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Locarno Film Festival, 72nd edition We warmly welcome you to the 72nd edition of the Locarno Film Festival and to be part of the magical atmosphere that takes over Locarno from the 7th to the 17th of August. Be our guest! Every summer Locarno becomes the home of world cinema, a place charged with affection, where thousands of film fans and industry professionals meet to share their thirst for new discoveries and their passion for the seventh art in all its diversity. During its long history, the stunning Piazza Grande has also been home for many prestigious personalities as Marlene Dietrich, Jean-Luc Godard, Quentin Tarantino, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Adrien Brody or Meg Ryan. This is what makes the Locarno Film Festival a unique space to rediscover the magic of cinema. But there is not only cinema here. We invite you to join us for the Locarno Experience. During the festival the city turns into a wonderful meeting point and thanks to its beautiful surroundings, Locarno offers various relaxing and breathtaking activities; visit www.ascona-locarno.com for further information. Food and entertainment is also something we take seriously; from the 31st of July to the 17th of August, visit laRotonda’s food district to taste multicultural dishes, browse merchandise stalls or listen to some good music. Or lay back in the freshly blossomed Locarno Garden La Mobiliare from the 6th to the 17th of August. We look forward to welcoming you in Locarno! For further information visit our website www.locarnofestival.ch. 1
Program 2019 - the sections Piazza grande The Piazza Grande is both the heart of the Festival and its showcase. With its giant screen, one of the biggest in Europe, endowed with truly exceptional projection quality, the Piazza Grande is one of the finest open-air venues in the world. An enormous space that can seat an audience of up to 8,000 makes every screening a unique event. The programming on the Piazza Grande offers prestigious screenings, most of them international or European premieres, introduced by the director and the cast. The Piazza Grande audience also serves as the biggest jury on the planet, voting for the renowned “Prix du Public UBS”. In addition, there is the Variety Piazza Grande Award and the Swatch First Feature Awards, chosen by a panel of film critics. Concorso internazionale This section aims to highlight and to present to the audience a stimulating panorama of contemporary auteur cinema. Out of the selected features, screened as international or world premieres, a jury of some of the major figures in the cinema industry is in charge of choosing which of the competing films – fiction or documentary – will win the prestigious Pardo d’oro. Concorso Cineasti del presente The Cineasti del presente competition is a fascinating field for discoveries, dedicated to first and second features from all over the world, aiming to highlight emerging international filmmakers and to give them the opportunity to present their talent to the cinema industry. The selected movies will be seen as premieres and will compete for the Pardo d’oro Cineasti del presente. Moving Ahead Moving Ahead aims to explore film’s frontier territories, engaging with new forms of narration and innovation in filmic language. Works by both emerging and acknowledged filmmakers will be presented as world or international premieres in evening programs at the Kursaal. 2
Program 2019 - the sections Pardi di domani A crucible of future talent, the Pardi di domani section screens short and medium- length films by young independent auteurs or film school students who have not yet tried their hand at feature films. The section has two separate competitions: one limited to recent Swiss productions, the other international, featuring films from all over the world. Fuori Concorso The Fuori concorso selection offers recent work – feature films and shorts, film essays, documentaries – by well-established filmmakers, out of competition, presented mostly as world or international premiere. Histoire(s) du cinema Histoire(s) du cinéma is the sidebar dedicated to the history of cinema. It offers works from filmmakers and artists to whom the Festival dedicates special tributes. This section also presents newly restored prints of rare and important works in lm history. Open Doors In collaboration with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) of the Swiss Foreign Ministry, Open Doors primarily aims at assisting directors and producers from countries in the South and the East, where independent filmmaking is vulnerable. From 2019 until 2021 Open Doors focuses its look onto a single region, in order to increase and further enhance opportunities for collaboration and exchange for local professionals. The initiative focuses on South East Asia and Mongolia. During 3 years, the project will cover the following countries: Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Myanmar, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines and Mongolia. The program’s current formula covers three dimensions, aimed to the public and the professionals attending Locarno Film Festival: the Open Doors Hub, Lab and Screenings. 3
Program 2019 - the sections Retrospettiva Over the years the Locarno retrospectives have delved into every corner of cinema history: from great career monographs (including Ozu, Guitry or Welles) to themed programs (such as Another History of Soviet Cinema 1926–1968, Titanus or the Cinema in the Young Federal Republic of Germany, in the years 1949 to 1963); from wide-ranging tributes to contemporary filmmakers of the caliber of Bellocchio, Kiarostami and Kaurismäki, to complete retrospective seasons of acknowledged great masters such as Lubitsch, Minnelli, Preminger and Cukor, Sam Peckinpah, Jacques Tourneur and Leo McCarey. The 2019 retrospective will be dedicated to Black cinema. Semaine de la critique Founded in 1990, the Semaine de la critique is an independent section within the Locarno Film Festival organized by the Swiss Association of Film Journalists. Every year the Semaine de la critique shows seven documentary feature films as world or international premieres. The section focuses on innovative films on the brink of the mainstream – both formally and content wise. The main goal is to bring together a wide range of different works, each with a unique vision. Panorama Suisse Panorama Suisse is an independent section within the Locarno Film Festival. The films are selected by a commission with representatives of the Solothurn Film Festival, SWISS FILMS and the Swiss Film Academy. This section presents 10 current Swiss films such as festival successes, audience favourites and films that have not yet been released in theatres. Film lovers from all over the world have the opportunity to discover current Swiss filmmaking in its own dedicated section at the Locarno Film Festival. 4
