Experimental Center of Cinematography, even the directors against the government reform

To the protest of the students of the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia - historic place of professional training for actors and cinema technicians founded in 1935 with headquarters in Rome - some great names of Italian and international cinema offer their contribution and solidarity. Among the many directors Paolo Sorrentino, Marco Bellocchio and Luca Guadagnino also take sides against the Northern League amendment present in the Pa2 law decree - also known as the Jubilee decree - which specifically would interrupt the renewal process started by the current general manager Marta Donzelli and assign a scientific committee made up of six new exponents from some specific Ministries has the task of defining teaching and selecting teachers.

The amendment would thus lead to the removal of Donzelli and her staff two years in advance of the end of the mandate, and would assign the ministers the burden of selecting the members of the final board, effectively determining a limit that the school never has known because it has always been used to organizing itself in total autonomy.

Completely unfriendly to the idea of passively welcoming such changes at the top, the students proceeded with an open letter to collect the signatures of many exponents of the sector, including Matteo Garrone, Mario Martone, Roberto Andò, Gianni Amelio, Wim Wenders, Gabriele Salvatores, Elio Germano, Daniele Vicari, Edoardo De Angelis, Saverio Costanzo, Paolo Virzì, Paolo Genovese, Fabrizio Gifuni, Francesca Archibugi and Walter Veltroni.

Alarmed by the situation, the director of the Venice Film Festival Alberto Barbera wanted to declare the following: «I am concerned that the process to renew the mandate of Marta Donzelli, which had already begun, will be interrupted. The school needed to be renovated by removing bureaucratic obstacles. And Donzelli was doing it, it's really a shame to deprive her of the possibility of completing this process. It doesn't feel right."

On the contrary, the deputy of the Lega Igor Iezzi - interviewed by Agenzia Italia - would consider the measure a necessary step to adapt the Foundation of the Center to a necessary modernity: «The cinematographic and audiovisual sector is experiencing a profound transformation at the production, creative and in usage practices. Experiences with virtual reality viewers, collaboration with the universe of video games and the intersection with artificial intelligence - but not only - are widening the traditional range of action of cinematographic and audiovisual productions towards new fields of experimentation. Recognizing the value of this transformation paves the way for the integration of the cinematographic tradition with the new methods of narration».

We therefore remain awaiting further developments, which following the most recent debates will allow us to understand whether or not the disputes have breached the legislative premises desired by the Government.

John Scanu