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Film Festival
of Villa Medici 2023
13.09 - 17.09.2023
The Villa Medici Film Festival took place from September 13 to 17, 2023, for its third edition!
Since its creation in 2021, the Villa Médicis Film Festival has explored the links between cinema and contemporary art. Artists’ films, essays, fiction, documentaries, shorts, medium-length and feature-length films: the festival welcomes a diversity of narratives that question our relationship with images.
The Festival is divided into three sections: International Competition, Focus and Piazzale Evenings.
The International Competition
The International Competition presents twelve recent films of all genres and lengths. At the end of the festival week, two prizes are awarded by the jury at a ceremony attended by the public and artists: the Prix Villa Médicis for Best Film and the Prix du Jury.
Focus
Focus sessions feature screenings of out-of-competition films, as well as encounters. Proposed by the members of the jury, the Cartes blanches are an opportunity to share special moments around films linked to their activities as artists, filmmakers, authors or curators.
The Contrechamp sessions offer a dialogue between films, documentary or fictional, historical or contemporary, notably by Villa Medici artist-filmmakers.
Piazzale Evenings
Alongside the daytime screenings, festival-goers gather every evening on the Piazzale, in front of the historic façade of the Villa Medici, for exceptional open-air screenings of recent films, including previews and restored classics.
The program
18 000 WORLDS, Saodat Ismailova
2023, Uzbekistan, Netherlands, 25'
World premiere
According to the 12th-century mystic Shihab al-Din Yahya al-Suhrawardi, the world we live in is just one of the 18,000 worlds that make up the universe. The film 18,000 Worlds is designed as a video tale that draws attention to a world that is losing contact with its ancestors, and where the danger of losing forms of knowledge is real.
ABATTOIR U.S.A.!, Aria Dean
2023, United States, 11'
World premiere
Abattoir, U.S.A.! examines the inside of an empty slaughterhouse designed using a 3D video game technology engine (Unreal engine), presenting it as a site where the boundary between man, animal and machine is produced and where the intimacy of modernism with death is laid bare.
BANEL & ADAMA, Ramata-Toulaye Sy
2023, France, Senegal, Mali, 87'
Italian premiere
Banel and Adama are madly in love. This young married couple lives in a remote village in Senegal. Yet their perfect love clashes with the customs of their community. Because in this world, there is no place for passion, let alone chaos.
CAPITAL, Basma al-Sharif
2023, Egypt, Italy, Germany, 17'
Italian premiere
A ventriloquist, songs and commercials depict an apparently bygone fascist period.
EL AUGE DEL HUMANO 3 (THE HUMAN SURGE 3), Eduardo Williams
2023, Argentina, Portugal, Brazil, Netherlands, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Peru, 121'
Italian premiere
Several groups of friends wander in a dark, rainy and windy universe. They spend time together, trying to escape their depressing jobs and make their way to new horizons.
HOW I BECAME A COMMUNIST, Declan Clarke
2023, Ireland, 55'
Italian premiere
Through a European folk tale, the film evokes the disappearance of the political movement of the unified left. It also depicts the daily life of an elderly woman who holds a farm on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
LA IMATGE PERMANENT (THE PERMANENT PICTURE), Laura Ferrés
2023, Spain, France, 94'
Italian premiere
Antonia, a teenage mother, disappears in the middle of the night, leaving her baby behind. Fifty years later, Carmen, an introverted casting director, is looking for people to share their experiences. In her quest, Carmen will meet Antonia.
MAST-DEL, Maryam Tafakory
2023, Iran, United Kingdom, 17'
Italian premiere
A love song that would never pass through the censors, Mast-del is about forbidden bodies and desires, both inside and outside post-revolution Iranian cinema.
MON PIRE ENNEMI, Mehran Tamadon
2023, France, 81’
Italian premiere
Mojtaba, Hamzeh, Zar and others have undergone ideological interrogations in Iran, at different periods of their lives. Mehran Tamadon, the director, asks them to question him, as an agent of the Islamic Republic could do.
NAFURA, Paul Heintz
2023, France, 27’
Italian premiere
A road movie that takes place on a winter evening somewhere on the Arabian Peninsula. Three friends, to overcome their boredom, embark on a verbal joust that leads to a reflection on power and prohibitions.
