Discover the official jury of the VIII Edipo Re Inclusion and Sustainability Award, curated by Silvia Jop, which will be tasked with identifying, among 12 films selected across the various sections of the festival, the one that most strongly conveys values of inclusivity and sustainability. After Motta, we meet the one other juror: writer Eleonora Marangoni, leading today’s Masterclass at 6pm at Isola Edipo.
What is your personal approach to watching a film? How do you approach this experience?
Since I do something else – being a writer – I don’t have the skills for a purely professional judgment. I would rather call myself an “average spectator.” Naturally, I’m interested in the question of language; for me, in every work of art what matters is not the what, but the how. Identifying a film that encapsulates both inclusion and sustainability will be doubly challenging, since these are vast concepts with countless shades and nuances. Compared to my usual viewing habits, this represents both a challenge and an exercise: first, because the films are pre-selected by others, and second, because they’re so different, often even opposite to each other. The beauty and difficulty will be trying to judge them both individually and across the board. A film that stays with you is traditionally one you still think about the next day. But here it’s like a whirlwind – you watch three films a day, and before you’ve finished reflecting on one, you’re already late for the next: a sort of speed dating that makes it almost impossible to dwell on what you’ve seen. So, without hyper-technical parameters, I’ll let myself be guided by emotion – by what these works stir at first impact, in both heart and mind.
Your exploration of female characters, especially the extraordinary Monica Vitti, has brought you closer to cinema and to the role of women in the film industry. What led you to this theme?
As for recognition of women in this field, I think we’re on the right track, but it remains a slippery issue that must always be kept alive and under public attention. I’m often asked if I chose to focus on Monica Vitti just because she was a woman. The answer is, of course, no. I wrote about her because she was her! For years I was fascinated by her iconic figure. At first I thought of writing an essay, then of analyzing one film in particular; only later I realized the only intelligent choice was to embrace her entire filmography – from the unforgettable masterpieces to the worst films, which were watchable only thanks to her extraordinary talent. This book E siccome lei was a somewhat schizophrenic operation: 47 films, 47 women, roles, worlds, different productions. But it was necessary to convey the versatility and generosity of an actress without equal, one who had no heirs, who could easily have rested in the role of diva, yet never did.
As a juror, are you looking for a particular female character?
I hadn’t thought about it until now. Maybe it will happen.
No results found.
