Albert Serra special guest at the 65th Festival dei Popoli
The special guest of the 65th edition of the Festival dei Popoli (in Florence Nov. 2-10) will be Catalan director Albert Serra, one of the best-known filmmakers on the contemporary scene who, in a career spanning nearly 20 years, has won international recognition for works that reflect on themes such as History, archetypes and the sacred dimension, often with an ironic streak.
The retrospective dedicated to him will offer a selection of works never seen in Italy, including the Italian premiere of his new documentary Tardes de Soledad (Nov. 7, 7 p.m., Cinema La Compagnia), recently awarded La Concha d'Oro at the San Sebastián Film Festival.
"The film is a hypnotic and sensory immersion in one of the most heinous and violent spectacles of our time“ - said artistic director Alessandro Stellino - ”a ritual of violence that pits technique against instinct, man against animal. A challenge, not on equal terms, that in addition to the thrill brings to the forefront the bull's profound dimension of agony. Serra is an unconventional director and his is an out-of-the-ordinary artist profile: an educated author, an art lover, he has always questioned the meaning of History and the persistence of archetypes, endowed with a high sense of the sacred but also a deep ironic vein."
The filmmaker will also hold a masterclass on Nov. 5 at Palazzo Strozzi (3 p.m.), which will open the tribute to his artistic journey. The retrospective will include some of his most significant works, such as The Names of Christ (2010), The Lord Worked Wonders in Me (2011) and Roi Soleil (2018), films somewhere between real-life cinema and art installations.
TALK ALBERT SERRA: AGAINST REALITY
Notoriamente provocatorio, il regista catalano sostiene che il documentario sia affare per registi privi di immaginazione. ...