Venice Film Festival 2004 Wraps Up
by Andre Soares
The Venice Film Festival came to a close on September 11, after nearly two weeks of glitz, glamour, and glitches. Besides loads of Hollywood stars and a number of well-received and/or controversial films, the festival also offered frequent overbooking and long delays at the screenings.
The culprit, according to festival officials, was an uncooperative computer system. As a result of the electronic snafu, Al Pacino couldn’t find a seat for himself at the screening of The Merchant of Venice, while the crown prince of Malaysia and his entourage arrived at the long-delayed screening of the most expensive Malaysian film ever, Puteri Gunung Ledang / Princess of Mount Ledang), to find almost every seat available.
Perhaps echoing a sentiment felt throughout the festival, from shining stars to obscure audience members, Miramax chief Harvey Weinstein remarked (supposedly in jest), "I’ll drown [Festival director Marco Muller] in the lagoon, with his feet encased in cement."
In addition to the pesky computer malfunction, other Acts of God blamed by festival officials for the overall mess were, in no particular order of importance: bigger than expected crowds, outdated infrastructure, demands by Hollywood studios that their films be shown during the first five days of the festival, and overlong autograph sessions on the red carpet.
Publicity-seeking Marco Muller, who at first had Hollywood stars in his eyes, underwent a major about-face sometime in the last few days. Muller now says that "My main problem is the American films," and claims that he may eliminate the out-of-competition slots that have served as an European entryway for Hollywood blockbusters. Recovering Hollywood-addict Muller adds that "The problem is that those who are suffering the gridlock the most are the small and fragile films that we are supposed to highlight."
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