At all the major film festival you will not film only cinema, but also a bounty of musical events. The Trieste Film Festival offers nothing less and musical events are nothing new to us. In recent editions the TFF has hosted numerous musical evenings and events at the Teatro Miela. This year we propose yet another evening to come and wet your whistle: Teatro Miela at 9pm- exclusively for the Trieste Film Festival, the world premiere of the Emilia-Romano born musician, and founder of the groups CCCP –fedeli alla linea e Csi- Consorzio Suonatori Indipendenti: Massimo Zamboni. During the evening there will be a screening of Stefano Savona ‘s documentary “The diving Swallow” , based on the original idea of Massimo Zamboni and for which the director accompanied the writer on his return to the town of Mostar, 10 years after the memorable concert produced with the CSI. The event will then continue with a concert by Zamboni including debut performances of various tracks from the unreleased cd/dvd box-set “l’inerme è l’imbattibile” which is foreseen to come out at the start of 2008 for the musical editions of il Manifesto. Entrance €10
After Berlusconi and Blair.....not the English prime minister, but rather the wonderful Betsy Blair who participated in one of the meetings taking place at the Hotel Urban regularly at 10.10am.
Before going to the cinema make sure you get over to number 39 Viale XX Settembre, around 7pm, (not too late so you miss the screenings). When you get there, find a seat and have a drink in name of the festival. And for the guests and those with accreditations there’s a little surprise...
When you’ve finished your aperitivo, everyone get over to the cinema. And what are you going to see? Well, there’s loads on offer. If you want to know more, click on the program link for full listings. For the hardened cinefiles amongst us there loads to chose from.
You might be swayed by “la fine led mare” at the cinema Ariston at 8pm. An involving feature film by nora Hoppe. The film, shot partly in Trieste with the contributions from the Friuli Venezia Film Commission, is part of the section, Cinema Zones. Yet another chance to see how the city of Trieste looks on camera. Should you want to watch other horizons you could head over to the Excelsior Cinema where at 9pm there will be a screening of the short film "La Valise" by the Iranian director Kaveh Bakthiari, who has lived for many years in Switzerland. Following that as the celebrated German film by Robert Thallheim “And along come the Tourists” which reflects on the German identity through the eyes of a young boy.
This year we reintroduce the documentary competition. Therefore, why not go and see the part documentar, part animation “Gyveno senelis is robute”? which tells the story of Lithuania through that of a Lithuanian family.
With so many events on offer why go to just the one? Make the most of them!

“WE ALWAYS OFFER TEA TO THE STARS”
The punch-line from one of the entertaining and enlightening anecdotes with which actress Betsy Blair answered the questions posed by the press and the public during her Q&A at the Hotel Urban. As she did at the famous Savoy Hotel in London on her first encounter with late husband director Karel Reisz and the Free English Cinema, Betsy Blair also came in for tea and biscuits with us in the office, as Annamaria Percavassi said at the press conference today, “like an old friend”.  Every response from the radiant actress came packed with emotion and wrapped in humour, giving a true and passionate insight into Betsy’s life in the ‘biz’ and the transformations that life encountered as she travelled far and wide saying, “I wasn’t brave at all, I was just in love”. Her famous flame for politics appeared still very much alight as she answered questions about her home country and saying “I know I’m American, but I feel European”.

Mrs Blair spoke about her happiness to be back in Trieste and to reunite with her on-screen companion Claudia Cardinale, with whom she “stayed up till three in the morning talking” after the screening of Senilità at the Cinema Excelsior the night before. Betsy remembered the other members of the cast and crew giving special mention to cinematographer Armando Nannuzzi, whose work she described as “truly beautiful”; and took this opportunity to explain the story behind director Mauro Bolognini’s famous statement on his most difficult moments in the film industry being “the first hours spent with Betsy Blair”. According to the spritely actress, the reason was a deadly combination of the “disjointed” script translation and contrasting acting methods. The result of course, was the “mito” that we have the honour this week, to call our guest. 

 

Photogallery: 20 Gennaio