One of the festival's more coveted invitations was to a lunch given by Count Giovanni Volpi in honour of his houseguests Julian Schnabel and Dennis Hopper and their competition entry Basquiat. Volpi's father, Giuseppe Volpi di Misurata, founded the Mostra in 1939 as a creative way to supplement the revenues of his Ciga Hotels. Venice is the world's oldest film festival.
Jury President Roman Polanski with Emmanuel Seinger and jury member Angelica Huston with her husband, sculptor Robert Graham, were among the artistic contingent. Also lunching on the terrace were US ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith, here for the premiere of Michael Collins, Alexandra Schlesinger, Turkish juror Hulya Ucansu, Cecci Gori and Basquiat producer Jon Kilik.
Volpi says his affiliation with the festival is deliberately external. A watchdog for dignity and fairness, he called the proposed reforms to the Biennale a joke and lamented the inertia of the organisation, which he describes as 'an optical illusion'. He praised Pontecorvo's term as director, but noted the need for a successor to be named so preparations for next year can begin. He again recommended privatisation by a major international company with institutional experience. They should be able to withdraw sponsorship at short notice, not subject to the Biennale's whims, as had been incorrectly reported in one of the other trade papers. Cecilia Peck
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