The Meeting in Locarno
The anticipated storm in the heat of Locarno, Switzerland did not occur. The sky merely clouded over on Wednesday, August 14th, and the Italian-American filmmaker Abel Ferrara, 73, arrived in his beautiful white jacket like a floating little cloud. Dressed in all black, Béatrice Dalle, soon to be 60, sat next to her friend on the couch of a grand hotel with a view of Lake Maggiore. They looked like two slightly tired but joyful and supportive rock stars. Having both experienced drugs and alcohol, they have known each other for a long time.
The Reunion and Film Presentation
The director of “Bad Lieutenant” (1992) had previously cast the French actress in “The Blackout” (1997) alongside top model Claudia Schiffer. At the Locarno International Film Festival, where the 77th edition began on August 7th and will end on the 17th, Dalle and Ferrara are promoting a documentary that brings them together once more. Titled “La Passion according to Béatrice,” directed by the Belgian Fabrice du Welz, the film follows the trail in Italy of the filmmaker and poet Pier Paolo Pasolini. Dalle takes on the lead role, traveling from city to city to meet with those who talk about the controversial artist.
Exploring Pasolini’s Legacy
As they journey through Italy, the film serves as an exploration of Pasolini’s last days and the enigmatic circumstances surrounding his death. From Rome, where Ferrara currently lives, discussions arise between Dalle and the director of “Pasolini” (2014) with Willem Dafoe about the final moments of the revered filmmaker. The black and white work of Fabrice du Welz paints a portrait of Béatrice Dalle, who was only 17 when she first encountered “Salo or the 120 Days of Sodom” (1975). Dalle reflects on Pasolini’s artistry, seeing parallels between his work and that of the renowned painter Caravaggio.
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