Rome, July 15, 2023 – Last year, he made a comeback in the hyper-production of low-quality Italian films. Then he brought five of them to the competition: “The Ant Master” Gianni Amelio ‘immensity’ Emanuele Crialese “Bones and All” Luca Guadagnino, ‘Transparent’ Susanna Nicchiarelli e ‘Monica’ Andrea Pallaoro (not to mention our films out of competition and in other sections), and there were already those who saw a certain discrepancy between declarations of intent and the reality of facts, including taking into account the “variability” of some proposals. This year’s Venice Film Festival curator Alberto Barbera he would be ready to surpass himself by bringing to the race – according to the preview – not four, not five, but even six italian films, which are added to the already announced (Italian-Hollywood) opening film, quel “Challengers” starring American superstar Zendaya, director Luca Guadagnino.
TO Venice 80 (30 August – 9 September 2023) therefore will arrive – the official announcement will be made on July 25th – “I am the captain” by Matteo Garrone the long-awaited odyssey of two migrants in the Libyan hell to the fortress of Europe, e “Commander” Edoardo De Angelis with Pierfrancesco Favino as Royal Navy submariner Salvatore Todaro: two different films on the current topic of migrants, the first being tortured, the second Italian hero rescuing shipwrecked people in World War II in order to follow the laws of the sea and because he is Italian. It would be too Dawn at last by Saverio Costanzo with Lily James and Willem Dafoe, the story of a young aspiring actress in Cinecitta in the 1950s; ‘Aeneas’ second job Peter Castellitto also a main character along with Benedetta Porcaroli; “Lubo” by Giorgio Wrights a 1930s story about borders, segregations, racism (about women, gypsies in Switzerland) and finally, it would seem, he was shortlisted too “Adagio” by Stefano Sollima, a dark, violent story in Rome for gangs with Pierfrancesco Favino still among the main characters with Toni Servillo, Valerio Mastandrea, Adriano Giannini, Marzio El Moeti. A lot of? So many? And first of all _ for now we are only talking about the directorial debut of Micaela Ramazzotti, however “reduced” to Orizzonti _ even without a female director? All topics that will spark the presentation of the bill.
Barbera, who remained as director until 2024, also had to choose a new film Roman Polanski _ a director already actively contested by MeToo activists in Cannes _ called The Palace (produced by Luca Barbareschi) and there is talk of a possible entry into the competition Napoleon by Ridley Scott with Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby Sofia Coppola with “Priscilla” based on the memoir “Elvis and Me” long-awaited “Poor things” by Yorgos Lanthimos with Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe, del “Ferrari” Michael Mann with Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz.
Returning to the Italian “overcrowding”, it must be borne in mind that this year the fate of Venice hangs. the actors’ strike just announced in Hollywood, which requires stars to block all promotional activities. Venice is the first of the major festivals that could be affected by this tsunami: for years the Lido has been the springboard for the Oscars (Ratings and recent examples, from La La Land’s Emma Stone to The Whale’s Brendan Fraser, testify to this), but this year the situation could become critical. When actors are on strike, what distributor or big company can invest in attracting talent who, due to union politics, are forced to stay in a hotel without going out on the red carpet, without meeting the press or attending the premiere? Very cool dough, and to think that they are rumored to give at least five major American titles. An autonomous Venice with six Italian titles in the race could be the answer to the looming danger of “no Hollywood stars – empty red carpet”.