Private Project

Story for an Empty Theatre

“Story for an empty theatre”, an introduction by Venanzio del Mare

This film narrates an intense story of love, disease and death, inspired by the autobiographical novel “Beyond the Blue”, by the Italian photographer and writer Cesare Bedognè. The novel is at the basis of the theatrical performance of the same name which, together with the writer’s photographs, was the first material on which this film was created. In this work still photographs, classical music, theatrical choreographies and dance belonging to the Japanese Butoh’s tradition, lyrical prose, diary fragments and poems merge cinematographically, through the editing by the Russian director Aleksandr Balagura, with shots taken both in a deserted Sanatorium of the Italian Alps, the place of the writer’s past, and in the Greek island of Lesvos, the place of his present. As the book on which it is based, the film seems to wander freely in time, attempting to be more faithful to the intrinsically poetic and diachronic flow of memory rather than to the artificial linearity of conventional narration. The space of this film is thus the space of consciousness, a continuum which dilates, in one of the very last shots, into a dreamlike meditation on death, when the theatre’s stage slowly dissolves into the interior of the Sanatorium's ruined church, and the white female character weaving together in a pattern of Japanese theatre the various shots of the film, seems to leave behind her own body and leaves the scene. Before the crumbling altar only a drifting plastic bag remains, stirred by the wind.
This is a film constructed on words where images (both still and moving) do not play a merely descriptive role, but rather open a parallel poetical path. It is thus accomplished, through a polysemic correlation between word and image, what Belá Balázs believed to be one of the most intriguing possibilities of poetical expression pertaining to cinematic language.
Through this filmic journey we are also led to the inner depths of the photographic image, the very stuff cinema is made of. Gelatin silver pictures merge in this film with cinematic shots, abandoning their seemingly static form: they dissolve or slowly take shape, as if still under the action of a developer in the darkroom, gradually revealing different layers of reality. The same pictures return rhythmically, in the film, and as the story unfolds they produce always diverse suggestions and meaning, in the continuously changeable and renewed flow of memory. In quite a similar manner, the actress seems to react to both the words from the book and Bach’s music, wandering freely inside and outside the stage, in a silent dialogue with the impalpable beings that from time to time seem to inhabit her, on the Greek shores, in a deserted church or in the old Sanatorium’s haunting rooms - a landscape of Absence - emptiness submerged by a sense of waiting, that counterpoints and at the same time reverberates the everlasting voice of the sea.

