Venice 80: it all starts with Pierfrancesco Favino and the “Commander”

After yesterday’s “pre-discovery” dedicated to the memory Gina LollobrigidaToday Venice Film Festival it actually starts with the opening ceremony hosted by the godmother Katerina Murino, from 19.00 in the Grande Palazzo del Cinema (you can follow it live on Rai Movie). After delivery Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement To Liliana CavaniThe first film of the competition will be screened: “Commander”With Pierfrancesco Favino.

Comandante tells the incredible story of the Capellini submarine and its captain Salvatore Todarowhich, in 1940, first sank a Belgian steamer (which had weapons on board) and then rescued 26 shipwrecked men sentenced to certain death by bringing them ashore on a very dangerous three-day journey “on the surface” (which made them an easy target for enemy aircraft) .

Two years later, Todaro died while receiving high honors while on another mission. Director Edward DeAngelis he emphasized that this film is also a tribute to all who, even today, do their best to save the castaways; and every mention of migrant rescue operations in the Mediterranean seems highly welcome. The film is also a production venture: it cost 15 million euros, and to restore the submarine in Taranto, a heavy replica of 70 meters long and weighing 73 tons was created, which took eight months of work.

In fact, there will be another screening already in the afternoon: this is a film “Order of Time”film directed by award-winning Liliana Cavani based on the physicist’s best-selling essay of the same name. Charles Rovelli. The film is out of competition and has a solid cast: Alessandro Gassmann, Claudia Gerini, Edoardo Leo, Valentina Cervi, Fabrizio Rongione, Francesca Inoudi. All together to illustrate how the perception of time can suddenly change, especially if, as happens with the main characters, it turns out that the world can end within a few hours.

In short, it is clear that in this edition a special place will be given to Italian cinema (six of our films claim the Golden Lion).

This will also be a virtue of necessity: after all, the strike of actors and screenwriters against the “majors” of Hollywood has led to the absence of some American stars, since Zendayamain character Applicants From Luca Guadagnino. The film was supposed to open the event out of competition, but then the producers decided to postpone its release precisely because of the strike. Fortunately, many other international titles will still be held in Venice, starting from “Ferrari”director’s film biography Michael Mann and plays Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz and Patrick Dempsey; “Owner” and with Bradley Cooper; “Chance Coup” From Woody Allen, “The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar” From Wes Anderson (With Ralph Fiennes), “Castle” From Roman Polanski (With Fanny Ardant, Mickey Rourke and Luca Barbareschi) AND “Memories” (With Jessica Chastain).

On the Italian front there are also “Aeneas” and with Peter Castellitto (plays with father Sergius), “Happiness” and with Michaela Ramazzotti (surrounded by Max Tortora AND Anna Galiena), and among directors we remember at least Stefano Sollima, Saverio Costanzo and Matteo Garroneall three compete.

But we will talk about this in more detail in the next few days in our daily diary from Venice.