giovanni
feature film, 95′, 35 mm, colour
a hotel room in rome. fashion photographer diana moves into the room. she is in rome to shoot an exclusive series, a commission she also took in order to meet up with a former lover. as a result, the film is a quest: diana searches rome for giovanni. nonetheless, we do not get to see any of this, because the camera remains in the hotel room. the scenes with her in the room offer an impression of her experiences outside and of her emotions about them. each time diana leaves the room, another part of the film comes to life. in these scenes, other people repeatedly take possession of diana’s room and belongings. even a severely wounded gangster seeks shelter there, who leaves a trail of destruction. when diana returns and faces the mess he has made, it puts an end to her illusions about her stay in rome.
cast: truus te selle
script: annette apon
director of photography: theo van de sande
production design: hadassah kann
costume design: inger kolff
sound: erik langhout
editing: ton de graaff
dubbing mix: ad roest
producer: rené scholten for studio nieuwe gronden www.sngfilm.nl
Giovanni is an audacious and cunning film of the kind that lends more significance to Dutch cinema. (De Volkskrant)
Apon has created a splendid unity of form and content, with a delightful seasoning of Italian chic and an irresistible lightness of touch. (NRC Handelsblad)
In her Giovanni, Annette Apon achieves increasing suspense along with growing intimacy. Behind the perceptible story she evokes the inevitable in a way so compelling, that no spectator can miss the point. (Algemeen Dagblad)
Apon proves to be a big asset to Dutch cinema. (Trouw)
The director creates, together with featured actress Truus te Selle, with great inventiveness images and scenes whose evocative power is often masterful. (Opzij)
Giovanni attests to a mastery of the film medium that is rare in The Netherlands. (Vinyl)
festivals (selection):
opening film nederlandse filmdagen utrecht 1983
jury prize nederlandse filmdagen
festival international de films de femmes de sceaux
hamburg film festival
festival of women films florence
begegnung mit den niederlanden köln