  • Aleksandr Balagura
    Director
    To our brothers and sisters, Ali di farfalla, Life span of an object in a frame, Lohli Kali Shuba, ....
  • Cesare Bedogne
    Director
  • Cesare Bedogne
    Writer
  • Studio Incantations
    Producer
  • ABao AQu Publishing
    Producer
  • Maria Frepoli
    Key Cast
  • Emanuele Ferrari
    Key Cast
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Storia per un Teatro Vuoto
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Experimental
  • Runtime:
    57 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    May 14, 2015
  • Production Budget:
    0 EUR
  • Country of Origin:
    Italy
  • Country of Filming:
    Greece, Italy
  • Language:
    Italian
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Black & White and Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • The Great Indian Film and Literature Festival
    Gurgaon
    India
    December 2, 2016
    Indian Premiere
    BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM (ex-aequo)
  • Calcutta International Cult Film Festival
    Calcutta
    India
    BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM (November 2016)
  • Lanùs Film Festival
    University of Lanùs, Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    March 3, 2017
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Eastern NC Film Festival
    Winterville
    United States
    April 29, 2017
    BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM
  • FICCSUR Film Festival
    Valparaiso
    Chile
    April 22, 2017
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Coral Coast Film Festival
    Alghero
    Italy
    April 26, 2017
    BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM
  • London Greek Film Festival
    London
    United Kingdom
    May 20, 2017
    UK
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Gulf of Naples Independent Film Festival 2017
    Naples
    Italy
    May 19, 2017
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Maracay International Film Festival
    Maracay
    Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
    June 18, 2017
    BEST FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
  • MAYKOP IFF
    MAYKOP
    Russian Federation
    July 23, 2017
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Disappear Here Film Festival
    Ballyliffin, Donegal
    Ireland
    September 24, 2017
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Wirral International Film Festival
    Eastham, Merseyside
    United Kingdom
    November 23, 2017
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Imaginarium Independent Film Festival
    Louisville, Kentucky
    United States
    October 7, 2017
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • 6th Mumbai Short Film Festival
    Mumbai
    India
    December 10, 2017
    BEST EDITING, CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE
  • Ficmarc 2018 Carribean Sea IFF
    Island of Margarita, Nueva Esparta
    Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of
    January 12, 2018
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • New Renaissance Film Festival Amsterdam
    Amsterdam
    Netherlands
    March 2, 2018
    Dutch Premiere
    BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM
  • Voce Spettacolo Film Festival
    Matera
    Italy
    May 4, 2018
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • West Side Mountains Film Festival
    Epirus
    Greece
    August 8, 2018
    Greek Premiere
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Innuendo Film Festival
    Milano
    Italy
    September 14, 2018
    SPECIAL MENTION OF THE JURY
  • New Wave Motion Film Festival
    Hong Kong
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Sezze Film Fesival
    Sezze
    Italy
    June 26, 2021
    FINALIST
  • Alaska International Film Festival 2018
    Anchorage
    United States
    KODIAK AWARD
  • Festival Internazionale del Cinema Documentario Marcellino de Baggis 2018
    Bari
    Italy
    SEMIFINALIST
  • Mostra del Cinema di Taranto 2018
    Taranto
    Italy
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • International New York Film Festival 2018
    New York
    United States
    SEMIFINALIST
  • Madrid Art Film Festival 2017
    Madrid
    Spain
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Festival International del Cine 2019
    Buenos Aires
    Argentina
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • London International Motion Pictures Awards 2019
    London
    United States
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • The Hague Global film Festival 2019
    The Hague
    Netherlands
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Intimalente Film Festival
    Caserta
    Italy
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Blow Up Arthouse Film Festival
    Chicago
    United States
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Chatrapati Shivaji IFF 2018
    Pune
    India
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Canada's World International Film Festival 2017

    NOMINATION BEST ITALIAN FILM
  • MedFF
    Siracusa
    Italy
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Southern Cone IFF
    Valparaiso
    Chile
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Stockholm Independent Film Festival
    Stockholm
    Sweden
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Miami Independent Film Festival
    Miami
    United States
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • South Film and Arts Film Festival
    Rancagua
    Chile
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Russian Film Festival 2018
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Rieti&Sabina Film Festival
    Rieti
    Italy
    SEMIFINALIST
  • Roma Cinema DOC
    Roma
    Italy
    BEST ITALIAN DOCUMENTARY
  • Switzerland International Film Festival 2017
    Aubonne
    Switzerland
    BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM
  • New York Neorealism Film Awards 2021
    Roma
    Italy
    BEST PICTURE
  • Swedish International Film Festival
    Arvika
    Sweden
    Swedish Premiere
    FIMALIST
  • Interdoc Fest
    Moscow
    Russian Federation
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • International Moving Film Festival

    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    Iranian Premiere
    FINALIST
  • Cinematic European Film Festival
    Craiova
    Romania
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Rome Outcast Iinternational Film Award
    Roma
    Italy
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Roma Prisma Film Awards
    Roma
    Italy
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Author Film Festival
    Barcelona
    Spain
    FINALIST
  • Lift-Off Filmaker Sessions
    London
    United Kingdom
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • 12th Mumbai Shorts IFF
    Mumbai
    India
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Underground Film Festival
    Munich
    Germany
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Germany International Film Festival
    Berlin
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Inspirational Film Festival
    Zurich
    Switzerland
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Tabriz Cinema Awards
    Tabriz
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    BEST EXPERIMENTAL/BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY/BEST COSTUMES AND MAKE UP DESIGN
  • Andromeda Film Festival
    Istanbul
    Turkey
    BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM
  • 5th Venus Community awards
    Istanbul
    Turkey
    AWARD WINNER
  • 4th Close Film Festival
    Tabriz
    Iran, Islamic Republic of
    May 31, 2023
    Best Experimental Film
  • Sipontum Arthouse International Film Festival
    Manfredonia
    Italy
    Official Selection
  • Greece International Film Festival
    Athens
    Greece
    October 4, 2023
    Official Selection
  • 9th CINEMISTICA Film Festival
    Granada
    Spain
    November 24, 2023
    OFFICIAL SELECTION
  • Rome Film Awards
    Roma
    Italy
    AWARD WINNER
  • Greece Film Festival Awards
    Athens
    Greece
    Honorable Mention
Director Biography - Aleksandr Balagura, Cesare Bedogne

