Pursuing a personal approach with her friend and accomplice Tilda Swinton, already initiated in The Souvenir and The Souvenir: Part IIJoanna Hogg finally materializes a project that she had been entertaining for several years, that of exploring the most unknown part of the life of a woman she has known for so long: her mother.
Posted at 7:00 a.m.
The Eternal Daughter : Tilda Swinton in doubles
The British filmmaker does it in her own way, by plunging her film into an atmosphere that is both mysterious and intimate, where even, sometimes, spirits can discreetly manifest themselves. The Eternal Daughter, selected in official competition, thus recounts the intimate approach of a filmmaker who invites her mother (Tilda Swinton plays both roles) to stay with her in the old hotel where the latter has already experienced in her youth episodes rich in memories. This approach of an artist from a generation whose parents, who grew up during the Second World War, say little about their childhood is illustrated without dramatic effects. The atmosphere is always hazy – even a little austere – but the story is rooted in a sincere questioning, drawn from the complexity of family relationships.
Il Signor delle Formiche : a reminder to be vigilant
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE VENICE MOSTRA
Luigi Lo Cascio in Il Signor delle Formichea film by Gianni Amelio
Veteran Gianni Amelio gained international recognition during the 1990s with films like The Stolen Children (Grand Jury Prize at Cannes in 1992) and America. With Il Signor delle Formiche (The Lord of the Ants is the international title), third of the four Italian feature films in the running for the Golden Lion, the filmmaker offers a film inspired by true facts, in which he retraces the journey of the poet Aldo Braibanti (Luigi Lo Cascio), also a teacher, who, during the 1960s, was accused – and convicted – of plagiarism, a pretext, above all, to persecute him when his homosexual affair with a young adult (Elio Germano) is revealed. The latter has also been institutionalized by the family – electroshock treatments, medication, etc. – to try to “cure” him of his “perversion”. The case had a social impact in Italy, but for the two protagonists, the damage was done. And irreparable. With nameless sadness, the story stretches over ten years, with, at its center, an absurd trial which reminds us that even if a bit of progress has been made since this not so distant time, vigilance must be maintained.