Leopard of Honor Goes to Paul Verhoeven

Day 10 - Friday, 11 August

Even an invisible person would have had a very hard time sneaking into the jam-packed Piazza (8,800), which was eagerly awaiting the European premiere of Paul Verhoeven's latest SF flick: Hollow Man. The story of a scientist discovering that invisibility is a heavy burden indeed, but nevertheless getting some vicious kick out of it. The Dutch director of such famed films as Robocop and Basic Instinct went on stage to receive the 12th Leopard of Honour of the Locarno festival and addressed the audience with his usual sincerity and wit.

"The first time in my life that I got a prize from a festival was 36 years ago; it was a special Mention of Honour from the jury of the Locarno festival, for a short movie called Let's Have a Party. And it started my career. And maybe you know - or don't know - I made about 6 movies in Holland after that. And after that I made several films in the United States. It's kind of an interesting paradox to get this honour here - a European prize but mostly based on my American work because they are the most well-known. With this trophy in my hands, it feels that Europe is calling me back and I have been trying to do so for the last two years. I have been very nostalgic about European culture and would like to make some new movies in Europe. And I am trying very hard to get that together, as a co-production or with individual European financing. I would love to do something against the background of European culture. So hopefully next time you see me with a project, it will be based on what I really like and what I have been educated to do. Anyhow, tonight Hollow Man is for sure a very American movie. I hope you enjoy it anyhow."

And it's sure that the audience of the Piazza did, while the people eating at the restaurant terraces around the Piazza found it hard to sustain the sight of their pizzas after the film's first gory scenes.

But the funniest thing that happened was not during the film, it was right before. Lingering in a dark recess of the Piazza not far from the giant screen was a familiar silhouette, that of Portuguese director Paulo Rocha, competing for a Leopard with A Raiz do Coraçao. Intrigued by his presence, we inquired about it. Had he come to the Piazza to watch Hollow Man? "No, I am just passing by on my way to see an old Russian movie at the Rex" answered the venerable director. I've never even seen a film by Paul Verhoeven."

"Do you like science fiction?" "No, I don't really. It is always the same story: Science is a bad thing, man shouldn't play God... (which is exactly what Hollow Man is about indeed!)"

"And does the theme of invisibility appeal to you?" "Not exactly. But, you know, this is what cinema has always been about anyhow…what is visible and what is not..."

The screening of Hollow Man was followed by that of Road Trip, Todd Phillips' crazy comedy about four students embarking on a crazy journey to intercept a compromising sex videotape. The film was produced by Ivan Reitman and features very funny scenes, such as when our four white heroes successfully deliver the entrance code to a fraternity club, only to discover that it is... a black fraternity.

Tomorrow's night Piazza ceremony will deliver the highly anticipated 53d award ceremony of the festival. As the festival draws to a sunny conclusion, bets are now on the Chinese films Shuo Wang's Baba and Fruit Chan's Little Cheung. The festival will also bestow a Golden Leopard to the great Italian writer and comic actor Paolo Viaggio, to be seen in the closing film of the festival, Denis Rabaglia's Azzurro, the journey of a grandfather and his granddaughter into the beautiful Alpine landscapes.