Piazza Grande screenings Film Selection 07.08 LETTRE À FREDDY BUACHE by Jean-Luc Godard – Switzerland – 1982 – 11’ 07.08 MAGARI by Ginevra Elkann – Italy/France – 2019 – 100’ 08.08 NEW ACID by Basim Magdy – France/Switzerland – 2019 – 14’ 08.08 LA FILLE AU BRACELET by Stéphane Demoustier – France/Belgium – 2019 – 95’ Premio Raimondo Rezzonico to Komplizen Film 09.08 7500 by Patrick Vollrath – Germany/Austria – 2019 – 92’ 09.08 GREENER GRASS by Jocelyn DeBoer and Dawn Luebbe – USA – 2019 – 95’ Crazy Midnight Leopard Club Award to Hilary Swank 10.08 ONCE UPON A TIME... IN HOLLYWOOD by Quentin Tarantino – USA – 2019 – 161’ 10.08 COFFY by Jack Hill – USA – 1973 – 90’ Crazy Midnight Vision Award Ticinomoda to Claire Atherton 11.08 NOTRE DAME by Valérie Donzelli – France/Belgium – 2019 – 88’ 5
Piazza Grande screenings Film Selection 11.08 DIE FRUCHTBAREN JAHRE SIND VORBEI by Natascha Beller – Switzerland – 2019 – 90’ Crazy Midnight 12.08 INSTINCT by Halina Reijn – Netherlands – 2019 – 98’ 12.08 SALINUI CHUEOK (Memories of Murder) by BONG Joon-ho – South Korea – 2003 – 132’ Crazy Midnight Excellence Award to SONG Kang-ho 13.08 CAMILLE by Boris Lojkine – France – 2019 – 92’ Open Doors Presentation 14.08 DAYS OF THE BAGNOLD SUMMER by Simon Bird – United Kingdom – 2019 – 86’ Premio Cinema Ticino to Fulvio Bernasconi 15.08 DIEGO MARADONA by Asif Kapadia – United Kingdom – 2019 – 130’ 15.08 THE NEST (IL NIDO) by Roberto De Feo – Italy – 2019 – 107’ Crazy Midnight Pardo alla carriera to Fredi M. Murer 16.08 ADORATION by Fabrice Du Welz – Belgium/France – 2019 – 98’ 6
Piazza Grande screenings Film Selection 16.08 CECIL B. DEMENTED by John Waters – USA/France – 2000 – 88’ Crazy Midnight Pardo d’onore Manor to John Waters 17.08 TABI NO OWARI SEKAI NO HAJIMARI (To the Ends of the Earth) by Kiyoshi Kurosawa – Japan/Uzbekistan/Qatar – 2019 – 120’ Awarding Ceremony Piazza Grande ©Locarno Film Festival
Concorso internazionale Film Selection A FEBRE by Maya Da-Rin Brazil/France/Germany – 2019 – 98’ with Regis Myrupu, Rosa Peixoto, Johnatan Sodré, Kaisaro Jussara Brito, Edmildo Vaz Pimentel, Anunciata Teles Soares, Lourinelson Wladimir Production: Tamanduá Vermelho, Enquadramento Produçoes Co-production: Komplizen Film, Still Moving World Premiere BERGMÁL (Echo) by Rúnar Rúnarsson Iceland/France/Switzerland – 2019 – 79’ Production: Nimbus Iceland, Pegasus Pictures Co-production: Nimbus Film, Halibut, Jour2Fête, Bord Cadre Films, Media Rental, MP Films World Sales: Jour2Fête World Premiere CAT IN THE WALL by Mina Mileva, Vesela Kazakova Bulgaria/United Kingdom/France – 2019 – 92’ with Irina Atanasova, Angel Genov, Orlin Asenov, Gilda Waugh, Chinwe A Nwokolo, Kadisha Gee Camara, Jon-Jo Inkpen Production: Activist 38 Co-production: Ici et Là Productions, Glasshead World Premiere DAS FREIWILLIGE JAHR by Ulrich Köhler, Henner Winckler Germany – 2019 – 86’ with Maj-Britt Klenke, Sebastian Rudolph, Thomas Schubert Production: Sutor Kolonko World Premiere 8
Concorso internazionale Film Selection DOUZE MILLE by Nadège Trebal France – 2019 – 111’ with Arieh Worthalter, Nadège Trebal, Liv Henneguier, Françoise Lebrun, Florence Thomassin Production: Mezzanine Films – Co-production: Maia Productions World Sales: Shellac World Premiere FI AL-THAWRA (During Revolution) by Maya Khoury Syria/Sweden – 2018 – 144’ Production: The Abounaddara Collective Co-production: Noncitizen Collective World Premiere, First Feature HIRUK-PIKUK SI AL-KISAH (The Science of Fictions) by Yosep Anggi Noen Indonesia/Malaysia/France – 2019 – 106’ with Gunawan Maryanto, Yudi Ahmad Tajudin, Ecky Lamoh, Alex Suhendra, Asmara Abigail, Marissa Anita, Lukman Sardi Production: Kawankawan Media, Angka Fortuna Sinema, Limaenam Films Co-production: andolfi, Astro Shaw, GoStudio, FOCUSED equipment World Sales: Rediance World Premiere HOGAR by Maura Delpero Italy/Argentina – 2019 – 91’ with Lidiya Liberman, Denise Carrizo, Agustina Malale, Isabella Cilia, Alan Rivas, Livia Fernán, Marta Lubos, Renata Palminiello Production: Campo Cine, dispàrte, Vivo film Co-production: Rai Cinema World Sales: Charades World Premiere 9
Concorso internazionale Film Selection LES ENFANTS D’ISADORA by Damien Manivel France/South Korea – 2019 – 84’ with Agathe Bonitzer, Manon Carpentier, Marika Rizzi, Elsa Wolliaston Production: MLD Films Co-production: Jeonju Film Festival World Sales: Shellac World Premiere LONGA NOITE by Eloy Enciso Spain – 2019 – 93’ with Misha Bies Golas, Nuria Lestegás, M. Pozas Vázquez, Verónica Quintela, Manuel Pumares, Suso Meilán, Celsa Araújo Production: Filmika Galaika World Premiere O FIM DO MUNDO by Basil Da Cunha Switzerland – 2019 – 107’ with Michael Spencer, Marco Joel Fernandes, Alexandre Da Costa Fonseca, Iara Cristina Cardoso, Luisa Martins Dos Santos Production: Thera Production Co-production: RTS Radio Télévision Suisse World Sales: Wide Swiss distributor: Sister Distribution World Premiere PA-GO (Height of the wave) by PARK Jung-bum South Korea – 2019 – 89’ with LEE Seung-yeon, LEE Yeon, CHOI Eun-seo, PARK Yeong-deok, SHIN Yeon-sik Production: Second Wind Film World Sales: M-Line Distribution International Premiere 10
Concorso internazionale Film Selection TECHNOBOSS by João Nicolau Portugal/France – 2019 – 110’ with Miguel Lobo Antunes, Luísa Cruz, Américo Silva, Sandra Faleiro, Tiago Garrinhas, Ana Tang, Jorge Andrade, Duarte Guimarães, Matias Neves, José Raposo, Mick Greer, Bruno Lourenço Production: O Som e a Fúria Co-production: Shellac Sud World Sales: The Match Factory World Premiere TERMINAL SUD by Rabah Ameur-Zaïmeche France – 2018 – 96’ with Ramzy Bédia, Amel Brahim-Djelloul, Slimane Dazi Production: Sarrazink Productions – Co-production: ARTE France World Premiere THE LAST BLACK MAN IN SAN FRANCISCO by Joe Talbot USA – 2019 – 121’ with Jimmie Fails, Jonathan Majors, Rob Morgan, Tichina Arnold, Danny Glover Production: A24 Films World Sales: A24 Films International Premiere, First Feature VITALINA VARELA by Pedro Costa Portugal – 2019 – 124’ with Vitalina Varela, Ventura, Manuel Tavares Almeida, Francisco Brito, Imídio Monteiro, Marina Alves Domingues Production: OPTEC Sociedade Óptica Técnica World Premiere 11
Concorso internazionale Film Selection YOKOGAO (A Girl Missing) by Koji Fukada Japan/France – 2019 – 111’ with Mariko Tsutsui, Mikako Ichikawa, Sosuke Ikematsu, Mitsuru Fukikoshi, Hisako Okata Production: Kadokawa Corporation, Tokyo Garage, Comme des Cinemas World Sales: mk2 Films International Premiere Piazza Grande ©Locarno Film Festival
