47th Edition of the Italian Film of Villerupt: an exceptional duration of 18 days

* + 70 Films on the Show – 6 theaters (France and Luxembourg)
300 screenings;
* THE THEME « WORKERS, WORKERS and ALGORITHMS »;
* 100 passionate volunteers Special tribute to Marcello MASTROIANNI.

100 passionate volunteers Special tribute to Marcello MASTROIANNI on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of his birth, through the screening of several masterpieces of Italian Cinema, in restored version, such as DOLCE VITA with its best performances, as well as a photo exhibition.

The 47th edition of the Villerupt Italian Film Festival was officially launched on October 25th at the end of an opening night held at the Arche, the new Cultural Center of the City of Villerupt during which we were able to listen, in order of appearance on the stage, to the interventions of Marie Louise Antenucci, historian and French teacher, President of the Pôle de l’image in duet with Sandrine Garcia, general delegate of the Festival.

Sandrine Garcia emphasized the work behind the scenes « and the crazy energy spent during a year of preparation by the enthusiasts and volunteers who, without them and their action, the Festival could not exist and would collapse like a house of cards ».

Marie Louise Antenucci recalled the role of the various stakeholders, financiers and contributors (Region, Intercommunalities, City of Villerupt and departments of Moselle and Meurthe et Moselle) in the success of this cultural event which this year will exceptionally extend over nearly 18 days of programming until Monday, November 11 inclusive.

Pierrick Spizak, Mayor of Villerupt, accompanied this year by Mayssa HAMCHAOUI, CE2 student at the Jules FERRY school, chief magistrate and president of the new Municipal Children’s Council.

Denied wanting to take advantage of this moment of celebration and especially the theme devoted to this 47th Festival « Workers, Workers and Algorithms » to make it a « political platform » by agreeing and nevertheless expressing doubts on the meaning and the employability of the term « politics », tarnishing in passing the often deplorable image sent by our national representatives through their interventions on the media scene … and arguing that in all areas « everything is « political » Pierrick Spizak forced himself to demonstrate, through many societal examples during his intervention, even citing ideally in the circumstance the « Italian divorce », a film from the 60s with Marcello Mastroianni broadcast on the opening night of the Festival, perfectly illustrating always according to the free appreciation of the Mayor of Villerupt the definition of politics, since indeed this film was without a doubt in Italy at the origin of a reflection leading to the legalization of divorce in Italy in 1970.

This was followed by the intervention of Stéphane Brusco, representative of the President of the Community of Communes of the Pays Haut Val d’Alzette, saluting the excellence of the 2024 program, with a particular focus on « women at work » and inviting the audience to honor it.

Chaynesse Khirouni, President of the Departmental Council of Meurthe Et Moselle, once again praised the ambitious programming and the theme « Workers, Women Workers and Algorithms » which is very meaningful in this cross-border region, by inviting and highlighting the rebroadcast of the restored version of the film « Des Quetsches pour l’hiver » directed by Jean Paul Menichetti in 1973, a beautiful testimony of working-class Lorraine retracing the struggle of steelworkers, from Italian immigration, faced with the closure of local factories at the time.

Mrs. Khirouni recalled the evolution and changes in work linked to post-industrialization, citing the example of platform employees who, despite their precariousness, nevertheless manage to find their place in our society.

"Work wears out those who have none ... and seeking one becomes a titanic undertaking that undermines the body and the mind and 
the intelligence".

In addition to embodying a cultural gathering, the Festival pays tribute to all those who, through their hard work, their courage, their determination have contributed to forging a more promising future for their children and France itself. It is a living tribute to the collective memory woven between Italy and France symbolizing the mutual enrichment of two cultures.

Chaynesse Khirouni once again castigated the idea of ​​making immigrants who cross seas and borders the scapegoats for the ills of our society by banishing the horizon carried by many on the withdrawal into oneself and the closing of borders currently advocated in France, Italy and even in Europe. Chaynesse Khirouni expressed the wish that here in Meurthe et Moselle, those who came from elsewhere do not close their hearts, remembering that their luggage was filled with riches… By celebrating this heritage, the Festival encourages us to recognize the essential contribution of immigrants to the construction of today’s France, inviting us to consider History to better shape a future where everyone can contribute to the common good and flourish.

The President of the Departmental Council of Meurthe et Moselle concluded her speech by thanking the Festival organization for the tribute gift paid to Marcello Mastroianni, on the occasion of the centenary of his birth, with the retrospective and the screening on the big screen of masterpieces of Italian cinema through the most beautiful roles of the world-renowned actor, in particular La Dolce Vita by Federico Fellini with Anita Ekberg and Anouk Aimé.

Véronique Guillotin, Senator of Meurthe et Moselle, representing the President of the Grand Est Region, then recalled the exceptional longevity of this Festival which has attracted many festival-goers (40,000) each year for 47 years in a friendly and warm atmosphere having established itself as a « cultural engine » and a vector of social cohesion and emotions, thanks to a rich and diversified program. Mrs. Guillotin took the opportunity to reveal the amount of the grant allocated by the Region, €94,000, to promote the dynamism of this cross-border event by recalling the role of the Grand Est region in the deployment of traveling cinemas during the Summer through the pact for rural areas voted in March 2024 …

Oreste Sacchelli, creator of the Festival and current artistic delegate, after greeting his Italian half, in the person of Federico Pedroni, second artistic delegate residing in Rome and working in « pair » with him, then called on the entire Youth Jury sponsored by the Grand Est Region and by the Departmental Directorate of Social Cohesion of Meurthe-et-Moselle to appear on stage, composed of high school students from classes with a cinema option: Inès Vital Lycée Alfred Mézières de Longwy, Elias Perrin Lycée Henry Poincaré de Nancy, Jasmyne Thiebault Lycée Clemenceau de Reims, Théo Masson Lycée Marc Bloch de Bischheim, Isodora Lucquet Lycée Gymnase Sturm de Strasbourg, Alicia Georges Lycée Victor Poncelet de Saint-Avold, Angelina Ribeiro Lycée Frédéric Kirschleger de Munster, Shana Huss Lycée de Garçons d’Esch-sur-Alzette, Corentin Magny Member of the Regional Youth Council of Grand-Est – Charleville-Mézières, Julien Duclos volunteer in civic service Cinema – Metz, who will distinguish a film from a selection of first or second films.

The jury, composed this year of Madame Serena Giuliano, Serge Blomberg and Astrid Roos, came on stage to close this opening ceremony before the President Yanni Thilges, partner and CEO of Samsa Film in Luxembourg, officially declared the 47th Edition of the Italian Film of Villerupt open.

Let us recall that this 47th Edition will take place
exceptionally for 18 days until Monday, November 11. 70 Films are on the bill on six sites: Villerupt Town Hall, L’Arche through a large room with nearly 600 seats and a second with 400 seats, the MJC of Audun le Tiche, and in Luxembourg the KULTURFABRIK of ESCH SUR ALZETTE and the Starlight Cinema in Dudelange, not to mention the traveling Cinémobile present in the local towns nearby.

General information:
https://festival-villerupt.com/

Program:
https://festival-villerupt.com/programmation/

FILMS:
https://festival-villerupt.com/films/

© IMPACT EUROPEAN

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