Valentina's critical gaze from the Lido

(from Venice Luigi Noera and Valentina Vignoli with the kind collaboration of Maria Vittoria Battaglia, Vittorio De Agrò (RS) and Marina Pavido – the photos are published courtesy of the Venice Film Festival)

Orizzonti presents a DOC on the well -known band Pavement, while in Competition the story of Riccardo Schicchi, inventor of local porn stars in a narrative that is too light for the unfortunately current topic

Pavements di Alex Ross Perry (Horizons)

"The stories they feel have never made sense": the documentary on the American indie rock band Pavement begins with this statement, hence Alex Ross Perry, director, took the title, adding an S to it: Pavements. The director's additions were not limited to the particle that marks the plural; he recreated an entire universe to tell about this band, as if through a prism. Alex Ross Perry shows us the auditions and rehearsals of a show that doesn't exist; let's see casting, actors ready to empathize with the roles of the band members. The justification for these choices, given by the director, is that there are no good films about musical bands. In this, perhaps, If you are earned a can of antipathy, citing the experiments of The Beatles and other great groups that made history. But it is precisely the non-linearity of the film that makes it an interesting documentary, which distances itself from the seen and seen again and really tries to show these artists in many different lights, to understand them better and celebrate them in more ways. The fiction therefore allows us to give the band another role in the history of music, much more important.

Diva Futura by Giulia Steigerwalt (Competition)

Giulia Louise Steigerwalt (director of the dramedy September) directs Pietro Castellitto in the role of Riccardo Schicchi, very popular character in the 70s and 80s, founder of the Diva Futura agency, specialized in the production of erotic and pornographic films. From childhood to death, we follow this character's relationship with the female sex. Ilona stalls (Lidija Kordic), Moana Pozzi (Denise Capezza) ed Eva hangs (Tesa Litvan), the three women who brought him success, they are shown in their insecurities and regrets.

The narrative voice of Barbara Ronchi, who plays Schicchi's secretary in the film, Debora Attanasio, takes us from one phase to another in the life of the inventor of the expression "Pornstar". The film is actually based on the novel, “Don't tell mom I'm a secretary”, which Attanasio published in 2013.

The complex theme is staged in a light tone, sentimental. In reality, at the center of the narrative is the love story between Riccardo and Eva – passion, jealousies, the harsh separation.

After having founded the Diva Futura agency together with Ilona Staller, once the taboos have been cleared, Riccardo Schicchi worries about the evolution of his creation. “Now they want films where they rape women. This is how we teach how to mistreat women.” There is more food for thought on the unhealthy consequences that this industry has had on today's mentality in our country. Without delving too deeply into these concepts, Diva Futura focuses on a sense of humor that tends to play down the characters' dilemmas. Presented in competition at the Venice Film Festival, It's interesting to note that this year more female directors have addressed the female body and sexuality. In a completely different way, Baby girl by Halina Reijn (also in competition), stages an equally necessary reflection on eroticism.

Valentina Vignoli