The Locarno Film Festival a light on Black cinema Dedicated to Black film in all of its contours, this Retrospective showcases international Black cinemas of the 20th century, covering regions as diverse as Europe, North America, the Caribbean, South America and more. The Artistic Director has entrusted the new Retrospective to Greg de Cuir Jr, an accomplished expert on international Black cinema. We cannot speak of one single Africa, and likewise, we cannot speak of one Black cinema. Reality is more complex. The Locarno72 Retrospective intends to go beyond the concept of Black as identity or social issue to explore the imagery used by filmmakers who have tackled this question – historical and political – at different times and in different places. Structured as an eclectic survey focused primarily on the 20th century, the Black Light Retrospective will present cult directors; race movies of the 1920s and 1930s; pioneering masterpieces; iconic Blaxploitation films of the 1970s; and essential filmmakers engaged with the racial dynamics of their era. Lili Hinstin, Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival: “I am often asked the gender question in this remarkable period of #MeToo, but I am convinced that the fight against social domination must extend beyond the women’s struggle to include all people who do not match the norms of heterosexual white male supremacy. The relatively recent (18th century) concept of ‘race’ is part of that and pre- exists the birth and the history of cinema. How did artists debunk the Black question through films, in the course of the 20th century – that’s what the Locarno Film Festival wants to put under the spotlight and explore.” Curated by Greg de Cuir Jr, the Retrospective will be presented jointly with the Cinémathèque Suisse. Jackie Brown ©Park Circus:Miramax
Excellence SONG - Locarno72 Honors South Korean Star SONG Kang-ho SONG Kang-ho is an eclectic, versatile, graceful actor, who has been able to conquer South Korean cinema and then access the world of international stardom, and to whom the Locarno Film Festival is very pleased to give the Excellence Award. His artistic birth can be traced back to the late 1990s, in HONG Sang-soo’s The Day a Pig Fell Into the Well(1996), and his career path was laid down in the early 2000s. After The Quiet Family(1998), he reteamed with KIM Jee-woon for The Foul King (2000), causing audiences to stare in amazement at performances based on versatility and physical skill. This has been the case for twenty years’ worth of film sets, making him a sort of surfer of film genres, from action to drama. With The Good the Bad the Weird (a tribute to Sergio Leone) in 2008 and The Age of Shadowsin 2016 he completed a personal quartet with director KIM Jee-woon, but his brilliance was universally recognized thanks to a trilogy. SONG Kang-ho is, in fact, the star of two entries in PARK Chan-wook’s vengeance trilogy: the opening chapter Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance (2002) and the final installment Lady Vengeance (2005). He also worked with the acclaimed, millennium-defining director on Joint Security Area (2000) and Thirst(2009). Another precious partnership is essential in SONG Kang-ho’s professional life: director BONG Joon-ho, who cast him as the lead in Memories of Murder (2003) and then worked with him again on The Host (2006), one of the major South Korean box office hits. His performance earned him the 2007 Asian Film Award, and he subsequently reteamed with BONG for Snowpiercer (2013), alongside Tilda Swinton, John Hurt and Chris Evans, and Parasite (2019), selected at the 72nd Cannes Film Festival. Other important films to which he lent his talents include JANG Hun’s smash hit The Secret Reunion (2010), LEE Joon-ik’s The Throne (2015), JANG Hun’s A Taxi Driver (2017) and WOO Min-ho’s The Drug King (2018). SONG Kang-ho will receive the Excellence Award in Piazza Grande on Monday 12 August. On Tuesday 13 August Festival- goers can enjoy a panel discussion with actor at the Spazio Cinema. Song Kang-ho
Gold Flamingos - John Waters Pardo d’onore Manor at Locarno 72 Golden leopards and pink flamingos. The Pardo d’onore of Locarno72 is going to be irreverent, awkward, not very elegant, and delicious. The recipient, on August 16 in Piazza Grande, is going to be John Waters, Pardo d’onore Manor 2019. The Baltimore eccentric will follow in the footsteps of, among others, Jean-Luc Godard, Ken Loach, Michael Cimino and Agnès Varda. The American director, screenwriter and actor will be the star of the screenings of A Dirty Shame and Female Trouble, and during the 72nd edition of the Festival the audience will be able to literally smell his films: Polyester will be shown in Odorama – one of the first “olfactory cinema” experiences - exactly as it was in 1981, with scratch cards handed out to viewers before the screening. The audience will have the opportunity to discuss these elements during the customary chat with the filmmaker at Spazio Forum, which is scheduled for the last day of the Festival, August 17. Born in Baltimore in 1946, John Waters has caressed madness and slapped Hollywood for half a century. He started directing before he was 20 years old, making Hag in a Black Leather Jacket (1964) and Roman Candles (1966), two short films that also marked the beginning of his partnership with Harris Glenn Milstead, aka Divine, who starred in his first feature Mondo Trasho (1969) and was part of a large chunk of his oeuvre. Multiple Maniacs (1970) earned him the moniker of Prince of Puke. His breakthrough came in 1972 with Pink Flamingos, a trash manifesto that defined his style, followed by Female Trouble (1974) and Desperate Living (1977). He achieved mainstream success in 1988 with Hairspray, his last collaboration with Divine, who passed away shortly after filming. He subsequently directed Johnny Depp in Cry-Baby (1990) and made Serial Mom (1994), a blend of his original provocative vision and the genre of political satire. After various stints as an actor, he returned behind the camera with Pecker (1998) and Cecil B. Demented (2000), the latter staring Melanie Griffith and Maggie Gyllenhaal. A Dirty Shame, released in 2004, was yet another confirmation of his interest in defying traditional values. What about Hollywood? He wished death upon it in Cecil B. Demented, the film that the Locarno audience will get to discover, or experience again, on a night 15
Gold Flamingos - John Waters Pardo d’onore Manor at Locarno 72 on film-loving madness, as the star of the final Crazy Midnight, the “second premieres” of Locarno72. That is to say, Piazza Grande after midnight, when the memory of the red carpet will begin to fade and the big screen will explode with audacious, extreme filmmaking. But we’ll talk about that elsewhere. “Bestowing one of the highest honors of the Festival upon John Waters as part of my first edition as Artistic Director is the perfect manifesto - says Lili Hinstin - His outrageous, entertaining and joyous work is a symbol of freedom, far removed from the political correctness that rules us today. His political and aesthetic commitment is vital nowadays, and I’m extremely pleased and honored to share his incredible body of work with the Locarno audience.” For his part, John Waters selected King Vidor’s Show People (1928) to open Locarno72, with music by Philippe Béran’s Orchestra della Svizzera italiana. Says Waters: “Any movie that pokes fun at Hollywood, that mocks Gloria Swanson’s first films, that features Marion Davies (the most famous “official mistress” in history), that is directed by King Vidor (I’m especially fond of Beyond the Forest and Stella Dallas), that has cameos by Louella Parsons, Charlie Chaplin and Douglas Fairbanks, cannot be altogether bad. In fact, it sounds perfect to me.” John Waters ©Greg Gorman
