Cinema Circuit - Venice
by Elisabetta Brunella

"On the night of 12 November 2019, the tide in Venice reached 187 cm above the mean sea level. An exceptional event that submerged the streets and flooded nearly every ground floor".

This is the opening to "Era mare" ("It was Sea"), an original book of photographs arising out of this turmoil of the natural elements that even failed to spare one aspect of its cultural life that has made Venice famous throughout the world: the cinema.

A year ago - no less moving than the images of the places in the Serenissima most loved by tourists from all latitudes submerged by the tide - the photos of the waterlogged Cinema Astra revealed the extent of the disaster.

The Lido’s Astra, but also the Giorgione Movie d’Essai and the Multisala Rossini - all members of the Circuito Cinema supported by the Municipality of Venice - are the pillars of "day-by-day" cinema-going in a city that every year - thanks to the world’s oldest festival - becomes the world capital of the seventh art for eleven days.

Giorgione Movie d'Essai

Situated in the popular neighbourhood of Cannaregio, this urban mini-complex, in operation since 1999, is fitted with Open Sky and Mart Cinema satellite reception which allows for the presentation of added content.

Decidedly experimental in vocation, it addresses a more adult audience, offering art-house authors, "missed opportunities" and independent films. Around 75% of its programming is devoted to European cinema. In addition, the two theatres host meetings with authors and have welcomed artists such as Goran Paskaljevic, Silvio Soldini, Tinto Brass, Gillo Pontecorvo, Riccardo Scamarcio, Giuseppe Tornatore and Ennio Morricone. The Giorgione fills its role as a cultural facility by offering screenings for schools with a tailored offer negotiated with the teachers.

In cooperation with CAI (Italian Alpine Club) Venice, the Giorgione also hosts "Schermi verticali" / "Vertical Screens", a selection of films focusing on the mountains from the Trento Film Festival, the CAI Central Film Library and Turin’s Museo Nazionale della Montagna.

Multisala Astra

Inaugurated in 2002, this cinema, situated at the Venice Lido, counts two screens: generally, one is devoted to programming commercial premières and those for children/young people, whilst the other offers quality cinema and various other events based on the presentation of added content, including live events, thanks to the Open Sky satellite reception system.

Due to its special position just two steps away from the stop where steamers arrive from Venice, the cinema addresses potential audiences not only from the Lido and the coastal area but from the whole city.

Multisala Rossini

The buildings that were the site of the Teatro San Beneto in the Seventeen hundreds and that housed a pioneer cinema in the early Nineteen hundreds now host a modern, three-screen movie theatre.

Accompanied by a bar, restaurant and supermarket, this is the result of renovation work that began in 2010 and was completed in 2012.

The area, which is situated right in the city centre, a stone’s throw from Rialto and Piazza San Marco, is also perfect for hosting conventions and congresses. 

Equipped with Open Sky satellite reception, the Rossini mostly programmes family and mainstream cinema, though one theatre always offers a quality alternative. Thanks to the Bologna Cinemathèque, and with the advent of digital screening, newly restored classics, for example, are joined by events based on targeted added content, mainly Nexo, Wanted or Magnitudo Film, as well as subtitled films in their original language, also addressing Venice’s resident foreigners and tourists.

Cinema Circuit and the International Film Festival

Thanks to an agreement with the Biennale, a selection of films from the Festival is programmed, under the title "Esterno Notte" ("Exterior/Night.”), which has taken over from the series of open-air screenings organized in Campo San Polo up until 2013.

During the Festival, at the Lido, the Multisala Astra is one of the festival-goers’ reference points: here some screenings of non-competing works are held or those belonging to the parallel sections of the "Filmmakers’ Days" and "Critics’ Week".

The high water of 12 November 2019

At the Rossini the water filled the elevator shafts, having overflowed the floodgates. Yet work stopped only for the few days immediately following the high tide, which had made it necessary to set up floodgates that blocked the access and exit routes. 

At the Giorgione the water reached the ticket office and staff office. Despite electrical fittings being raised and secured, the water nonetheless reached the lower plugs, causing a blackout. The structure was closed for two days whilst the electrical circuit was repaired.

At the Astra, which happened to be closed for renovation work at the time, the water seeped into the ground-floor theatre, right up to the first four rows of seats and the subwoofer below the screen.

MEDIA Salles thank Davide Terrin, Culture Dept. - Municipality of Venice

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In the past few days the Council of the European Union has deliberated an increase in the budget for the Creative Europe Programme, from1.64 billion euros to 2.24 billion euros, with a rise of +53% for the 2021-2027 period. 
The decision has been warmly received by professionals in the sector and by the institutions dealing with audiovisuals in Europe. "This important decision makes it possible to reinforce support to Europe’s cultural and creative sector, particularly at this time of great difficulty," commented Italy’s Minister of culture and tourism, Dario Franceschini.

(Per leggere il testo in italiano cliccare qui)