From 31st August to 10th September 2011

For the first time in history, all the films presented in the official sections of the Venice Film Festival this year will be first releases. Now that the programme of the 68th edition of the famous Venetian Festival has been released, it seems a very interesting event indeed.

The programme includes 5208 films (2511 full-length, 566 middle-length and 2131 short-length films). There will be 22 films in the In competition section, 19 in the Out of Competition section and 24 full-length films in the Orizzonti section, which is dedicated to the new trends in the world’s cinema, with no length or genre distinctions.

The opening film will be “The Ides of March” by George Clooney, shown on August 31st in the Sala Grande, after the opening ceremony chaired by the patron Vittoria Puccini. There is great demand to see the other films in this section, which includes the work of some of the most innovative producers in the modern film industry, such as Abel Ferrara (4:4 Last Day on Earth), William Friedkin (Killer Joe), Todd Solondz (Dark Horse), Steve McQueen (Shame), Aleksander Sokurov (Faust), Philippe Garrel (Un été brulant), Ann Hui (Taojie).

There are also “Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy” by Alfredson (with Gary Oldman and Colin Firth), “A Dangerous Method” by David Cronenberg (Keira Knightley, Viggo Mortensen and Vincent Cassel) and the new film by Polanski, “Carnage”. The French producer will not be able to present the film himself due to his current legal troubles. Hopefully the main actors (Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet and Christoph Waltz) will be there instead. TD

Welcome back to our Gourmet Heading!

This week our meal is a fusion venetian-catalan one. Boiled fish is a classic of our venetian cuisine. Appreciated and light, it’s the king of the starters especially if the fish is fresh and well cooked, because as we know it doesn’t need to be long cooked.

So once you boiled shrimp, prawn and slipper lobster, “canocia” in Venice, you’ll finely chop carrots, onions, sellery and peppers. Then dress them with vinaigrette or citronette if you prefer.

Put the fish on the plate and the vegetables inside the finger food bowl

Colour and taste for a quick and fresh receipe to welcome summer

Enjoy your meal with the tasty flavours of Venice and Veneto, or visit Venice to try them!

The Association Io Cucino e Tu Mangi is actively engaged from years in promoting the Venetian cuisine and its tastes in Italy and abroad, through tastings and cookery lessons for italian and foreigners on holidays.  If you would like have some informations for cookery holidays click here

INCROCI DI CIVILTÀ (CROSSROADS OF CIVILIZATION )– COMPLETE PROGRAM
13 to 16 April 2011
Varous Location in Venice

The next “Crossroads of Civilization“, the International Literary Festival that annually brings many writers from around the world to Venice for four days of immersive discussion, will be held from the 13th until the 16th of April 2011. It will take place at some of the city’s most prestigious locations, from the Auditorium Santa Margherita and Teatro Malibran to Querini Stampalia Foundation, Cinema Giorgione, AteneoVeneto and Casino. The extraordinary Palazzo Ducale and Punta della Dogana will also host some of the events.

32 WRITERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

32 writers – accompanied by moderators Irene Bignardi, Alberto Toso Fei and Gianfranco Bettin – will participate in the event. Given the overwhelming interest in this year’s festival – due primarily to the international success of previous festivals – some applicants have already been placed amongst the candidature for 2012. Among this year’s speakers are Antonia S. Byatt, Theo Angelopolous and Petros Markanis, the eminent noble prize winner V.S. Naipal, the “enfant terrible” of contemporary fiction Etgar Kenet and Wladin Kaminer, the Italian best sellers Gianrico Canofiglio and Alessandro Piperno, the courageous Croatian narrator Dubrarka Ugnesic, the comic book artist Joann Sfar. Further, twelve poets from all over the world who have come to celebrate the centenary of the birth of poet Czelsaw Milsoz. There will be many more authors and culture to discover during the festival.

NOT ONLY LITERATURE BUT ALSO POETRY, MUSIC, CINEMA AND COMICS

As well as the open dialogue between writers from different countries, this year’s festival will incorporate interdisciplinary engagement: not only literature but also film, cartoon, music and art.

One of the novelties of his year’s festival is the series of events organized together with the Istituto Polacco di Roma to celebrate the centenary of the birth of the poet Czeslaw Milosz. For the anniversary various poets and scholars from around the world (from Nobel prize candidate Adam Zagajewski to South African anti-apartheid writer Breyten Breytenbach) will appear at a special afternoon event scheduled to take place at the prestigious Palazzo Ducale, as well as at other literary and musical events at the Ateneo Veneto in the Sala di Sant’Apollonia and at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco.