The gaze of life Hilary Swank Leopard Club Award 2019 She’s a great performer of real life. The Locarno Film Festival is giving the Leopard Club Award to Hilary Swank, a worldwide star, winner of two Oscars and the impressive face of a female universe that has never been as close to the nuts and bolts of real life as it has in her performances. It’s the life that emerges humbly and blooms in a parking lot, the life that steals years from youth by immediately handing out the script of responsibility, the life that flips the world upside down from one day to the next and literally punches you in the face. It’s a hard, arduous life, which Swank has known up close. Having taken her first steps in the gigantic world of television in the 1990s, appearing cult shows like Growing Pains and Beverly Hills, 90210, Hilary Swank immediately made her mark in movies with decisiveness and athleticism. At the age of 20 she dominated The Next Karate Kid (Christopher Cain, 1994), with a physical shape molded through tenacity and a love for sports. However, it is at the end of the decade that the actress from Lincoln blew away critics and viewers with a performance that was built in the mind and reflected onto the body, or vice versa. With Kimberly Peirce’s Boys Don’t Cry (1999), Hilary Swank carved her name, face and sensitivity into the Hollywood pantheon. By playing Brandon Teena, a transgender youth born Teena Brandon, Swank delivers a performance that is essential, practically bare bones, turning any easy tears into a look, a comma on the face or in her voice, a punch dealt with surgical precision. It’s a performance that won her numerous awards, including the Best Actress Oscar in 2000. Five years later, the punches returned. They were real, in a boxing ring, in Million Dollar Baby (2004). Hilary Swank landed on the set of a master like Clint Eastwood, and through her role as the boxer Maggie she delivered yet another soulful performance, telling us everything even when she’s motionless. Using only her eyes and the few muscles allowed by the paralysis that hits her character, Swank engages in a dialogue with an important talking point for our society and conscience: euthanasia. Once again, the young woman from Nebraska lent credibility to a character brought to the extreme, thanks to a physical transformation that left its mark on the script. It led to another Oscar, her second with just as many nominations. Over the course of a three-decade career, Swank has worked with many prestigious 17
The gaze of life Hilary Swank Leopard Club Award 2019 filmmakers, including Brian De Palma (The Black Dahlia, 2006), Sam Raimi (The Gift, 2000), Christopher Nolan (Insomnia, 2002), Mira Nair (Amelia, 2009) and Steven Soderbergh (Logan Lucky, 2017). In 2014, in George C. Wolf’s You’re Not You, she delivered another performance of the complicated screenplay that is life by playing the ALS-stricken Kate. These stories are like the one that made her open a parenthesis in her career, to deal with life itself, replacing the spotlight with the lights in the house. She put aside all scripts to simply be a daughter, in a difficult moment for her father. “I don’t know what I did in my life to deserve all of this”, Swank said accepting her second Oscar in 2005. “I’m just a girl from a trailer park who had a dream.” Lili Hinstin, Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival, had the following to say: “Being able to give the Leopard Club Award to Hilary Swank in the Piazza Grande is for me a double source of pride and joy. On the one hand, it allows us to pay tribute to a kind of cinema that birthed a generation of strong actresses, capable of leaving their mark in today’s Hollywood. On the other, the Leopard Club Award of Locarno72 will tell the Piazza audience the story of an actress and a woman whose career embodies female strength and tenacity, the freedom to choose and the faith in what one has chosen.” Hilary Swank ©photogroupservice
50 Years of Fredi - The Master Murer is the Pardo alla carriera of Locarno72 Fifty years’ worth of cinema, a half century of images: Fredi M. Murer’s career is undoubtedly among those that shine the brightest in Switzerland. Therefore, the Locarno Film Festival can only be happy and proud to celebrate the master of national cinema with the 2019 Pardo alla carriera. Fredi Murer is a director, a screenwriter, a photographer and an illustrator, and left an indelible mark on Swiss filmmaking from the 1960s onwards. His films told the story of Switzerland, reflected it, inquired about its traditions with an innovative outlook. He put Switzerland at the center of a long discussion with the audience, via images. In one fell swoop, the dark movie theater played host to the public and to the people. His vision was always supported by a political and civil commitment that allowed us to see the world, and Switzerland, with a new set of eyes. The Locarno Film Festival discovered this vision in 1979, with the film Zones. This is therefore the fortieth anniversary of the Festival’s friendship with Murer, an occasion to celebrate with the world premiere of the new restored version, supervised by the Cinémathèque suisse. The tribute to Murer will in fact be a genuine rediscovery. In addition to Zones, three more restored films will be shown under a new light during Locarno72: Wir Bergler in den Bergen sind eigentlich nicht schuld, dass wir da sind (1974), one of his most important works, which won the FIPRESCI Prize in Locarno in 1974; Der grüne Berg (1990), which screened at the very first edition of the Semaine de la critique, celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year; and Alpine Fire, which received the Pardo d’oro in 1985. Murer is an illustrator as well as a director, screenwriter and photographer, and the tribute will be rounded off by an exhibit of his original artworks. Lili Hinstin, Artistic Director of the Locarno Film Festival: “In addition to everything else the Locarno Film Festival is always a showcase for Swiss film of all periods, past, present and future. By representing his contemporaries, imagining the possibly 19
