Giulio Bursi

Excerpts from the novel Donna di Messina (1949 and 1964, 1967) by Elio Vittorini (1908-1966).

An old building in Venice hosts an exhibition. A visitor walks through empty rooms discovering a fictionalized architectural space that functions like an abandoned theatre set. Inspired by Alexander Kluge’s oeuvre, this exploration attempts to de-construct the subjective experience and liberate the cinematic energy from the horror vacui of the display.

Filmed on the set of Quei loro incontri, a few months before Daničle Huillet's death. Giulio Bursi, who had been Jean-Marie Straub and Daničle Huillet's assistant for several years, shows us the set, the preparation of the shots, the actors' rehearsals, the two filmmakers' careful attention to every aspect of the shoot, the succession of takes, the search for light, the unexpected moments, the dead moments, the waiting. A historical document of the two filmmakers filmed with a small handheld camera.