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PIANISSIMO

The February 2001 cover shows Mino Croce, co-author of the wonderful Pianissimo watched by his daughter at the "A l'Affiche du Monde" Festival organised by UNESCO on 7th October 2000.

The Italian film Pianissimo was selected for screening at the "Affiche du Monde" festival 2000, to celebrate the second year of partnership between UNICA and the International Conference for Scientific Audiovisual Media "Image and Science". The conference is sponsored by IFTC (International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication) of which UNICA is a member.

The "A l'Affiche du Monde" Prize was created in 1997 in the context of the International Conference organised by Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, French Research Institution) in co-operation with IFTC and AITED (International Association of Educational and Discovery Televisions) to be awarded - on a yearly basis - to a work produced by a film school. Since 1999 its has been extended to include a film/video produced by a non-professional filmmaker.

After selecting the themes of "water" in 1997, "aging" in 1998 and "trades" in 1999 ( when the prize for a non-professional work was awarded to the Iranian film "Kelou" by Ahmad Kavand) the subject for 2000 was "living harmoniously together".

Pianissimo was a great success. The spectators were ravished by the atmosphere of serenity, enthusiasm and liveliness of spirit prevailing among the residents of the Giuseppe Verdi Foundation in Milan, Italy - an "old people's home" for retired musicians. It is not just the fervent exchanges between former professional pianists, cellists, opera singers … in their eighties or nineties or beyond ... on the background of their shared passion which impressed. The way art is fostered to communicate with the outer world was depicted with a remarkable sense of tact and elegance. The film - which was awarded a Gold medal at the UNICA 2000 Competition in Roermond - was enchanting and its many qualities were duly praised during the award ceremony at Palais de l'UNESCO in Paris on 7 October 2000.

Mino Croce, the co-author of Pianissimo with Guido Wilhelm, had made his way to Paris for the special ceremony. An extract from the film was shown to some 600 spectators in the UNESCO Great Hall. The Grand Prix of the « A l'Affiche du Monde » Festival was handed over to Mino Croce by Jean-Marie Cavada, the Manager of the "Radio-France" Program who offered warm congratulations and stressed the significance of this opening up of the festival to works produced by non-professional filmmakers.

UNICA feels honoured by this distinction awarded to a talented non-professional filmmaker who has already produced some 20 short and medium-length films. Originally, Mino Croceworked in 16mm but he has turned to video. He has a well-established reputation in the Italian federation (FEDIC) and is the president of the Montecatini Festival which is organised every year at the beginning of July.

The excellent animation film Der Reigen (The Round Dance) by Klaus Werner Voss from Germany, another illustration of the values of exchange and tolerance - awarded a Bronze medal at the UNICA Competition in Lappeenranta in 1999 - was also highlighted. Congratulations!

We should start preparing for the 2001 festival and make sure that a UNICA film is entered for the A l'Affiche du Monde Festival. The theme selected is "Doubt". So let us make it a date !

- Serge Michel (FRA), Vice-president of UNICA, Member of the Executive Board of IFTC - trans.: Jean Claude Lejosne (FRA)

Page updated on 14 February 2008

Authors' views are not necessarily those of The Institute of Amateur Cinematographers

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