PACIFIC CLUB, Valentin Noujaïm
2022, France, 16’
Italian premiere
In 1979, the Pacific Club opened in the basement of La Défense in Paris, becoming the first nightclub to welcome Arabs from the suburbs. Azedine, who was 18 at the time, tells us the forgotten history of this club.
REVOLUTION DER AUGEN (REVOLUTION OF THE EYES), Friederike Pezold (Pezoldo)
2022, Austria, 75'
Italian premiere
Too many images, too fast, too strong, which scatter our gaze, torpedo perception and inflame the brain. Revolution of the Eyes prescribes "LOOK-PAUSES" to counter the "overdose of shitty digital images": concentration of the gaze by means of images reduced to the essential, images celebrated for their style and their duration.
Carte blanche to Alice Diop
Based on a proposal by Alice Diop, the Cinémathèque idéale des banlieues du monde examines representations of the suburbs in order to broaden national narratives and help write other histories of cinema. From Maurice Pialat's L'Amour existe to Fatima Kaci's La Voix des autres and Alice Diop's Vers la tendresse, the exploration of the suburbs is becoming increasingly personal, probing the links between the intimate and the political.
Carte blanche to Cyprien Gaillard
Cyprien Gaillard depicts the disorder, ruin, demolition and decay of the world. His films bear witness to the contradictions of our modernity, between close relationships in Cities of Gold and Mirrors and the entropic cycle of water, stones and waste in Ocean II Ocean. His work is linked to Jean-Daniel Pollet's L'Ordre, which gives voice to a character who is staggeringly opposed and angry at the established order.
Carte blanche to Chiara Parisi
With her selection, between
cinema, dance and contemporary art,
Chiara Parisi invites us to reflect on the identity and integration of minorities in Western societies. S/T/R/A/T/E/S by Bintou Dembélé, All-in by Mohamed Bourouissa and Sue by Elisabetta Larosa constitute together a manifesto for emancipation and human dignity.
Contrechamp of Ismaïl Bahri
The artist Ismaïl Bahri, a 2023-2024 fellow of the Villa Medici, offers a reflection on the appearance of the image as well as a tentative crossing of Tunis, Apparition (2020) and Orientations (2010) with regard to the films Les Mains négatives (1979) by Marguerite Duras and Reel-Unreel by Francis Alÿs (2011), both of which attempt a crossing of the city, Paris at dawn and Kabul.
Contrechamp of Madison Bycroft
The artist Madison Bycroft, a 2023-2024 fellow of Villa Medici, performs in her film Charlotte (2023) the confusion of genders and species, in a re-visitation of an 18th century character, the Chevalier d'Éon, a diplomat keen on botany, but also a historical enigma. The film dialogues with Asparagus (1979), a surprising animation by the American Suzan Pitt.
Contrechamp of Mali Arun
La Maison (2019), is a documentary film by the filmmaker Mali Arun, a 2023-2024 fellow of the Villa Medici, who put his camera in a singular house. This house welcomes the living, the wise and the foolish. It welcomes rain and wind. Without judging, without pigeonholing. It lets weeds grow and walls crumble.
Meeting
The meeting with the director Leos Carax, in dialogue with Lili Hinstin (member of the organisation committee), is an opportunity to explore the uniqueness of his cinematic approach and to look back over his career. At the age of 25, Leos Carax directed his first feature film, Boys Meets Girl (1984), which was presented at the Cannes Film Festival, and two years later he made Mauvais Sang (1986). These two productions revealed the talents of actors Juliette Binoche and Denis Lavant and propelled Leos Carax to the top of his art. His work, representative of cinematic modernity, stands out for the singularity and audacity of its form.
STRANGE WAY OF LIFE, Pedro Almodóvar
2023, Spain, 31'
Rancher Silva crosses the desert to visit his old friend Jake, the sheriff of Bitter Creek, whom he has not seen for 25 years. But their meeting will prove to be more that just a trip down memory lane.
AYEH HAYE ZAMINI (TERRESTRIAL VERSES), Ali Asgari & Alireza Khatami
2023, Iran, 77'
A man registrers the birth of his son. A mother dresses her daughter for the new school year. A pupil is summoned by the headmistress. A young woman is contesting a parking ticket. A young woman goes for a job interview. A young man comes to collect his driving licence. An unemployed man answers an advert. A film-maker asks for permission to film. A woman tries to find her dog.
