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27: a documentary

27 men... 27 roses... 27 operas... 27 days (plus 1) in a town where VERDI is the reigning passion... and sometimes a blood sport!

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27: a documentary

27: a documentary

27: a documentary

27: a documentary

27: a documentary

27 men... 27 roses... 27 operas... 27 days (plus 1) in a town where VERDI is the reigning passion... and sometimes a blood sport!

27 men... 27 roses... 27 operas... 27 days (plus 1) in a town where VERDI is the reigning passion... and sometimes a blood sport!

27 men... 27 roses... 27 operas... 27 days (plus 1) in a town where VERDI is the reigning passion... and sometimes a blood sport!

27 men... 27 roses... 27 operas... 27 days (plus 1) in a town where VERDI is the reigning passion... and sometimes a blood sport!

August Ventura
August Ventura
August Ventura
August Ventura
2 Campaigns |
New York City, United States
$189 USD 3 backers
0% of $54,000 Flexible Goal Flexible Goal
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Highlights
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Welcome to Parma, Italy.

The magnificent Teatro Regio enjoys worldwide fame -- and sometimes infamy -- as the world’s “toughest” opera house. At a time when Italy’s opera culture is in apparent decline, this small city maintains a fierce connection to the art form, but above all to the 27 works of Giuseppe Verdi, who was born nearby, 199 years ago. Parma’s legendary ‘loggionisti’ ( who can stop a performance cold with their shouts of disapproval ) and the super-exclusive, men-only Club of 27 (who each take on the name of one of Verdi’s operas and carry 27 red roses to the composer’s birthplace every October 10th) are just two expressions of this uniquely vibrant opera culture. “27” will look in on Parma’s 28-day Festival Verdi in October when the Master’s works are performed before excitable and demanding audiences.

Meet the people of Parma for whom Verdi’s operas transcend art and entertainment to become something of a life-force, a moral compass found not just in the composer’s sublime music but also in the example of his extraordinary actions. “27” looks backward to a time when opera was a populist art form and an agent for social and political change, and explores how Verdi’s operas were an indispensable part of Italy’s struggle for independence from foreign colonizing powers. To do so is to discover how Verdi speaks to our world today with astonishing relevance. The memorable personalities in “27” seem to know this intuitively, and express their passion for Verdi with deep insight, warmth and humor. For them, passing this identity on to the next generation is a cultural imperative, essential for defining and preserving what it means to be “Italian” in a globalized world.VIVAVERDI!!!

In Italian with English subtitles; some sequences in English Approximate running time: 80 minutesScheduled completion date: December 2012

A BEAUTIFUL BACKSTORY

"To the world, as to the nation he helped to found, Verdi left an enduring legacy of music, charity, patriotism, honour, grace, and reason. He was and remains a mighty force for continuing good".

- Mary Jane Phillips-Matz, Verdi biographer 
 
Hello, my name is August Ventura and this documentary film is an outgrowth of three feature articles of mine that appeared in the magazine Opera News.  With each successive visit to Parma my immersion into this unique musical culture deepened as did my appreciation and understanding of the extraordinary life and art of Verdi.  For me, the imminent Verdi bicentennial made it an imperative, a calling even, to create a lasting document, a cinematic essay on the staying power of the composer's art.  To achieve this, some extraordinary people of Parma would explain, in their own words, how Verdi - the creative supernova and the great humanitarian - still speaks to them and through them.
 
The response was overwhelming; doors flew open for us and we were handed the keys to the storied Teatro Regio during the 2011 Festival Verdi to film performances and rehearsals.  Our troupe of gifted film-makers -- the superb documentary film company MaGa Production of Rome -- were welcomed everywhere: Verdi's heirs brought us inside the Verdi villa and the legendary Club of 27 allowed us inside its doors to observe their never-before-filmed milieu as did the newly-formed women's Verdi club, Le Verdissime.  In all, a gorgeous mosaic of memorable personalities including Parma's world-famous "loggionisti" introduced us to "their" Verdi.  
 
So far this project has been entirely self-funded, but the month spent filming in Parma has brought forth a bounty of beautiful and exclusive performance, location and interview footage -- over 100 hours of itfilmed in glorious HD -- that we now need to edit down to feature length of about 80 minutes.  This is traditionally the most costly phase of a project of this sort and meeting our goal will bring this wonderful film into being, beautifully timed for Verdi's bicentennial year.   Help me defray the expenses I have already incurred as well as new costs of returning to Parma in October for a second phase of filming at the 2012 Festival, in addition to obtaining rights to copyrighted footage, post-production, etc.  
 
We intend to submit "27" to Festivals and present the film in opera houses and cultural institutions the world over in 2013 and thereafter.  I am already receiving requests to present this film in various venues and my casual mention of this project socially or in musical circles is always met by enthused curiosity that only adds to the buzz.  With its glorious wash of images and splendid musical performances, its deeply personal interviews that are by turns joyful, insightful and moving, opera aficionados will find "27" irresistible.  "27" will exert its charms equally on those less familiar with the art form as well as anyone who enjoys the adventure of discovering an intriguing and delightful new world.
 
The genius of Verdi's music speaks for itself but not enough has been mentioned about the man and his actions. Verdi was a liberal thinker who gave a thundering voice to a political movement that created a modern nation, who served in political office, and who used his wealth and fame to advance humanist causes and perform countless charitable acts.  Permit me this moment of whimsy, but I think Verdi would have been overjoyed to discover the recent phenomenon of crowd-sourcing sites like Indiegogo, where strangers of all economic levels come together and form a spontaneous community unified in supporting a cause that will bring enjoyment and enlightenment while creating a force for lasting good.
 
Please consider a donation to help us complete "27" in time for 2013.
Share this link with someone who feels passionate about the importance of musical education.
Visit our website for additional information about any aspect of this film (via FAQs link or by contacting me personally).
And remember that donations to "27" are tax deductible.
 
VIVA VERDI!!!
August Ventura

 

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