50 Years of Fredi - The Master Murer is the Pardo alla carriera of Locarno72 dark future of his country and listening to the stories of those who live in its most remote corners, Fredi M. Murer played with time, that is, with his art and his era. In portraying Switzerland, Murer redrew the confines of Swiss cinema. I am delighted to honor one of the great Swiss directors during my first edition of the Festival.” Fredi M. Murer will receive the Pardo alla carriera in Piazza Grande on the evening of 15 August. On Friday 16 August at 1.30 pm Festival-goers can attend a panel discussion with the filmmaker in the Spazio Cinema. Winners of Locarno’s Pardo alla carriera at previous Festivals include Francesco Rosi, Claude Goretta, Bruno Ganz, Claudia Cardinale, Johnnie To, Harry Belafonte, Peter- Christian Fueter, Sergio Castellitto, Victor Erice, Marlen Khutsiev, Bulle Ogier, Mario Adorf and Jane Birkin. Fredi M. Murer
Locarno Kids The Locarno Film Festival is a 72-year old kid, historic and young at the same time. It is so to such an extent that this year the thought that goes out to younger viewers, known as Locarno Kids, will be the first of the entire Festival, kicking off three days before the official start of Locarno72. On Sunday August 4, Piazza Grande and Palaexpo (FEVI) will host a screening, presented by Swiss Life, where only the target audience will be little. The star of the first pre-Festival night is The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily, by Lorenzo Mattotti. The famed Italian illustrator, who previously nudged cinema by working with Wong Kar-wai, Steven Soderbergh and Michelangelo Antonioni, made his directorial debut with a feature-length adaptation of Dino Buzzati’s book of the same name. The film premiered in Cannes and will be the first guest of Locarno72. But August 4 is only the first night. After that, during the eleven days of the Festival, Locarno Kids will be present throughout the entire event. Having made its mark last year, with a program that allowed children to take over the Festival’s every nook and cranny, Locarno Kids will return, alongside its partners, to serve as a glimpse at tomorrow’s audience. The first new addition is called Flex, coming from the Locarno Film Festival’s Media Partner RSI: a project that lets young talents create content for the broadcaster’s social media outlets. Making a return appearance are the Movie&Media Labs by SUPSI, stars of the wonderful afternoons of Locarno71. Selected professionals are working closely with the official programming team to bring to the Festival 12 workshops aimed at children and teenagers in the 6-15 age range. Thanks to SUPSI, in partnership with the ASPs of Chur(PHGR) and Schwyz (PHSZ), diversity is also being valued, with activities in multiple languages. Google Switzerland will also lend a valuable hand with the Google Computer Science First program, offering digital programming workshops. Other returning workshops are those proposed by Castellinaria – Festival internazionale del cinema giovane Bellinzona, focusing on film viewing and 21
Locarno Kids analysis, and LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, giving kids aged 11-14 access to animation and sound design training. The artistic direction’s contribution is equally essential, with select screenings for younger audiences. One of those is the customary closing night in Piazza Grande on August 18, as are those curated by the Locarno Cinemagia association. These are conceived for elementary school-age children, showcasing the behind-the-scenes of the Festival via directors and collaborators. Last but not least, La Lanterna Magica’s activities are, as always, meant to bring children of all ages closer to cinema. The end? Almost. Because then comes the evening, and this year even families will be hard-pressed to find a better nightcap than laRotonda. Thanks to the support of La Mobiliare, the Festival Village will have eco-friendly spaces for younger attendees, in partnership with Accademia e Teatro Dimitri, their workshops and street artists. P.S. Is there a screening at 2 PM you wouldn’t want to miss for anything in the world? Are grandparents and uncles busy? Is the babysitter on vacation? No problem, the Kids Corner will return, behind the Spazio Cinema. Kids Corner The Kids Corner returns to the 72nd edition of the Locarno Film Festival. Thanks to the toys offered by the Toy Library and the books of the Biblioteca Cantonale of Locarno, children from 1 to 10 years old will be warmly welcomed and will have the opportunity to spend time with professionals, who will guide them through a series of recreational activities. The spaces will be those of the Saleggi kindergarten, behind the Spazio Cinema and will be open from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and from 1.30 pm to 6.30 pm. The service is available to all participants of the Festival, for the duration of two consecutive screenings at a cost of CHF 5. 23
Locarno Experience A meeting point, a village and a garden. The Festival’s experience is growing and expanding, with an offer that goes beyond the official Festival’s dates, kicking off on the 31th of July! laRotonda – starting 31 July 2019 For the new edition, Locarno72, laRotonda is redesigning its circle. The Festival village will once again animate the Locarno summer, opening its doors from July 31 to August 17: eighteen nights with the unmissable entertainment of Rete Uno and Rete Tre, live concerts, DJ sets and a few additions. Locarno Garden la Mobiliare – starting 6 August 2019 The Castello Visconteo in Locarno is being transformed into an artistic and culinary place of encounter this year. It is to be the new venue for the Locarno Garden la Mobiliare, with light installations by Maya Rochat, design by Kerim Seiler and a pop-up restaurant with star cook Sandra Knecht. The music program with DJs and bands is being put together by the music collective Turba from Lugano. All in all, this is a recipe not just for food, drinks and relaxation, but also for inspiration and emotions. Locarno Garden la Mobiliare – the new star on the night sky of Locarno – jointly created by Swiss Mobiliar and the Locarno Film Festival. Locarno Talks la Mobiliare – starting 15th August 2019 Thinking about the future through the full range of emotions that we feel when we share hopes and visions. For the third edition of “Locarno Talks la Mobiliare”, from 15 to 17 August, personalities from the arts and sciences will once again take part in a series of panel discussions on social and political issues. Each guest will bring his or her perspective to the table, but all share the desire to find the necessary “common ground” to plan for our tomorrow. Which is why the keynote theme for the Talks, developed by the Locarno Film Festival with its Main Partner, Swiss Mobiliar, is NOW – the best place to change the future. #LocarnoExperience 24
