Viennale opened by neo-director Sangiorgi

Viennale opened by neo-director Sangiorgi

The 56th Viennale is officially open. With the first speech of the neo-director Eva Sangiorgifiel on Thursday night in the Viennese horticultural cinema, the kickoff of the biggest film festival in Austria attracted the film's friends until November 8th. to accommodate 270 productions.

Sangiorgi, 40, follows veteran Hans Hurch of Viennale, who died suddenly in the summer.

Sangiorgi began his speech with a few words in German: "It is very moving and a great honor to open the Viennale with my program." She will always keep Hans Hurch in her thoughts.

The works of his first edition of festival are formally well connected: "The Viennale's films have a clear idea of ​​the language of cinema together." Thematically, however, applies to his understanding of the film that must be opened up as a spectator to the realities of society – whether it applies to gender issues, badual preferences or the restoration of boundaries. First and foremost, the treatment of fugitives is one of the topics of today and involves them in their personal experience: "I see myself as an eternal migrant".

And if she looked at the current politics in her native Italy, her country of long-standing adoption and her new country, Austria, she would all have problems with regard to migrants: "The politics of the new Italian government is contrary to the great humanitarian tradition that this country has always distinguished. "

At the same time, Sangiorgi received the highest consecration of the evening. The 94-year-old Eric's Eric, Viennale president, Eric Pleskow, who fled the arrival of the United States for his age, was dotted with greetings from new boss Rosen and was pleased to see that many things were new in Vienna. And the Executive Director, Eva Rotter, reviewed the history of interregnum after Hurch's death, but at that time everything was open. Since then, many things have changed in Vienna, but Viennale's quality standards remain: "We are not competing with Berlin, Cannes or Venice – but in terms of artistic significance, we can certainly compete with these festivals. " Nevertheless, a new era begins with Eva Sangiorgi.

Vienna City Councilor Veronica Kaup-Hasler (SPÖ) has also been relatively new. It could send its first greetings to this function in the sector of horticulture. The freshly baked cultural politician betrayed a doctrine of the last months of his tenure: "I've noticed that it increases the popularity tremendously, if you keep it short." Nevertheless, it remains to say that the Viennale is in a way a counter-program against the limits of current politics: "It opens here a very distant vision of the world". The hall of culture must be open to rebels, bulky – and this is the case of the Viennale.

The trailer for this year's festival was also created by Filipino director Lav Diaz, who is also represented at the Viennale with his four-hour musical "Ang Panahon Ng Halimaw". For his trailer titled "The Boy Who Selected the Earth", however, Diaz – who had come to Vienna in person – was limited to two minutes. The director, who has already received the Golden Lion of Venice, tells the story of a boy who has special projects that remain however very abstract in artistic black and white (Trailer Link: www. viennale.at/de/viennale-trailer-2018)

Sangiorgi's wife "Lazzaro Felice", Alice Rohrwacher, was, however, the dominant film of the evening. The filmmaker, who received the script award in Cannes, also paid tribute to the long-time deceased leader: "I want to embrace Hans Hurch's spirit."

The end of the debut was then the traditional reception of the mayor at the city hall on the program – also a first for Michael Ludwig (SPÖ), who was also relatively modest. Many roles are making their debut for this year's festival. The best condition for a cool breeze at the 2018 Viennale.

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