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VENICE 2017 Giornate degli Autori

Standing out from the crowd: the programme of the 14th edition of Venice's Giornate degli Autori

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- The autonomous section will be held during the Venice Film Festival from 30 August to 9 September. Directors whose works have been chosen include Shirin Neshat, Vincenzo Marra, and Pen-ek Ratanaruang

Standing out from the crowd: the programme of the 14th edition of Venice's Giornate degli Autori
Looking for Oum Kulthum by Shirin Neshat

“We’ll try to surprise you a bit, in the din of the film festival, with something unexpected, perhaps not perfect, but something that nonetheless stands out from the crowd”. These were the words of general delegate Giorgio Gosetti on the 14th edition of Giornate degli Autori, which will be held at Venice in parallel to the Venice Film Festival, from 30 August to 9 September 2017.

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12 films, including two first works, will battle it out for the Giornate degli Autori award, which will be awarded by a jury of 28 young European cinephiles led by Iranian director Samira Makhmalbaf (see news article). Three of the films are Italian, and all very different. There’s Tainted Souls [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matteo Botrugno, Daniele Co…
film profile
]
 by Matteo Botrugno and Daniele Coluccini (marking their return to Giornate degli Autori after Et in terra pax), starring Vinicio Marchioni and Anna Foglietta and based on the book by Walter Siti (see news article), Equilibrium [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vincenzo Marra
film profile
]
 by Vincenzo Marra, a familiar face at Giornate degli Autori, about a Campanian priest having a crisis of faith, and the debut piece by Valentina Pedicini, Where Shadows Fall [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valentina Pedicini
film profile
]
, starring Elena Cotta and set in a former orphanage where a eugenics project took place. There’s also a little piece of Italy in the highly-anticipated film by Iranian director Shirin Neshat (named Best Director at Venice in 2009 for Women without Men [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile
]
): Looking for Oum Kulthum [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Shirin Neshat
film profile
]
, co-produced by Germany and Austria.

Also from Austria comes Life Guidance [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ruth Mader
film profile
]
by Ruth Mader, in which in the near future, an agency takes it upon itself to help those who don’t conform with capitalism, while from France comes another debut piece, M [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sara Forestier
film profile
]
by Sara Forestier, a melodrama of words about an impossible love, with an appearance by Jean-Pierre Léaud. The programme also features Candelaria [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza
film profile
]
by Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza, co-produced by Colombia, Germany, Norway and Argentina, Samui Song [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pen-ek Ratanaruang
film profile
]
by Thai director Pen-ek Ratanaruang (also co-produced by Germany and Norway), a satire on the Thai middle-class, a cross between a Hitchcock and Buñuel piece.

Also returning to Giornate degli Autori are Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaïdi with Volubilis [+see also:
trailer
interview: Faouzi Bensaïdi
film profile
]
, a love story that unfolds in a divided and unjust society, and Chinese filmmaker Pengfei (who rose to prominence two years ago with Underground Fragrance [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pengfei
film profile
]
) with The Taste of Rice Flower. The competition line-up is completed by Eye on Juliet by Canadian director Kim Nguyen and the only film being shown in its international premiere (the others are all being shown in their world premieres), Israeli film Longing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Savi Gabizon
film profile
]
by Savi Gabizon. Special events include a screening of American biopic Agnelli by Nick Hooker, on the legendary grandson of FIAT founder Gianni Agnelli, Ermanno Olmi’s documentary Il tentato suicidio dell’adolescenza, and The Resolute [+see also:
trailer
interview: Giovanni Donfrancesco
film profile
]
 by Giovanni Donfrancesco, on child soldiers during the fascist era. Last but not least, there will be a special screening of Raccontare Venezia by Wilma Labate and Claudio Santamaria’s short film The Millionairs, produced by Gabriele Mainetti.

All the films being shown at Giornate degli Autori 2017:

Competition

Candelaria [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza
film profile
]
Jhonny Hendrix Hinestroza (Colombia/Germany/Norway/Argentina)
Tainted Souls [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Matteo Botrugno, Daniele Co…
film profile
]
Matteo Botrugno and Daniele Coluccini (Italy)
Where Shadows Fall [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Valentina Pedicini
film profile
]
Valentina Pedicini (Italy)
Equilibrium [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Vincenzo Marra
film profile
]
 – Vincenzo Marra (Italy)
Eye on JulietKim Nguyen (Canada)
Longing [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Savi Gabizon
film profile
]
Savi Gabizon (Israel)
Life Guidance [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Ruth Mader
film profile
]
Ruth Mader (Austria)
Looking for Oum Kulthum [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Shirin Neshat
film profile
]
Shirin Neshat (Germany/Austria/Italy/Morocco)
M [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Sara Forestier
film profile
]
Sara Forestier (France)
Samui Song [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Pen-ek Ratanaruang
film profile
]
Pen-ek Ratanaruang (Thailand/Germany/Norway)
The Taste of Rice FlowerPengfei (China)
Volubilis [+see also:
trailer
interview: Faouzi Bensaïdi
film profile
]
Faouzi Bensaïdi (Morocco/France)

Special events

AgnelliNick Hooker (United States)
Getting Naked: A Burlesque StoryJames Lester (United States)
La legge del numero unoAlessandro D'Alatri (Italy) (short film)
The Resolute [+see also:
trailer
interview: Giovanni Donfrancesco
film profile
]
Giovanni Donfrancesco (Italy/France)
Thirst Street [+see also:
trailer
interview: Nathan Silver
film profile
]
Nathan Silver (United States) in partnership with the Tribeca Film Festival
Il tentato suicidio nell’adolescenzaErmanno Olmi (Italy, 1968)

Special screenings

I’M [+see also:
trailer
interview: Anne-Riitta Ciccone
film profile
]
Anne-Riitta Ciccone (Italy)
The MillionairsClaudio Santamaria (Italy) (short film)
Raccontare VeneziaWilma Labate (Italy/France) (medium length)

Women’s Tales

CarmenChloë Sevigny (Italy, United States) (short film)
(The [End) of History Illusion]Celia Rowlson-Hall (Italy, United States) (short film)

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(Translated from Italian)

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