Cinematic Gaze

 

Cinematic View: A Glance into Film History

“Cinematic View” is a special section of the festival dedicated to young audiences, aiming to introduce the great masters of the seventh art in a contemporary way and to explore the boundaries of cinematic language. Each film block is accompanied by an extensive lecture on cinematic language, historical context, and other fascinating topics. The program of short films and lectures brings together works from two iconic filmmakers, unconventional artists, and independent creators who established a new cinematic language and left a lasting cinematic legacy that we will continue to revisit. With their works, they were ahead of their time, addressing themes that remain relevant today, while never neglecting the beauty of the images.

First Edition: A Tribute to Mak Sajko and Vittorio De Seta

In its first edition, the “Cinematic Retrospective” section was dedicated to Mako Sajko and Vittorio De Seta, two remarkable creators who, with their innovative approach to documentary film and bold use of cinematic language, left an indelible mark on the history of cinema.

 

Tribute to Jože Pogačnik

10. 10. 2024, Hiša filma - Palazzo del Cinema (Gorica / Gorizia) at 15:00

In 2024, under the guidance of Žiga Brdnik, the section will honor Jože Pogačnik, an engaged and poetic Slovenian filmmaker who inspired generations of young filmmakers. Pogačnik, who directed nearly a hundred documentary and television films, will be presented at the festival with four short films, introduced by a lecture from the curator.

Biography

Slovenian filmmaker Jože Pogačnik (1932, Maribor – 2016, Ljubljana) was a tireless chronicler of Slovenian society during the socialist era of Yugoslavia, from the late 1950s until the 1990s. He directed numerous short films and a few feature films that documented and commented on the social and economic conditions of the country, while also covering sports, political, and cultural events. Additionally, he portrayed some of the key figures in the societal landscape. His rich cinematic language ranged from journalistic, reportage-style approaches to highly artistic and expressive forms. For his work, he received numerous domestic and international film awards, including the Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival for Three Etudes for Cathy and Miloš (1971), the Metod Badjura award for directing Sarabande for the 17th Regiment (1976) at the Week of Slovenian Film, the Golden Arena at the Pula Film Festival for directing Astoria Café (1989), and both the Badjura and Štiglic Lifetime Achievement Awards. In 2012, for his special contributions to documentary filmmaking, he received the Documentary Name Plaque at the Slovenian Documentary Film Festival as part of the European Capital of Culture, Maribor, in 2012.

The screening is also supported by the Slovenian Film Archive at the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia, which preserves and has digitized the films.  

 

Films

 

Tribute to Cecilia Mangini

10. 10. 2024, Hiša filma - Palazzo del Cinema (Gorica / Gorizia) at 15:00

17. 10. 2024, Slovenska Kinoteka (Ljubljana) at 19:00

Milena Lazić, as curator, will honor Cecilia Mangini, the first Italian female documentary filmmaker, who was also a respected screenwriter and photographer. Four of her short films will be screened at the festival, followed by a lecture by the curator.

Biography

Cecilia Mangini, the first Italian female documentary filmmaker, believed deeply in the documentary film as the freest form of cinema, one that is permeable to the surprises of reality in a way that fiction cannot capture. The documentary allows us to reflect on our present, connect it to the past, and project it into the future. 

She stated, "The documentary is what ensures the survival of cinema; it is the lung of cinema. It is its placenta, its umbilical cord. When cinema is in decline, it can save itself if it has the strength to return to documentary film."

Cecilia Mangini's cinema (1927-2021) traverses a complex period in Italian history and culture, from the immediate post-war era to the 1970s. Her cinema, inspired by the real lives of ordinary people, marks the various stages of the country's development after fascism, traumatized by war, and already moving towards industrialization and modernity.

 

Films on the programme in Gorizia

 

Films on the programme in Ljubljana

Autumn Film School