Venice Festival challenges Corona .. as if nothing had happened

Venice defies Corona, and the Venice International Film Festival returns as if it were nothing, as 18 films race to win the “Golden Lion” awards within the Venice Film Festival, which opens Wednesday in front of the lenses of thermal cameras and with a scene overcome by gags, in defiance of the Covid-19 pandemic that changed the face of the world, and renewed The outbreak of the new Corona virus.

Based on the importance of this annual global film event, the directors of the eight largest festivals in Europe, which compete annually to attract the best films, including Cannes and Berlin, participate in the opening of the festival, as an expression of “solidarity with the global film industry” in the midst of the crisis it is experiencing.

It was not certain that the XNUMXth edition of this festival, one of the oldest in the world, would be held, as Italy is one of the European countries most affected by the outbreak of the new Corona virus. The production companies had other concerns in a sector that was suffering from a major crisis as a result of the consequences of the health crisis. This crisis has led to the absence of the Festival de Cannes, which is usually held in the spring, and is the historical rival of the Venice Festival.

Unusual security measures

If all goes as planned, the Venice Film Festival will allow the world of cinema to follow the stars once again on the red carpet, and the Lido islands will see the return of world premieres.

But this return has a price, as it will take “extraordinary security measures, which will be strictly enforced to ensure peace of mind for all participants without any risk,” said festival director Alberto Barbera. He added, "Some great films will be absent (...), while some members of the participating film teams will not be able to attend." Rather, they will be allowed to make interventions broadcast via video technology.

from Venice

Masks.. and light spaces for temperature

This affected the "love relationship" between Hollywood and Venice, as the most important American productions were shown at the Italian festival, which doubles their chances of winning American awards. The presence of international stars will also be very limited in the Lido.

In the buildings designated for performances and press conferences, most of which are located on the beach, scanners will be deployed to measure the temperature of the audience, and masks will be imposed inside and outside the halls, as the festival management is keen to avoid a scenario that will turn it into a focus for the spread of the virus.

The number of seats in the halls was halved to ensure social distancing, and every arrival to the festival from outside the “Schengen” area is obligated to conduct the examination for the Corona virus.

However, this strictness in the measures taken against the background of the upward trend in the spread of infection in Italy, does not prevent the eighteen films participating in the race to win the "Golden Lion" award, including eight films directed by women.

Barbera noted that "the female component has so far been limited to a shameful proportion", certainly hoping to put an end to the controversy that witnessed the previous sessions of the festival. This topic is still a hot topic in the world of cinema, three years after the "Me Too" wave.

The Australian jury will be chaired by Cate Blanchett, along with American actor Matt Dillon, German director Christian Petzold and French actress Ludivine Sannier.

This committee will choose the film that deserves the prestigious "Golden Lion" award among productions from several countries such as Italy, India and Poland, succeeding Todd Phillips' "Joker", which was crowned last year before winning five months later two "Oscars". In the program, for example, the movie “Wave of a Spy” by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, and “Safe” by director Nicole Garcia, which is the only film from France.

Outside of competition, the film "Why Night in Miami", directed by African-American actress Regina King, and about the beginnings of boxer Cassius Clay (who would become Muhammad Ali), stands out. The importance of the film lies in its coincidence with the uproar in the United States regarding the issue of racism, and two months before the US presidential elections.

The film "Greta" will also have a special impact in Venice, which is threatened by rising waters, as this Swedish documentary film directed by Nathan Grossman deals with the biography of environmental activist committed to climate issues Greta Thunberg.