BIOGRAPHY - ALEKSANDR BALAGURA

Aleksandr Balagura was born on January 1, 1961(USSR).
1981-1987 graduated at Kiev State University, Department of History and Social Sciences.
After one-year work as a teacher of History and Social Sciences he became a director’s assistant at Ukrainian Documentary Film Studio, Kiev. Since 1989 he works as a film director of the Ukrainian Documentary Film Studio and director of some TV programs.
Since1998 - up to date lives in Italy with his family.
Lives in Genoa (Italy).
Independent filmmaker.

Filmography:
Author about 20 documentaries, participated at IFF in Kiev, Moscow, Paris, Torino, Lisboa, Tampere, Florence, Tagliacozzo, Marseille etc.

2016 – STORY FOR AN EMPTY THEATRE, 57 min., (a film by Aleksandr Balagura and Cesare Bedognè), Italy ( Best Experimental Film at the New Renaissance Film Festival Amsterdam 2018, Certificate of Merit at the Great Indian Film and Literature Festival 2016)-

2013 – LOLI KALI SHUBA, doc., 52 min. Odessa IFF, Cottbus IFF, Artdocfest - Moscow, Festival dei popoli 2013, Delhi IFF 2013…
2012 – OH-OH-OH, doc., 11 min.
2012 – LIFE SPAN OF THE OBJECT IN FRAME - 111 min. FIDMarseille - Mention de jury, DOCLisboa, Artdocfest – Moscow, Bratislava IFF, Docudays- Kiev, FICUNAM – Mexico, Pune IFF- India…
2010 – INTONAZIONE DEL CORRERE – 10 min.
2009 – TEXTURA LUCIS, doc., 20 min
2008 – WINGS OF A BUTTERFLY (a film about the unfinished film)- 64min. Jury prize for the best film in Panorama of Ukrainian cinema 2007-2008 -IFF Molodist-2008. Competition: Torino 2008 - Italy IFF, Cinema du reel 2009- Paris - France, FAMAFEST 2009 - Portugal, Filmer l’invisible - France, Le Fantoms du Reel - France…
2003 – PAUSA ITALIANA (a film about waiting of film), Tagliacozzo FF, experimental films program «Light Cone» - Paris…
1998-99 - creative TV program PHOTOGRAPHER
1996 –ANTOLOGION (ukrainian film)- Neubrandenburg IFF, experimental films program «Light Cone-2006» - Paris, Molodist- Kiev, Tagliacozzo FF...
1995 - MESSA ECLECTICA (small), doc. - 26min. Diploma – Stakhanov IFF...
1994 – FROM GREEN THINKS OF QNE FOX - 18 min.
1993 – MELODIA – doc., 30 min.
1992 – TREE TEMPLS ON PALM OF MY HAND, doc. - 30 min.
1991 – WIDOWSTREET – doc., 15 min. Festival dei Popoli -Florence 1991, Filmer a Tout Prix IFF - Bruxelle, Molodist IFF – Kiev…
1990 – TO OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS -Grand-prize for the Best Documentary - Festival dei Popoli - Florence 1990…


BIOGRAPHY - CESARE BEDOGNE

Cesare Bedogné is an Italian photographer, film-maker and writer. His first, autobiographical novel and his black and white photographs were at he basis of the film "Story for an empty theatre", which he co-directed with the Russian film-maker Aleksandr Balagura. He later directed the experimental/documentary short films "Maria's Silence", "The Last Step of an Acrobat", "Photographing New York". All these experimental films won numerous awards internationally and were screened in prestigious film festivals such as Art Visuals&Poetry in Vienna, the International Film Festival of Salerno, L'Europe autour de l'Europe Film Festival in Paris, Montecatini International Short Film Festival in Italy, the Cinemistica Film Festival in Spain, AMIIWorkFest in Vilnius and many others. He recently completed (June 2022) another experimental short entitled "Lost Images", which also won many awards internationally. Further information is available on the artist's website:

www.cesarebedogne.com

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