Venice in the crafts of the past, the present and the future

The archive of the “Francesco Pasinetti” video contest can count on a rich collection of records telling about the ancient and recent history of Venice. This festival, now at its 11th edition, has always shown a sincere consideration for the city, to the point of establishing a specific section “Venice, a city”, in collaboration with the Parco della Laguna Institute, and of suggesting the setting up of specific sections to receive the shorts inspired to the Venezia-Mestre reality, such as “The young narrate the old” and “Employment: the past and the present”.

These records not only provide us with a clear picture of the kind of jobs of the past, but they also allow us to get a clear idea of the present working condition and to realize the perspectives for the future. Besides the particular attention paid to the great enterprises of the 19th and 20th century, such as the Cotonificio Veneziano (Venetian cotton mill) and the Manifattura Tabacchi (Tobacco Manufacturing Company), several filmed materials have collected records of crafts which find their roots in the past, but are still practiced nowadays.

The short entitled Velvet Factory presents the manufacturing of one of the most well-known Venetian realities, not only in terms of artistic ability but also of traditional production methods. We are talking about the Bevilacqua manufacture, which produces very refined fabrics and velvets and has managed to keep its production site in Venice, despite the current difficulties and struggles.

In I don’t hate Mondays we are presented with the most traditional of all Venetian crafts, ancient but at the same time acting as an example for the young generations. We are clearly talking about the squero (small boatyard), with its traditional art of making boats and gondolas. The art of the “maestro d’ascia” (carpenter) and of his assistants will undoubtedly be a craft that Venice will keep alive, and hopefully develop more rationally and diffusely. The third video presents a series of jobs from the past, but also offers a view on the future. In Nascostamente – Secretly there is the blacksmith, the mask maker, but also other businesses belonging to the Venetian tradition are described, which indeed may please the local and the tourist: the restaurant, the bacaro (a small, dimly lit tavern, which also serves little snacks called cicchetti) and –last but not leastthe intriguing and young theater performances.

This is all to show that indeed the city can offer job opportunities meet the requests of the young, who neither lack will nor creativity. The state and the local administrations should offer some benefits and provide some funding to allow the new generation to strengthen and develop the traditional activities.

The utmost challenge the city has to face is to be able to offer a future, a job, to prevent the young from leaving. Venice is bound to disappear if this happens.

Giovanni Andrea Martini

Io non odio i lunedì…parola di squerarolo – I don’t hate Mondays….take the squerarolo’s word for it
regia di/directors: Samantha Pavoni, Matteo Corbetta
montaggio/editing: Samantha Pavoni
interprete/cast: Roberto Tramontin
durata/length: 12’
Interview/documentary in which the owner of a historic squero describes the building techniques of a gondola while providing interesting historical contexts. Pasinetti Festival Selection, 7th edition

La casa dei velluti: la Manifattura Bevilacqua – House of Velvets: Bevilacqua Manufacture
regia di / directors Tatiana Furlan, Margherita Muffato
montaggio/ editing: T. Furlan, M. Muffato, Amanda Costantini Pin, B. Barzaghi
interpreti/ cast: Alessandro Corò, Anna Maria Zandali detta “Ninetta”, Ilaria Santoro, Gloria D’Este, Mariella Bearzi, Silvia Longo, Rodolfo Bevilacqua
durata/ length: 14’
The illustrious textile manufacture factory, whose looms are still operating in Venice, through an abundance of records and historical documents. Pasinetti Festival Selection, 7th edition.

Nascostamente – Underhandedly
regia di/dicretor Valentina Confuorto
musiche di/music Laura Pizzol
arrangiamento di Paolo Benvenuti
interpreti/cast: Roberto Comin, Giovanna Zanella, Carlo Setti, Primo Bollani, Paolo Brandolisio
A choral tableau of the hidden vitality of Venice. Winner of the section “Employment: the past and the present” of the Pasinetti Festival, 10th edition

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