Chapter six - article four
Venice film
festival
As summer came to a close, Cartier arrived in Italy’s most cinematic city to open its fourth year as official partner of the Venice International Film Festival. Creativity and craftsmanship were at the heart of 11 days of celebration, as the Maison created an ever-deeper relationship with the soul and savoir-faire of cinema.
Musical Memory Enchants the Lagoon
The 81st edition of the Venice International Film Festival opened in style, as the Maison and its guests embarked upon an exploration of the profound connection between Italian cinema and music.
In the evocative setting of the church of San Lorenzo, Amira Casar’s voice acted as a guide through memories, dreams and emotions, from a tribute to Maria Callas to a performance of selected works by Nicola Piovani, composer of some of Italian cinema’s most recognizable scores. Celebrating all forms of art and artisanry, dinner was orchestrated as part of the unfolding evening by chef Massimiliano Alajmo and followed by a ballet performance.
The Maison’s creative community alighted from vaporetti for the evening, amongst them Tilda Swinton, Isabelle Huppert, Lou Doillon, Sofia Coppola, Emma Corrin, Khatia Buniatishvili, Rami Malek and Amal Clooney.
Celebrating the Art of Cinema
Filmmaking Magic in Focus
Fascinating, personal, and rich with decades of experience, the Maison’s annual Masterclass series explores the complex web of creativity and expertise that underpins the world of cinema, led by experts in each field. The 2024 edition began with film director Claude Lelouch, who discussed his relationship with music alongside actress and singer Barbara Pravi.
The second panel saw Nicola Piovani joined by director and writer Cristina Comencini to reveal how he manages to compose music “in the first person”. Finally, the Maison welcomed Richard Gere and Mario Cordova, who has provided Gere’s Italian voice on screen, to bring to light the network of creative collaborators whose craft is essential to the success of a film: from screenwriters to cinematographers, lighting directors to composers. These conversations, testament to the Maison’s passion for cinema and creative singularity, were moderated by Stéphane Lerouge, expert in film music and curator of record collection Ecoutez le cinéma!
Meanwhile, Isola Edipo, Giornate degli Autori and the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain joined forces for the “Cinema of Inclusivity” screenings and workshops, featuring sonic arts platform Soundwalk Collective and Patti Smith with a presentation and discussion of their audiovisual journey, Correspondences. This ever-evolving project, spanning over 10 years, traverses a wealth of geographies and their natural environments, where the artists have uncovered sonic steps left by poets, filmmakers, revolutionaries, and the impact of climate change.
Claude Lelouch and Stéphane Lerouge
Claude Lelouch
Glory to the Filmmaker: Honoring a Cinematic Great
The Maison’s celebration of cinema was personified by the presentation of the Cartier Glory to the Filmmaker Award to Claude Lelouch, in acknowledgment of his exceptional and prolific career. Each year, the Maison presents the panther-head trophy, created in the Parisian High Jewelry workshops, to a personality who has made an original contribution to the film industry. Following in the footsteps of Wes Anderson, Walter Hill, and Ridley Scott, Lelouch accepted the award to resounding acclaim in the Palazzo del Cinema. An iconic figure in French cinema, Claude Lelouch defined a new voice in contemporary creation with the critically-acclaimed and award-winning films A Man and a Woman, Vivre pour vivre, and Le Voyou, amongst many others. The presentation was followed by a screening of his latest production, Finalement.
The Cartier Collection, the Maison’s heritage collection, had a starring role at this year’s festival thanks to another premiere, that of Maria, Pablo Larraín’s biopic of the iconic opera singer.
Angelina Jolie
Open-and-shut Rose' clip brooch, Cartier Paris, 1972. Yellow gold, pink gold, platinum, diamonds, emeralds, sapphires, rubies.
A Silver Screen Debut for Virtuoso Creations
Multiple historic creations were visible on screen, loaned by the Maison in homage to this exceptional talent. Most notably, the audience could spot the rose ouvrante brooch from Maria Callas’s personal collection, made by the Maison in 1972, as well as a Panthère de Cartier brooch from 1971, similar to one owned by the legendary singer. Angelina Jolie, who took on the role of Callas in the film, also wore the articulated rose brooch on the red carpet of the film’s premiere.
“It was very moving to be wearing a piece of Cartier jewelry she wore and owned. I chose to wear it for a very important scene where she is with her sister and facing many hard truths. To have jewelry of such a high quality on camera felt special and right for Maria. She was such an elegant lady.”
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