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Dec 18,2005 - Dec 25,2005 |
Venice Film Festival in big trouble
Actor Giancarlo Giannini rumoured to replace current head Moritz de Hadeln by Urbani
By Angela Baldassarre
Originally Published: 2004-02-08
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Former banker Davide Croff to head Venice Biennale
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Critics worldwide are up in arms at the attempt by Italian politicians to destroy the Venice International Film Festival, the world's oldest and one of the few left at showcasing arthouse independent fare. Last week the Senate in Rome voted against the appointment of former banker Davide Croff to head the Venice Biennale, the fest's parent organization.
Croff's appointment earlier this month had been welcomed as a turning point in the crisis crippling the Lido.
Despite the vote, Croff is unlikely to back down, since under Italy's complicated procedures its vote is nonbinding. But it could further delay the Biennale in dealing with the pressing issue of who will head Venice's next edition.
"The only thing I can do is keep cool and wait," Moritz de Hadeln, the festivals artistic director whose contract expires in March told Variety. "I'm working as usual," he added, making it clear he is hoping to hold on to the job.
A Biennale spokeswoman said Culture Minister Giuliano Urbani, who picked Croff, had expressed confidence the appointment would clear the final hurdle in the Cabinet next week, despite the unfavourable Senate vote.
That vote was caused by infighting within Silvio Berlusconi's conservative coalition, which has become especially fierce.
Croff, 56, is a former managing director of state bank Banca Nazionale del Lavoro and also a one-time exec of automaker Fiat. A native Venetian, he is widely considered a solid replacement for Franco Bernabe, the outgoing Biennale topper, kicked out after a protracted power struggle with Urbani.
Both Croff and de Hadeln are attending the Berlin Intl. Film Festival this week.
Late year FIPRESCI (the International Federation of Film Critics), which includes thousands of film critics from 62 countries from around the world (including this writer), expressed its strongest disapproval of the developments which led to the dismissal, by Urbani, of Bernabe and of the directorial board of the Biennale of Venice, which were about to confirm de Hadeln as head of the Venice Film Festival for 2004.
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