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RomeFilmFest to mix populism with star power for second year
2007-10-17
The second annual RomeFilmFest opens Thursday with 14 films in competition, 15 world premieres and major stars such as Australia's Cate Blanchett and US director Robert Redford on the menu. A French gangster film, "Le Deuxieme Souffle" (Second Wind) by Alain Corneau, kicks off the festivities, unveiling Italian star Monica Bellucci as a blonde, co-starring with Daniel Auteuil. The natural brunette was among the glitterati at the inaugural 2006 RomeFilmFest with a premiere of "N" by the Italian director Paolo Virzi. An eagerly awaited premiere this year marks the return of US legend Francis Ford Coppola from a decade-long directing hiatus with "Youth Without Youth," to be screened Saturday. Based on a novella by Romanian author Mircea Eliade and shot in Bucharest, the film is expected to "generate a lot of discussion," organiser Piera DeTassis said, describing it as Coppola's "third renaissance" following "Apocalypse Now" and "The Godfather." With dozens of films screened in parallel sections of the festival, including one for children, the October 18-27 event will offer a total of 167 movies and a plethora of stars gliding down the red carpet outside Rome's Auditorium Parco della Musica designed by Renzo Piano. Redford will be on hand to unveil "Lions for Lambs," set in Afghanistan, starring Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep and himself. Other Americans contributing star power to the event include Reese Witherspoon, Tim Robbins and Halle Berry. The festival, the brainchild of Rome Mayor and film buff Walter Veltroni, last year drew 480,000 moviegoers with its populist format. Among the 15 world premieres to be shown out of competition is "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" by Indian director Shekhar Kapur and starring Blanchett. The Oscar-winning Australian returns to Rome after clinching best actress just last month in Venice for her role as a male guitarist resembling Bob Dylan at the height of his stardom in Todd Haynes's kaleidoscopic biopic "I'm Not There." The Rome festival drew criticism in its inaugural year for appearing to set itself up in competition with Venice's prestigious Mostra, the world's oldest filmfest. But after initial verbal sparring, organisers in both cities have taken pains to point up the differences. The main distinction is Rome's emphasis on the ordinary moviegoer, offering broad access to the general public, compared with Venice's heavily restricted entries. Last year in Rome, more than 100,000 tickets were sold to members of the public who watched the films at the same time as the press. And like last year, a popular jury will pick the best film, the special jury prize and best actress and actor. Headed by Oscar-winning Bosnian director Danis Tanovic ("No Man's Land"), this year's jury will comprise 50 ordinary filmgoers chosen by lot including 30 Italians and the rest from 11 other European countries. "We want this to be first and foremost a party for the public, both for cinema enthusiasts and those who have never attended such an event," said Goffredo Bettini, one of the top organisers. Among special events at the festival will be a special tribute to Indian cinema with new films by Sudhir Mishra, Feroze Khan and Mani Ratnam. Also, iconic Italian actress Sofia Loren will be honoured with a retrospective to include classics such as "Marriage Italian-Style" and "Scandal in Sorrento." And the indefatigable French veteran Gerard Depardieu will turn up in Italian comedy "L'Abbuffata."
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