Line-up la Rotonda From 6:00 PM to 3:00 AM Concerts, DJ-sets, Silent party Wednesday, July 31 2019 - FRESH&WILD Andrea Bignasca - The Two - Saint City Orchestra - Dj Alexxio (Rete Tre) Thursday, August 1, 2019 - FRESH&WILD Highland Sanctuary - Marius Bear - Nils Burri Friday, August 2, 2019 - RETE TRE James Gruntz Trio - PUSH THE TEMPO SPECIAL con Alevì e Artiglio Saturday, August 3, 2019 - RETE TRE, Swiss Rap Night by Dj Mardoch ft. Kt Gorique - Mattak - Sherry-ou - Hedgehog - Dj Lazy Marf Sunday, August 4, 2019 - CARTE BLANCHE GC EVENTS Chiara Dubey - Dj Moci (Rete Tre) Monday, August 5, 2019 - CARTE BLANCHE SEASIDE FESTIVAL SPIEZ Mario Batkovic - Dj ZSU ZSU Tuesday, August 6, 2019 - FRESH&WILD SPECIAL NIGHT Caroline Chevin - Dj ZSU ZSU Wednesday, August 7, 2019 - FRESH&WILD Matchenko - Juldem - Yokko Thursday, August 8, 2019 - FRESH&WILD Katharina Busch - Emelie Zoé - Adam’s Wedding Friday August 9, 2019 - RETE TRE Veronica Fusaro - Dj Moci 25
Line-up la Rotonda Saturday, August 10, 2019 - RETE TRE Sud Sound System & Bag a Riddim Band - Il Mangiadischi con Luka Rudeboy e Tom “Siddh“ Rastaman Sunday, August 11, 2019 - CARTE BLANCHE JAZZ ASCONA Sands’s 2B Band Monday, August 12, 2019 - CARTE BLANCHE ENJOY-ARENA Temus Music Club with Radio One Dance Tuesday, August 13, 2019 - CARTE BLANCHE IRISH OPEN AIR TOGGENBURG LARALBA Wednesday, August 14, 2019 - FRESH&WILD Frost & Fog - Irina Mossi & Band - The Cavers - We the Savages (Rete Tre) Thursday, August 15, 2019 - FRESH&WILD Ginger & The Alchemists - Wintershome - Make Plain Friday, August 16, 2019 - RETE UNO Woodstock 50 - Dj Raniero Saturday, August 17, 2019 - RETE TRE Canova - Dj Alexxio laRotonda - ©Locarno Film Festival Locarno Garden - ©Locarno Film Festival
Passes and Tickets Tickets Tickets for daytime screenings in theaters CHF 17 Only to be bought at the box office Tickets for evening screening in Piazza Grande with 1 film CHF 28 Tickets for evening screening in Piazza Grande with 2 films CHF 37 Tickets for the second screening in Piazza Grande CHF 17 Seat reservation in Piazza Grande + CHF 17 Combined with any ticket or pass, max 6 seats Daily Pass can be purchased by 6 PM of the same day the latest General Daily Pass CHF 49 CHF 53 on days with double screening in Piazza Grande Students and Trainee Daily Pass (max age 30) CHF 27 CHF 32 on days with double screening in Piazza Grande Passes Advanced season tickets must be ordered by 6 PM on July 23. Sale of season tickets will continue from July 30 starting 9 AM at the main box offices in Piazza Grande. Festival season ticket online sale CHF 330 Students and trainees (under 30) online sale CHF 110 Senior online sale CHF 220 Piazza Grande Pass online sale CHF 250 Amici del Festival online sale CHF 490 Box offices opening hours – Piazza Grande 4.8.2019: 6 PM – 10 PM / 5.8.2019: 9 AM – 6 PM / 06-17.08.2019: 9 AM – 10 PM Box offices opening hours – Other venues La Sala, Palexpo (FEVI) and L’altra Sala will open 1 hour before each screenings Other theaters will open 30 minutes before screenings Evening tickets for Piazza Grande can be purchased at the main box office in Piazza Grande. Further information and online tickets are available on our webpage shop.locarnofestival.ch (fees apply). 27
General Information Take a seat and enjoy our selection of films: • Piazza Grande (up to 8000 seats) • Palexpo (FEVI) (2’800 seats) • PalaCinema 1, 2, 3 (730 seats) • La Sala (900 seats) • L’altra Sala (500 seats) • Teatro Kursaal (482 seats) • GranRex (443 seats) • Cinema Rialto 1, 2, 3 (375 seats) • PalaVideo Muralto (270 seats) Seats Seats in Piazza Grande and other venues are not guaranteed, please arrive early. If the maximum capacity of Piazza Grande has been reached, please go to the Palexpo (FEVI). Admission to all venues is subject to availability of seats. For more information shop.locarnofestival.ch. Screening time in Piazza Grande and at Palexpo (FEVI) 7-16 August 9.30 PM 17 August 9.00 PM Pardobus The Pardo Bus 1 is a free service that transits between Piazza Grande, the Park&Ride and the Spazio Cinema. This service is available from 8.30 AM to 9.30 PM with a ride every 20 minutes and a special ride 20 minutes after the first and the second screening in Piazza Grande. Pardo Bus 2, 3 and 4 are exclusive services for accredited delegates only. In case of rain Free Transportation with PardoBus 1 from Piazza Grande (departing from Locarno Post Office) to the Palexpo (FEVI). 28
General Information Accessibility Strollers are not allowed to access or transit Piazza Grande. A delimited area for wheelchairs is accessible on the right side of the main entrance. Locarno boutique by manor At the Locarno Boutique by Manor, located at la Magnolia, you will find all official Festival merchandise. Contacts Locarno Film Festival via Franchino Rusca 1 CH – 6600 Locarno Tel: +41 91 756 21 21 Fax: +41 91 756 21 49 info@locarnofestival.ch Festival Center, Palazzo Sopracenerina, ground floor Tel: +41 (0) 91 756 21 21 Email: info@locarnofestival.ch Press Office, Palazzo Sopracenerina, 1st floor Tel: +41 (0) 91 756 21 21 Email: press@locarnofestival.ch Babysitting Service The Locarno Film Festival offers a babysitting service. Those who wish to use the service are kindly requested to contact the following persons directly at least 24 hours before the requested service. • Soraya Blumer: +41 79 912 53 91 • Bo Buri: +41 78 886 61 68 • Daria Gasch: +41 79 633 37 49 • Rosa Graf: +41 78 816 63 09 • Martina Morelli: +41 76 215 33 67 • Letizia Pessina: +41 79 894 97 74 • Nathalie Roux (only evenings): +41 79 335 32 50 29
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27 Piazza Grande Palexpo Locarno (FEVI) PalaCinema Festival Offices GranRex Teatro Kursaal La Sala L'altra Sala PalaVideo Rialto 1,2,3 + Rialto - VR Spazio Cinema Festival Center Info Desk Accreditation Desk Press Center Press Conferences Press Room (Palazzo Marcacci) Industry Lounge Leopard Club Lounge Locarno Boutique by Manor Spazio RSI La Magnolia laRotonda Locarno Garden la Mobiliare Piazza Grande Restaurant by S. Pellegrino Magistrale – SUPSI Open Doors Club (Spazio Elle) E-Bike rental station (pick up and return point) Pardo Bookshop (Libreria Locarnese) BaseCamp Lettering UBS (AR) Kids Corner
Bars in Locarno Apero-cocktail, snack bar, live music... • Al Borgo, Via Borghese 2, Locarno • Alle Torri Caffè Bar, Via Varesi 14, Locarno • Barlume, Piazzetta dei Riformati 3, Locarno • Bartolomeo Caffè, Via B. Rusca 8, Locarno • Bazoo, Piazza Muraccio, Locarno • Bistrot Teatro Paravento, Via Cappuccini 8, Locarno • Blu Restaurant & Lounge, Via Respini 9, Locarno • Caffè l’Apéro, Via Stazione 4, Muralto • Caffè Paolino, Largo Zorzi 4, Locarno • Castello, Via F. Rusca 8, Locarno • Fashion 2Shè, Via Luini 12, Locarno • Festival, Viale Balli 2, Locarno • Gran Caffè Verbano, Piazza Grande 5, Locarno • Lungolago, Via Bramantino 1, Locarno • Mojito, Viale Verbano, Muralto • Mono Bar, Via Ciseri 19, Locarno • Movie Locarno, Piazza Remo Rossi 1, Locarno • Negromante, Via Borghese 14, Locarno • Parco Lounge, Via G. Respini 8, Locarno • Pardo Bar, Via della Motta 3, Locarno • Pozzo, Piazza S. Antonio, Locarno • Rivellino Garden, c/o Pardo Bar, Via della Motta 3, Locarno • Selz Bar & Cafè, Via F. Rusca 8, Locarno • Sport Cafè, Via della Posta 4, Locarno 35
