Entertainment
Documentary on Fernanda Wittgens premieres at Venice Days
Francesco Clerici and Mattia Colombo’s "Anatomy of a Portrait" explores the life of Italy's first female museum director.
The short version
- Directors Francesco Clerici and Mattia Colombo are premiering their documentary "Anatomy of a Portrait" at the Venice Days program.
- The film focuses on Fernanda Wittgens, Italy's first female museum director and an anti-fascist activist who directed Milan's Pinacoteca di Brera during and after World War II.
- Due to scarce archival records, the filmmakers used a collaborative recording session between an art historian and an actress to explore Wittgens's legacy through her surviving letters.
Key facts
- The Italian-Swiss documentary "Anatomy of a Portrait" ("Anatomia di un Ritratto") is set to have its world premiere in the Venetian Nights section of Venice Days on Sept. 4.[Variety]
- The film profiles Fernanda Wittgens, the first woman to lead a museum in Italy, who managed Milan's Pinacoteca di Brera through World War II and its postwar reconstruction.[Variety]
- Wittgens was sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Fascist Special Tribunal for her anti-fascist activities, including aiding persecuted individuals, and was freed following the war's conclusion.[Variety]
- Because surviving visual records of Wittgens are sparse—limited to a few photos, a brief video clip, and her written letters—the filmmakers framed the documentary around actress Sara Drago and art historian Giovanna Ginex.[Variety]
- The film is produced by Rossofilm alongside Luce Cinecittà and Lab 80 Film, co-produced with Rough Cat and RSI – Radiotelevisione Svizzera.[Variety]