Second of September. I got up around seven, so I could queue for the 8.30 screening of Black Swan. Contrary to my expectation, there wasn’t that much of a queue, so we grabbed a coffee and a Coke and discussed the meaning and the importance of the dying fox in Antichrist. But more importantly: Italians know how to make coffee. I’m glad our Italian flatmate likes making coffee for us.

The screen was set in a massive circus tent with mediocre sound. Darren Arronofski’s Black Swan is a work of terror and pain, brilliantly orchestrated, well played and immensely gripping. The movie was tight and intense. In fact, it was so intense that at the end, the moment the tension was gone, you felt that dip you get after you are under tension. It hit my neighbour so hard, that she actually started crying – “Okay, now I feel raped”, she said.

Black Swan is a first masterpiece for the Venice film festival, and after I was sort of let down by the Wrestler, this felt good. (Even if it didn’t.)

Terrified and petrified, we went to our first discussion round which was an interesting talk on censorship in films. After lunch we decided to run to see Robert Rodriguez’s and Ethan Maniquis’s Machete. A bloody, gory, brutal, violent, brainless, stupid, excessive and unnecessary movie – yet a masterpiece. Full of catchy lines, funny violence and an occasional glimpse of clever plotting made this a real experience, especially as the audience participated and laughed and clapped during the film.

In the meantime, my bag arrived at the Villa Degli Autori – so I am clean and neat again. And I am sunburnt. Shit. Anyway – the next movie on schedule was Dark Love by some Italian guy pretending to be a mixture between an Italian Sofia Coppola and Jacques Audiard’s Un Prophète. Not a great idea. Nicely done, though. After a wee break we went to see our last double feature, the Iranian shortfilm The Accordion and the french comedy Le bruit des glaçons with Jean Dujardin, whom I did not even recognise.

We still don’t really have internet access, so I am saving these posts until I can get internet access. Tomorrow morning’s schedule is Miral by Julian Schnabel at  8.30 – and maybe the new Coppola. Who knows.

Screening log so far: Black Swan, Machete, Dark Love, The Accordion, Le bruit des glaçons.