Tinto Brass described Venice as “mother, wife and lover” in a message shared at the Venice Film Festival, where a restored 4K version of his 1967 film “Col cuore in gola” was presented in September. The director was unable to attend because health issues made the journey from his home in Isola Farnese difficult. His wife, Caterina Varzi, read the message at the event and was overcome with emotion more than once.
Brass said the screening represented a return home, since Venice was where the film’s story began. He also thanked the Biennale, the festival, the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, Netflix and the National Union of Italian Film Journalists, which had awarded him the Premio Bianchi that year. He said the recognition mattered to him and that he would hold it close, adding that there would not be another opportunity.
The director linked his artistic style to his passionate relationship with Venice. He said the city’s influence could be seen throughout his work, including its editing, visual experimentation, wordplay, irony, sensuality and irreverence. Brass rejected the idea that his career split into an early, politically engaged period and a later, lighter one, arguing that the same defining elements ran through both.
Reflecting on his approach to filmmaking, Brass said he had started from a simple idea: when history begins to run, cinema cannot keep walking. He described experimentation and daring combinations as necessary to avoid losing future audiences.
Sources: ANSA Cultura.