o Buon a l r i n k x 1 D ante o r R i s t t ro Tea tr i Dimi L’ arte della meraviglia Accademia Ristorante Circo Musica Museo del Clown www.teatrodimitri.ch
Shows & Exhibitions Teatro Dimitri Caraa du Teatro Dimitri 10, Verscio www.teatrodimitri.ch Our renowned cultural center combines its traditional history (clowning, physical and burlesque theater) with a contemporary program featuring outstanding national and international artists. Centovalli-Centoricordi 2 - La canzone della valle: August 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, at 7.00 pm. Accademia Teatro Dimitri - Variété 2019 “Champagne!”: August 8th, 10th,14th,17th, at 8.30 pm Nina Dimitri e Silvana Gargiulo – Il Disastro: August 9th, 8.30 pm La Famiglia Dimitri - Dimitrigenerations: August 11th, at 6.00 pm Atelier Cupido dell’Arte Piazzetta della Chiesa, Brione s/Minusio Tel.+41 91 743 13 19 Everyday exhibition of ultracentenary wood beams painted with Festival panther,painted canvas,pottery sculptures and tray. Everyday from 10am to 6pm or by appointment. Galleria Casa arte bene weber Vairano Nucleo 23, S.Nazzaro-Gambarogno, Tel. 079 469 73 59 Season exhibition: the miniatures Works by Eric Weber: paintings Fr 2pm-7pm / Sat-Sun 10am-5pm Galleria Berno Sacchetti Via Beato P. Berno 14, 6612 Ascona - www.galleriaberno.ch Christian Verginer from South Tyrol creates fascinatingly detailed sculptures and relief-like works of limewood. The exhibition lasts until 24 August 2019. Tuesday-Friday 10am-12pm and 2.30pm-6pm / Saturday 10am-4pm 37
Locarno Film Festival Summer & Autumn Events 2019 3.8 7–8.9 12–13.10 Verzasca Triathlon Locarno Ascona-Locarno Country Festival Run 10.9–20.10 Sonogno Autunno 21.11.2019– 7–17.8 Gastronomico 6.1.2020 Locarno Lago Maggiore Locarno on Ice Film Festival e Valli 4.9–11.10 5.10/12.10 Settimane Sagra d’Autunno Musicali e Festa di Ascona delle Castagne Ascona/Locarno Ascona More Events on ascona-locarno.com/events
Shows & Exhibitions Museo Casa Rusca Piazza Sant’Antonio, Locarno - www.museocasarusca.ch Manolo Valdés - Manolo Valdés exhibition, the first in Switzerland, hosts over 50 of the most significant works of the great master’s long career, made from the mid-eighties up to the present day. Meng Yan. Ritratti - The Chinese artist Meng Yan (*1971) exhibition, with portraits of famous personalities inaugurates the new Locarno Arte International program. Tue-Su 10am-12noon, 2pm-5pm Museo Castello Via Bartolomeo Rusca 5, Locarno – www.castellolocarno.ch Tue-Su 10am-12noon, 2pm-5pm Museo Casorella Via Bartolomeo Rusca 5, Locarno – www.museocasorella.ch Casorella hosts the permanent Collections of the Town Locarno. Works of: Jean Arp, Sophie Taeuber-Arp, Paul Klee, Max Ernst, Meret Oppenheim, Max Bill, Filippo Franzoni, Giovanni Bianconi Tue-Su 10am-12noon, 2pm-5pm Wolf Gallery Locarno Via Balestra 1A, Locarno - www.wolfgallery.ch “ORGANIC - Barbara Babo, Paintings”. Ticino artist Barbara Babo is known for her dramatic sculptures. Now her paintings take the front, from wild landscapes to “organic abstractions” and scenes of vital encounter. Th-Fr 12noon-18.30pm, Sat 10am-16pm 39
Shows & Exhibitions arte-ria exhibition space c/o Studio d’arch. Christoph Zürcher, via Vela 8, Locarno - www.arte-ria.ch One moment, Lori Hersberger, contemporary art, until 18 August 2019, office hours or by appointment. Galleria Carlo Mazzi Via Cantonale 40, Tegna - www.galleriacarlomazzi.com Exhibition “Pam Paolo Mazzuchelli, disegni sinottici”. At the same location it is also possible to receive a guided tour of the painter Carlo Mazzi’s studio. Visits by appointement 0792193938 Pardo Art Stop @ Studio Ana D’Apuzzo Passaggio San Pietro, Ascona - www.anadapuzzo.com Show your Locarno Festival’s ticket or pass and get a free coffee or a glass of Prosecco wine at the Studio d’arte e architettura Ana D’Apuzzo during our opening hours and enjoy the art exhibition of oil paintings and silk dresses/ scarves by Ana D’Apuzzo. Wed&Fri 2pm-5pm, Sat 11am-5pm Città Vecchia, Locarno
Places of interest Locarno Piazza Grande, the main square in the heart of the town, with arcades in typically Lombard style. The Città Vecchia, characterised by old town houses, magnificent courtyards, and narrow alleys, is the historic center of Locarno. The Via San Antonio and the Via Cittadella are the two main streets of the old town. Also worth a visit is a smaller square, the Piazzetta delle Corporazioni. Castello Visconteo; This castle of the Visconti family dates back to 998. It has a 15th-century inner courtyard and richly inlaid ceilings. It is now an archaeological museum, displaying valuable vases and blown-glass goblets and artefacts from Roman times. One room commemorates the Peace Conference held in Locarno in 1925. There is also a bulwalk named “Rivellino”, attested as a Leonardo Da Vinci work. Casorella, a town house adjacent to the Castello Visconteo, was built between 1575 and 1593. Of special interest is the stucco-work of the loggetta (1596-1605), which overlooks the inner courtyard, and the first-floor reception room, decorated by the painter Giovanni Caldelli in 1787. It is now used as a venue for temporary exhibitions of various kinds. Church of St. Francis (San Francesco). The choir and cupola are 14th century the nave dates from 1528. Next to the church is the former 13th-century Franciscan monastery with its refectory (Sala Orelli). Sanctuary of the Madonna del Sasso. It was on this spot that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Fra Bartolomeo d’Ivrea in 1480. The small original church was later enlarged. The pathway from Locarno to the Sanctuary (Via Crucis) is flanked by chapels typical of such places of pilgrimage in Lombardy. Information and city maps are available at the tourist offices. Useful addresses for individual excursions: • La Biglietteria FART SA, Piazza Stazione 3, Locarno, Tel. 091 751 87 31 www.centovalli.ch (city buses and Centovalli Train) • Autopostale Ticino, Tel. 0840 852 852 www.autopostale.ch/ticino • Passenger Boats on Lago Maggiore, Tel. 091 222 11 11 www.ascona-locarno.com/transport 43
Brissago Valle Onsernone Isole di Brissago Vallemaggia Porto Ronco Centovalli Ronco s.Ascona Ascona Locarno Panoramica M. Tognola Delta Lago Maggiore Maggia Vira Gambarogno
Muralto Valle Verzasca Gudo Minusio Riazzino Tenero Gordola Aeroporto Bolle di Magadino Locarno Delta Ticino
Your friendly Info-points ascona-locarno.com Ascona Ascona Locarno-Muralto Viale Papio 5 Stazione FFS/SBB/CFF Avegno Tenero Centro Punto Valle Via Brere 3 Brissago Vira Gambarogno Via Leoncavallo 25 Via Cantonale 29
