Trashy tourism: From Ca’ Foscari a tutorial video to teach respecting Venice

Ph. By Ian McKellar, on Wikimedia Commons

The misbehavior of some tourists in Venice this Summer did not go unnoticed, between diving in the Grand Canal, public displays of affection in the streets and human feces or picnics in the center of Piazza San Marco.

That is how the idea of launching a campaign on “touristic education” emerged with the theme “Respect Venice” through tutorial videos directed by Ca’ Foscari students.

The idea came from the Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking of Ca’ Foscari University of Venice promoted by Ca' Foscari Challenge School in collaboration with CNA Veneto, Comunicazione e Terziario Avanzato, and the City of Venice. It will premiere at the Ca' Foscari Short Film Festival in 2018 (March 21st-24th). The videos will then be broadcast through touristic agencies, plane and boat companies, social networks so as to inform internationally as many potential tourists as possible on the correct norms to follow if you wish to visit the city.

“We will use irony as a key element and filming techniques such as animation” explains professor Roberta Novielli, director of the Ca’ Foscari Short Film Festival and of the  Master of Fine Arts in Filmmaking. Among the themes addressed in the videos: Transportation, waste collection, packed lunch, interaction with Venetians, bathing prohibition. “The thirteen students will direct a video of about a minute. The Japanese director Hiroki Hayashi will support the direction details with me”.

The project will be presented on Friday September 1st as a collateral initiative of the 74th Venice International Film Festival from 5pm to 6pm at the Hotel Excelsior.