Nine faces of everyday life in Tehran.
MAUVAIS SANG, Leos Carax
1986, France, 125' - Restored version
The population of Paris is struck by a virus that kills those who make love without loving each other. Young Alex joins a gang of gangsters trying to steal a powerful antidote, but falls in love with Anna, the lover of his criminal partner.
KUOLLEET LEHDET (FALLEN LEAVES), Aki Kaurismäki
2023, Finland, Germany, 81'
Two lonely people meet by chance one night in Helsinki. Each is trying to find in the other their first, only and last love. But life tends to put obstacles in the path of those seeking happiness.
REALITY, Tina Satter
2023, United States, 82'
In 3 June 2017, twenty-five-year old Reality Winner is interrogated by two FBI agents at her home. This seemingly banal, sometimes surreal conversation, each line of which is taken from the authentic transcript of the interrogation, paints a complex portrait of an American millennial, US Air Force veteran, yoga teacher, who loves animals, travelling and sharing photos on social networks. Why is the FBI interested in her? Who is really Reality?
L'ÉTÉ DERNIER, Catherine Breillat
2023, France, 104'
Anne, a well-known lawyer, lives in harmony with her husband Pierre and their daughters. One day, 17-yearold Théo, Pierre's son from a previous marriage, moves in with them. Shortly afterwards, he tells his father that he is having a relationship with Anne. She denies it.
Prize list
The jury awarded two prizes: the Prix Villa Médicis for Best Film and the Prix du Jury for a singular film that caught the jurors’ attention. These prizes, worth 5,000 euros and 3,000 euros respectively, also offer filmmakers the opportunity of a residency at the Villa Médicis. The jury also awarded two special mentions.
BEST FILM AWARD "Mon pire ennemi" (2023) de Mehran Tamadon
"For the invention of a cinematographic device that allows us to confront the violence of a regime that avoids images, for the risk-taking and courage of its heroine, but also of a filmmaker who commits himself body and soul, we award the Villa Medici Prize for Best Film to Mon Pire Ennemi by Mehran Tamadon."
The 2023 jury
JURY PRIZE "El auge del humano 3" (2023) d'Eduardo Williams
"For its spectral and shamanic vision of the world, for its ability to express vulnerability, for the interconnectedness of a fragmented collective existence, we award the Special Jury Prize to The Human Surge 3 directed by Eduardo Williams."
The 2023 jury
SPECIAL MENTION "Banel & Adama" (2023) de Ramata-Toulaye Sy
"For the lyricism of its cinematographic writing, For the modernity of the portrait of its heroine, we have decided to award the Jury's Special Mention to Banel & Adama, directed by Ramata-Toulaye Sy."
The 2023 jury
Alice Diop
Alice Diop is a filmmaker born in 1979 in Aulnay-sous-Bois. She made her first short films in the early 2000s, in which she filmed the neighbourhood where she grew up and the Parisian suburbs. In 2022, she directed her first feature film with Saint Omer, which won the Silver Lion for the Grand Jury Prize and the First Film Prize at the Venice Film Festival, as well as the 2023 César for best first film. The film was also selected to represent France at the 2023 Oscars and was screened at the Villa Medici Film Festival in 2022.
Cyprien Gaillard
Cyprien Gaillard is an artist, born in 1980 in Paris. He lives and works in Berlin. He has received numerous awards such as the Best Experimental Short Film Award of the Melbourne International Film Festival (2016) and the Marcel Duchamp Prize (2010). His work, taking the form of sculptures, videos, prints, photographs and interventions in public spaces, has been exhibited in numerous venues including: Palais de Tokyo et Lafayette Anticipations, Paris (2022), Mori Art Museum, Tokyo (2021), MoMA PS1, New York (2013).
Chiara Parisi
Chiara Parisi is an Italian art historian, born in Rome. She has been director of the Centre Pompidou-Metz since December 2019. From 2004 to 2011, she was director of the Centre international d'art et du paysage de l'île de Vassivière, then for five years director of the Monnaie de Paris.
The team
The selection committee
Each year, a selection committee is appointed to select the films for the competition.
