07 June 2024
The 20th edition of Biografilm festival opens on Friday 7 June, from 7 to 17 June in Bologna and online on MYmovies ONE
It begins at 6 pm at Cinema Lumière - Sala Mastroianni with the Italian premiere of the film I Am the River, the River Is Me by Petr Lom. The film explores the deep connection between the Maori people and the Whanganui River, considered a living entity. Through a canoe trip along this river, Petr Lom guides us to the discovery of man's intimate bond with nature and invites us to reflect on our role in relation to the planet we inhabit. With this film Biografilm inaugurates the TEEN route, dedicated to teenagers. The Biografilm TEEN subscription, reserved to those aged 14 and over and attending secondary school, offers 14 films at the price of €1 each.
It continues at 9pm at the BIOGRAFILM HERA THEATRE | Pop Up Cinema Arlecchino with Hors du temps, Olivier Assayas' most autobiographical work. An intimate diary that explores family ties with an emotional narrative that takes us back to the suspended time of April 2020. The starring actor Micha Lescot and director Oliver Assayas will be in the audience to receive the Celebration of Lives Award, an acknowledgement that Biografilm gives every year to people whose lives and works have made an important mark on art and society. The star Nine D'Urso, model and actress, will instead be at Biografilm on Saturday 8 June.
The entire festival programme kicks off. The International Competition section takes us on a plunge into the frames of the self: ten life stories told in their gleanings, lights and shadows, ten portraits shining with pulsating authenticity, screaming the need to grasp happiness.
In Biografilm Italia, we find the personal stories of Eva, Romina, Silvia, Elettra and Hazem, Mimmo, Zina and Elena, Enrico, Giuseppe, Ursula and Bianca, Emanuele and the others, which, through the mediation of the directors' gazes, interweave with the universality of human experience, becoming the bearers of new interpretations.
The Contemporary Lives section offers us twelve journeys through geopolitics, human rights, climate urgency, gender inequality, the scars of colonialism, humanity, memory, the search for identity, the right to identity. It pushes us to reflect: who are we, together? What can we become, together?
An increasingly necessary section, in the complex times and ways we are living, is Biografilm Art & Music. The arts and music are our daily nourishment. When filmmakers choose to narrate other artists further sparks fly, on screen and in the audience, and life stories become inspiration for our everyday creativity.
Beyond Fiction- Oltre la finzione presents itself as a platform to reflect on the power of cinema to transform, inspire and provoke. A section to explore and promote cinematic works that challenge the boundaries of narrative and visual representation, going beyond the concept of fiction, breaking down the barriers between reality and imagination.
The Special Events section offers a mosaic of contemporary film production, powerful stories, evocative images and innovative narratives that have won awards and recognition globally. A privileged corner to explore cinematic works spanning different genres, cultures and languages.
This year Biografilm dedicates a tribute to Paolo Caredda, for many the best Italian director around. A native of Genoa and a graduate of DAMS in Bologna, he contributed to the Italian launch of channels such as MTV, Tele+ and Discovery. He has authored numerous documentaries, short stories, novels and essays. In the section Omaggio al cinema catodico di Paolo Caredda, seven short films and three feature films offer an overview of the director who passed away in 2018.
The section Vivi Biografilm con Giovanni Troilo offers the opportunity to discover the eclectic director and photographer active in the film, television and editorial worlds. It will be possible to understand his profession as a constantly evolving process, fundamental for investigating contemporary visual codes and keeping his gaze always directed to a real audience. In addition, an in-depth masterclass on his work will take place on 13 and 14 June.