Places of interest Parco delle camelie - Locarno The stunning Camellia Park was inaugurated in Locarno in 2005 on the occasion of the International Camellia Society World Congress (ICS), which was attended by participants from all over the world. Since its opening the park has become an international attraction, thanks both to its landscape value and to its precious botanical features. At the time of the inauguration 500 camellias were planted and the vast number of species present guarantees, in principle, a flowering period of 9 months. The Parks and Gardens Service is mainly responsible for planting and maintenance of the park and cultivates and propagates camellias in its nurseries at Locarno Monti. With the help of knowledge acquired during the ICS Congress and thanks to the Swiss Camellia Society, the Town Council gardeners have been able to further enlarge their already considerable collection, exchanging rare species and collaborating with growers from Italy, Germany, Belgium, the USA and China. The second stage of the works was initiated in 2007 and comprised the creation of several key structures and the extension of the park towards the more scenic area near the lake. The largest flower bed of the park, dedicated to perfumed species and camellias, has been created next to the amphitheatre, which will enable visitors to sit in the most panoramic point of the area. From the top a small stream runs down to feed the new pond, whose waters reflect an elegant pavilion. The latter houses a series of information panels on camellias. Today, with the work almost finished, the Park is home to 850 varieties of catalogued camellias including about forty different species and ten perfumed hybrids. In addition to these, there are 70 as yet unidentified camellias, planted at the southern extremity of the public baths and 130 double camellias, which form a dividing hedge and are used mainly to provide cut flowers for the annual show held in spring. The structure of the Park is that of a series of beds forming a kind of labyrinthine trail where visitors can happily stroll among these wonders of nature lulled by the relaxing sound of birdsong and waves lapping on the shore of the lake. 47
In Love with Nature ascona-locarno.com Your outdoor destination at Lake Maggiore! 1’400 km hiking tours, 60 km MTB trails (including 15 km singletrails), 180 km trailrunning suggestions and countless water fun possibilities with more than 2’300 hours of sunshine a year. Waterfall Mondada, Val Bavona
Places of interest Ascona Piazza G. Motta, Ascona’s famous lake promenade, where many high-class shops and restaurants are located. At the entrance of the promenade is the Castello dei Ghiriglioni (1250), formerly an aristocratic residence, now a hotel. Pontificio Collegio Papio; The former papal college has a magnificent two-storey courtyard in the Lombard style (1585-1602) embellished with coats-of-arms and open loggias. It now houses a secondary school. The complex includes the Church of Santa Maria della Misericordia, built in the 14th and 15th centuries, which has a magnificent medieval fresco cycle depicting stories from the Bible. Note also the fine nave (1399), with coffered ceiling and Gothic choir. Museo Comunale d’Arte Moderna, a modern art museum which puts on exhibitions of well-known artists and houses the permanent collections of the Marianne v. Werefkin and Seewald foundations. The historical Castello San Materno has returned to its original splendour, after undergoing careful restoration works, and has now become a modern exhibition venue for the town of Ascona. The Castello hosts a permanent collection of over forty art works by outstanding artists from the German region. A typical 15th-century town house; Casa Serodine has a fine Baroque façade with stucco decoration by Giovanni Battista Serodine (1587- 1626). A tangible sign of the wealth acquired by natives of Ascona who went to live and work in Rome in earlier centuries. Monte Verità; At the end of the 19th-century, a group of people advocating a return to nature settled on this hill, renaming it Monte Verità (Mountain of Truth). It became a cultural and spiritual centre which attracted revolutionaries, philosophers, writers and artists. The museum Casa Anatta has been reopened after the completion of a renovation project. The Monte Verità seminar centre now has an international reputation for the academic activities it organises. Parish church of Saints Peter and Paul (1530-34). The church is decorated with 15th-century frescos by P.F. Pancaldi- Mola and paintings on canvas by G. Serodine, in particular a magnificent work hung over the high altar depicting the Coronation of the Virgin. Lungolago, Ascona
Places of interest Brissago Brissago lies along the right shore of Lake Maggiore, 196 metres above sea level. The center is situated along the lakeshore while the rest is spread over terraced hills at 400 metres. The region benefits from a mild subtropical climate with varied vegetation where camellias and mimosas grow side by side with oaks, chestnut trees and gentians. The mountain culminates in the Ghiridone, 2200 metres high. Lake and hills offer wonderful possibilities: sailing, windsurfing, swimming, tennis, boat trips, walks and also many mountain trails. A village with a clear tourist call, it also has a local industry in the shape of the Tobacco Factory which is world-famous for its cigars. Monuments to be cited are the churches of Madonna di Ponte and SS. Pietro e Paolo, in pure renaissance style (Bramantine), the 17th-century Palazzo Branca, the Sacro Monte chapel, the “Bosco Sacro” or “Holy Wood” where the laburnum grows (a small tree with clusters of yellow flowers common in temperate climates). A harmonious combination of lake and mountains, Brissago brings together North and South in a perfect play of light and colour. www.ascona-locarno.com Brissago Islands The Brissago Islands, the botanical garden of the canton Ticino, created by the Russian Baroness Antoinette de St. Léger in the year 1885, gives you the wonderful opportunity to escape from noise and the hectic pace of modern frenetic life. The exotic plants, the colours and perfume of flowers from all over the world are wonderful in summertime. On the island there is a hotel-restaurant, and it is possible to organize seminars and banquets or special events. Island Info: Tel. 091 791 43 61 (7x7 9am to 6pm), Boat Info: Tel. 091 222 11 11 Hotel-Restaurant-Events info: Tel. 091 791 43 62, www.isolebrissago.ch Centovalli The hub of this region is Intragna: it overlooks the fertile Pedemonte countryside and stands guard over the entrance to Centovalli, “the hundred valleys”. Intragna’s famous, majestic, 17th-century bell-tower is a prototype of the architecture favoured by the region’s rustic gentry. Necessity forced many people to emigrate: they worked as chimney sweepers, grill-cooks, knife- vendors and above all as dockworkers in the port of Livorno, Italy. Today one can still catch a pleasant hint of Tuscan Italian in the speech of the elderly; set into the iron of a balcony in Palagnedra, one can see the emblem of the Medici family - just to mention two reminders of that adventurous past. 51
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