Can you explain its origins?
He said: Why not?
We made the final decision to make it happen during Cannes in 2004.
Céline Sciamma, Luca Guadagnino, Isabelle Huppert & Hiam AbbassGetty/Michael Buckner/Deadline
We said, Lets Go and managed to pull it together for September 1 of that year.
It was born out of two ideas.
DEADLINE:Do you consult with the festival over the selection?
Giornate degli Autori Artistic Director Gaia Furrer, Delegate General Giorgio GosettiGdA
GOSETTI:Gaia has a great relationship with Alberto Barbera but theres no bartering over films.
Were, rather, how shall I put it, serenely competitive.
And then, its also up to the filmmakers.
GAIA FURRER:I dont ask permission or inform the festival about what we are looking at.
We work in total autonomy.
DEADLINE:Gaia, have any themes or trends emerged out of this years selection?
FURRER:One thing weve seen is the internationalization of Italian independent cinema.
There is one Italian film in Competition and another two playing Out of Competition.
These are films that are pushing boundaries in their production choices as well as artistically.
There is also the pure variety of the films.
DEADLINE:Can you tell us a bit about the opening filmOceans Are The Real Continents?
It follows three different age groups: children, a couple in their thirties and an old lady.
They love their country but at the same time dream of leaving.
DEADLINE:Does it tap into the current global debate about mass migration?
FURRER:The question is evoked in the film, but its not front and centre.
Its more about the everyday lives of these characters, which are in themselves revealing.
Its not an overtly political film.
DEADLINE:Celine Sciamma will present surprise short filmThis Is How A child Becomes A Poet.
Can you tell us a bit more about the work?
Chiara was good friends with Patrizia, while Celine had also met up her.
What is the thinking behind this event?
Teonas film is a self-portrait shot privately over 21 days.
The films are almost like two extra-terrestrials, aliens.
Celine suggested I call the event Rebels with a Cause.
DEADLINE:Did the Hollywood strikes have any impact on your selection process?
FURRER:Not really, our line-up is geographically very diverse and were not focused on Hollywood cinema.
GOSSETTI:Id like to add a personal observation.
I think this battle deserves respect.
In Europe, we have much more solid copyright protections, for directors, and even for actors.
However, cinema has gone through many different phases.
There was a time when it was all about the stars, the big divas.
Then there was a period when it was all about the films.
People went to seeBen Hur, not Charlton Heston.
Then there was a focus on directors.
DEADLINE: So do you think Luca GuadagninosChallengersshould have played in Venice as originally planned?
Every case is different.
What do you think of this approach?
To then exclude films that have participated in a market or lab doesnt make sense to me.
I think it would be mistake and could even be harmful.
These labs are extremely useful for filmmakers.
They are a way of finding finance and even closing a project.
Im enthusiastic attendee of these sorts of meetings.
GOSETTI:Andrea was one of Italys greatest investigative journalists.
It was a Watergate moment in Italy.
[The unexplained downing of Itavia Flight 870 is known as the Ustica Massacre in Italy.]
He never stopped investigating that case.
