Anatomia di un ritratto
by Francesco Clerici, Mattia Colombo
Italy, Switzerland, 2026, 93’, color
Screenplay: Francesco Clerici, Mattia Colombo, Giulia Cosentino, Eleonora Mazzoni, Laura Sudiro
Fernanda Wittgens joined the Brera Museum in 1928, and after a few years she was its director. Courageous and visionary, during the war she saved artworks from the bombings, aided political opponents of Fascism and Jewish families in fleeing the regime, and was imprisoned for her actions. After Italy’s liberation, she rebuilt the Brera and championed its being open and accessible to one and all. Yet despite her groundbreaking policies, she was forgotten after her death. This film seizes on that absence. Calling on the actress Sara Drago, who lends her face and voice to Wittgens in her letters, and the art historian Giovanna Ginex, the filmmakers create a collaborative space in which the past, the present, and their interpretations are intertwined. Fernanda, albeit invisible, is a living presence.
Projections
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04 September alle 21:00 — Sala Laguna
V.O. sub EN
Followed by Q&A
Reservation required on giornatedegliautori.com
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05 September alle 13:00 — Sala Laguna
V.O. sub EN
Free entry, subject to availability
Director
Francesco Clerici directed his first documentary, Il gesto delle manii, in 2015. Screened at the Berlinale (Forum), the film won the FIPRESCI Prize. Clerici’s work, which includes augmented reality, experiment films and documentaries, has been selected for festivals such as London, Busan, Jihlava, Sarajevo, the Viennale, and Dok.fest. His films have also been screened at institutions like the National Gallery in Washington, BFI in London, and Palazzo Reale in Milan. The Cinémathèque in Grenoble dedicated a retrospective to Clerici’s career in 2018.
Mattia Colombo directed Alberi che camminano, co-written with Erri De Luca and screened in competition at Sundance. His Voglio dormire con teearned him the Corso Salani Award. His film Il passo competed at Visions du Réel, which welcomed Colombo back in 2022, with Il posto, co-directed with Gianluca Matarrese and selected for Hot Docs as well. The following year, Colombo directed Sconosciuti puri (MFN Prize, Solinas Award), which was screened at Hot Docs and Karlovy Vary.
