explicitly refers ”.
“I am very moved and honored – said the Spanish director, who has dedicated many of his films to women – for the gift of this Golden Lion. I have wonderful memories of the Venice Film Festival. My international debut took place there in 1983 with The indiscreet charm of sin. It was the first time that one of my films traveled outside Spain. It was my international baptism and it was a wonderful experience, as was my return with Women on the verge of a nervous breakdown in 1988″.
Everything is ready also from the point of view of the five international juries that will assign the same number of prizes: Venezia 76, Orizzonti, Premio Venezia Opera Prima "Luigi De Laurentiis", Venice Virtual Reality, Venezia Classici. In the international jury of the Venice 76 Competition, the Canadian director Mary Harron, already invited to the Orizzonti jury, takes over from the Australian director Jennifer Kent, unable to come to Venice.
The Uruguayan director Álvaro Brechner takes over from Mary Harron on the Orizzonti jury.
This is the definitive composition of the juries of the 76th Venice International Film Festival:
Venezia 76
· Lucrecia Martel - President (Argentina), director
· Piers Handling (Canada), historian and critic
· Mary Harron (Canada), director
· Stacy Martin (UK), actress
· Rodrigo prieto (Mexico), director of photography
· Tsukamoto Shinya (Japan), director
· Paolo Virzì (Italy), director
Horizons
· Susanna Nicchiarelli - President (Italy), director
· Mark Adams (UK), artistic director
· Rachid Bouchareb (France), director
· Alvaro Brechner (Uruguay), director
· Eva Sangiorgi (Italy), artistic director
Venice First Work Award "Luigi De Laurentiis"
· Emir Kusturica - President (Serbia), director
· Antoinette DeLillo (Italy), director
· Hend Sabry (Tunisia), actress
· Michael J. Werner (Hong Kong SAR, USA), manufacturer
· Terence nance (USA), director
Venice Virtual Reality
· Laurie Anderson - President (USA), composer, artist, director
· Francesco Carrozzini (Italy), photographer
· Alisha Naples (Italy), designer
Venice Classics
· Constance Quatriglio (Italy), director
Here the program of the review, day by day, hour by hour.