For the two events that will take place at the Malibran theatre, the entrance is fixed at 7€ (plus possible booing fee); for the event at the Giorgione cinema, 5€; for the events at the Auditorium Santa Margherita, Palazzo Ducale and Punta della Dogana, free entrance with compulsory reservation; for the events at Fondazione Querini Stampalia, Spazio Eventi al Casinò, Ateneo Veneto, S. Apollonia, free entrance.

while seats last.

To download the complete program of the event click here: incroci-civilta-EN

Tania Danieli

Welcome back to our Venetian Cuisine Heading

As Easter is fast approaching we decided to propose you some receipes of that period.

The main area for asparagus is Bassano del Grappa but they’re cultivated everywhere in Veneto.

If you go to try them in a “trattoria” you’ll find a lot of of way you can taste them: fried, grilled, inside risotto, as stuffing for “crespelle” (salted crepe) and lasagna, like a dressing for pasta or as side dish for a main course.

Also boiled eggs belong to the old tradition, we find them with and without asparagus. They’re never lacking inside “bacari” in the Venetian area, with an anchovy on top or stuffed with a creamy sauce.

Let’s go to see the receipe:

Ingredients:

asparagus, 2 eggs per person, salt, pepper, oil (vinegar)

Put the asparagus to boil in salted water for 10-15 minutes in their pot, with the tops up out of water

In another saucepan put some water to boil

When boiling put the eggs insiede and cook for 6-7 minutes to get wet eggs or 9 minutes if you like them well cooked

Peel the eggs and mash them with a fork, then dress with oil, salt, pepper (vinegar)

Eggs’ll be eaten together with asparagus

Enjoy your meal with the tasty flavours of Venice and Veneto, or visit Venice to try them!

Silvia Pinton, Personal Chef,  is the president of the Association Io Cucino e Tu Mangi, actively engaged for years in promoting the Venetian cuisine and its tastes in Italy and abroad, through tastings and cookery lessons for italian and foreigners on holidays.  If you would like have some informations for cookery holidays click here

This is another dearest meals to our Venetian Cuisine. The receipe we’re offering you can also be prepared in different variations; with rice, without meat, with bacon and more.

We’ll eat our soup, definitely with a winter taste, seated by an old plank (tavolaccia) of an “Osteria” (tavern) or by Granny’s kitchen in front of the fireplace, listening to the wood crackling.

Nearby Granny us is stiring some “polenta” inside a very old fashioned copper saucepan over her beloved stove. Maybe if we are lucky she’ll toast some crusts of Grana cheese for us…

So let see the receipe

Ingredients:

1 savoy cabbage, 1 onion, 4 sausages, 8 pork ribs, rustic grilled bread slices, oil, Grated grana cheese, salt (pepper)

Slice the onion and braise it inside oil

Slice the cabbage and add it to the onion

Cook them for 20 minutes

Add the sliced sausages and the ribs

Pour some water and cover with the lid; cook for nearly 30 minutes

Taste the salt (put some pepper) and then pour the soup over the bread slices inside the dish

Sprinkle with grated grana cheese

Enjoy your meal with the tasty flavours of Venice and Veneto

Note: Grana cheese is really similar to Parmesan, wich comes from Emilia Romagna. They have a different aging, Parmesan is saltier then Grana Padano (coming from Po Valley)

Silvia Pinton, Personal Chef,  is the president of the Association Io Cucino e Tu Mangi, actively engaged for years in promoting the Venetian cuisine and its tastes in Italy and abroad, through tastings and cookery lessons for italian and foreigners on holidays.  If you would like have some informations for cookery holidays click here

This event takes place from the magical courtyard to the famous Aula Baratto, enhanced by the interventions of the architectural genius of Carlo Scarpa. Wrapped in a timeless atmosphere, overlooking the broadest bend of the Grand Canal, where the floating stage is placed too, the famous Machina, during the Historical Regatta, visitors can contemplate the beautiful landscape which, for centuries, has been enchanting important artists and famous visitors from all over the world.