Leonardo Bigazzi has been curator of the Festival Lo Schermo dell’Arte since 2008 and of VISIO – European Programme on Artists’ Moving Images since 2012. Since 2020 he has also been working as a curator at the Fondazione In Between Art Film, where he is responsible for commissioning and producing artists’ films.
Mathilde Henrot is a producer of art films (namely of the art films of artist Camille Henrot) and a curator, namely of the Locarno and Sarajevo film festivals. She is also the founder of the websites Festival Scope and Festival Scope Pro, along with Alessandro Raja.
Lili Hinstin is a programmer and artistic festival director. In charge of cinema at Villa Medici between 2005 and 2009, she became a programmer for the Cinéma du Réel festival from 2010 to 2013. Lili Hinstin then became artistic director of the Belfort Film Festival (2013-2018), then of the Locarno International Film Festival (2018-2020). She is the director of programming for the Biarritz International Festival – Nouvelles Vagues.
Valentine Umansky has worked for various visual arts institutions and is currently curator at the Tate Modern in London. Between 2015 and 2020, she held positions in the United States at the International Center of Photography, the Museum of Modern Art and the Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati. She is also a curator and author.
The organizing committee
The organisational committee for the Villa Medici Film Festival is made up of Alizée Alexandre (in charge of cultural programming at the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici)), Lili Hinstin (programmer and artistic director of festivals), Laurent Perreau (author and director), Sam Stourdzé (director of the French Academy in Rome – Villa Medici) and Véronique Terrier Hermann (art historian and programmer).
The NABA volunteers
The Academy of France in Rome – Villa Medici would like to especially thank the students of NABA, Nuova Accademia di Belle Arti, who contribute to the third edition of the Villa Medici Film Festival.
The partners
principal partner
partners
media partners
with the support of
Photo credits
Image 18.000 WORLDS : © Saodat Ismailova
Image Abattoir U.S.A.! : © Aria Dean
Image Banel & Adama : © La Chauve Souris
Image Capital : © Imane Farès Galerie
Image El auge del humano 3 : © Un Puma
Image How I Became a Communist : © Declan Clarke
Image La imatge permanent : © Be For Films
Image Mast-Del : © Maryam Tafakory
Image Mon pire ennemi : © L’Atelier Documentaire Box Productions
Image Nafura : © Paul Heintz
Image Pacific Club : © Valentin Noujaïm
Image Revolution der Augen : © Friederike Pezold (Pezoldo)
Image L’amour existe : © Les films de la Pléiade
Image Vers la tendresse : © Les films du Worso
Image La voix des autres : © La Fémis
Image Cities of gold and mirrors : © Cyprien Gaillard
Image L’ordre : © POM Films
Image Ocean II Ocean : © Cyprien Gaillard
Image All-In : © Mohamed Bourouissa, ADAGP, courtesy de l’artiste et de Mennour
Image s/t/r/a/t/e/s : © Christophe Raynaud de Lage
Image Sue : © Movie Factory srl
Image Apparition : © Ismaïl Bahri
Image Orientations : © Ismaïl Bahri
Image Les mains négatives : © CJC
Image Reel/Unreel : © Ajmal Maiwandi and Francis Alÿs
Image Charlotte : © Madison Bycroft
Image Asparagus : © Estate of Suzan Pitt
Image La Maison : © Mali Arun
Portrait Leos Carrax : © David Bachar Tel-Aviv 2014
Image Strange Way of Life : © El Deseo ou © El Deseo. Iglesias Más
Image Terrestrial Verses : © Taat Films, Seven Springs Pictures, Cynefilms
Image Mauvais Sang : © Leos Carax
Image Fallen Leaves : © Sputnik
Image Reality : © Mickey Mina LLC
Image L’été dernier : © Pyramide Films
Portrait Alice Diop : © Élodie Lamachere
Portrait Cyprien Gaillard : © Albrecht Fuchs
Portrait Chiara Parisi : © Philippe Levy
Portrait Mehran Tamadon: © Margherita Nuti & Claudia Gori
Portrait Eduardo Williams: © Margherita Nuti & Claudia Gori
Portrait Ramata-Toulaye Sy: © Margherita Nuti & Claudia Gori