30/06/2003 - Highlights of the 60th Mostra. Masters of film, old and new, will head up what promises to be a landmark relaunch edition of Italy’s most important film event

A veritable onslaught of both old and new Masters of the art of making films and an attempt to outclass Cannes. That is the intent of Moritz De Hadeln back in the hot seat of the International Venice Film Festival (27 August – 6 September) for the second consecutive year. Following a disappointing Cannes, the director promised to surprise us at the landmark edition on the Lido in an interview with De Hadeln that was published on the Biennale web site. He did not list any titles: the time for that is the official press conference scheduled for the end of July, although it is possible to deduce a number of likely participants.
Almost certainly, Peter Greenaway will present the second instalment of his The Tulse Luper Suitcases trilogy and Theo Angelopoulos might screen the first part of his trilogy about the 19th century. Ingmar Bergman may put in an appearance with his latest film for TV entitled Saraband [+see also:
trailer
film profile], a revisitation of the characters we first encountered thirty years ago in Scenes From A Marriage.

The Lido line up will almost certainly feature 2046 by Wong Kar-Wai, Anatomie de l’enfer [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Catherine Breillat, Marie et Julien by Jacques Rivette, Ethan and Joel Cohen’s Intolerable Cruelty, possibly accompanied by George Clooney and Catherine Zeta Jones, Ridley Scott’s Matchstick Men, starring Nicolas Cage, Jane Campion’s In The Cut with Meg Ryan, and Robert Altman’s The Company with Malcolm McDowell. Unfortunately the latest films by Quentin Tarantino, Ermanno Olmi and Bernardo Bertolucci won’t be ready in time. Bertolucci however may well be this year’s recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Golden Lion.

The Italian contingent in Venice could be headed up by Marco Bellocchio and his Buongiorno Notte, about the kidnapping and murder of politician Aldo Moro. The trailer is currently screening in Italian theatres. Controversial duo Ciprì & Maresco may present Il Ritorno di Cagliostro, Edoardo Winspeare’s Miracoli, Gianluca Tavarelli’s Liberi, Alessandro Piva’s Vita, Morte e Miracoli, Antonietta De Lillo’s Il Resto di Niente and Paolo Virzì’s Caterina Va in Città.

(Translated from Italian)