Visiting hours:Monday, Thursday and Friday at 11.30 am
from Monday to Friday at 2.15 pm
One hour guided tour, available languages: Italian / English

Tania Danieli

From Saturday 26th February to Mardi Gras 8th March 2011

Such an important event as the anniversary of the 150 years of the Unification of Italy with the coincidence of Shrove Tuesday and the International Women’s Day have inspired Venezia Marketing&Eventi the theme chosen for Venice Carnival 2011, which will be entitled ‘Nineteenth Century’ from Senso to Sissi, the town of women. In particular, the references in the title derive from the 1954 cinematic masterpiece of Luchino Visconti and Princess costume icon and elegance of the Nineteenth century.

A great innovation of this edition will be the prologue at the weekend before (19th – 20th February) the official date of opening of the Carnival, scheduled for 28th March, which will be dedicated to the traditional “Festa Veneziana” in collaboration with the Venetian AEPE and Venetian rowing teams with their rowing boats which will open and close the event. Venice Carnival 2011 will close on March 8th with a silent procession of rowing boats along the Grand Canal, lit only by candlelight in a charming reunification of the city itself.

The Carnival direction has decided to give a strong cultural connotation to Venice Carnival 2011 and the organization team has reaffirmed the intention to improve the Venetian dimension of the event by involving the whole city and by taking advantage of its exceptional artistic heritage. Even though not much is known about the program, it also foresees the night opening of theaters, museums and churches that could host events of high cultural level and at the same time the organizers are still looking for appropriate spaces for the continuation of night festivities suitable for the youth, with the assurance of creating not so many inconvenience to residents. Tania Danieli

1st May – 25th July 2010
Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Since 1st May 2010 the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice has been exhibiting ‘Utopia Matters. From the Brotherhoods to the Bauhaus’’. On display there are more than works of art including paintings, sculptures, drawings, design items, photos and printed matter which aim at examining the evolution of utopian ideas in modern Western thought and practice, by considering a series of international case studies that reveal lots of the faces that utopia assumes if it is embraced by artistic movements, from the brotherhoods of the 19th century to the avant-gardes of the first post-war period. The movements which are involved are the French Primitifs, the German Nazarenes, the English Pre-Raphaelites, English polymath William Morris with the international Arts and Crafts movement, the American Cornish Colony, French Neo-Impressionism, Dutch De Stijl, the German Bauhaus and the Russian Constructivism. More than fifty artists will be on display, thanks to the loans from the most important museums in the world, from the Metropolitan Museum to the Solomon R.Guggenheim, from the Moma to the Brooklyn Museum of New York, from the Tate Britain to the Victoria and Albert Museum of London. This exhibition is organized together with the Deutsche Guggenheim of Berlin and it will last until 25th July 2010. TD

The 15th edition of ‘The places of Baldassare’’ Galuppi and Music Festival started on 13th September 2009. It is a Music Festival which offers us the opportunity to listen to sublime classical music concerts, of the Eighteenth century repertoire but not only that, in very particular places in Venice and its estuary. Among the new locations to be visited there is the Sanctuary of the Madonna dell’Apparizione on the island of Pellestrina, the Hotel Ausonia and Hungaria, which will offer the ideal location for listening to music dedicated to the Liberty style’s years. The 2009 edition is characterized by two main themes: the celebration of the centenaries of Purcell, Handel, Haydn and Mendelssohn, and a rich programme of Galuppi’s music which will give rise to a deeper study on the Venetian musician. TD

A vergin, her teeth, two great artists. This is the strange mix proposed by ‘Saint Apollonia, Omar Galliani and some teeth by Andy Warhol’, that is a collateral exhibition of Biennale held at Saint Apollonia Cloister, where the Diocese Museum of Venice is located. The story with macabre features of the martyr Saint Apollonia, has drawn everybody’s attention and has struck the imagination of many people for a long time. Andy Warhol’s one too: in 1984 he realized a series of artworks on paper entirely dedicated to the saint. Previously unseen and produced at the exhibition, those artworks represent her with pincers in her hands, as a symbol of martyrdom and then, automatically, as an obsession for teeth, the symbols related to them, the bite, taste, the features of faces.

For a long time Omar Galliani has been facing the contemporary representation of saints, an as he is carrying on his specific research on the elements making the human body, teeth, in his research, occupy a special place. It is nearly natural, then, the reference to Saint Apollonia. For this exhibition he has created seven artworks of big size in which he offers a personal interpretation of the Saint’s martyrdom: rains of teeth, teeth hanging from the sky, the tooth seen as a mystical, disturbing, astral element or even more explicitly sexual when put close to Saint Apollonia’s angelical face. TD