In Venice, cinema is on the water and under the stars: Cinema Barch-In, July 7 to 14, cinema, music, and talks at the Venice Arsenale
Everything is ready for the first water-based event of the Venetian summer: the fifth edition of Cinema Barch-In presents a program of five evenings from July 7 to 14, featuring cinema, music, and talks in the splendid setting of the Venice Arsenale.
Traveling with Marco Polo is the title of this year’s festival. Thanks to the support of the City of Venice, Vela Spa, and the Italian Navy, the event will kick off on Sunday, July 7, with a special screening dedicated to Marco Polo: the first part of the film The Adventures of Marco Polo, directed by Emanuele Luzzati and Giulio Gianini, a tribute to the author of Il Milione on the 700th anniversary of his death.
The festival’s opening film will be Master & Commander: The Far Side of the World. Subsequent evenings will feature cinematic masterpieces and animated films, such as Belfast by Kenneth Branagh, a touching and personal film exploring the director’s childhood in Northern Ireland.
Thanks to the collaboration with the VeneziaComix Association, Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas comes to the Arsenale, echoing the tales of One Thousand and One Nights and the Odyssey. The Surprise Film, organized by Cineclub Venezia, is a must-see and is dedicated to Oriental cinema this year.
Cinema Barch-In is curated by the cultural association FEMS du Cinéma and draws inspiration from the journeys narrated in The Travels of Marco Polo (Il Milione), the manuscript that marked an important cultural exchange between Asia and Europe.
Initiatives and News
The Venetian festival is a beloved appointment for its unique way of bringing people together around the themes of cinema and culture: live music and side events are the protagonists of the evenings at the Arsenale, such as the Aperiporto, organized by Radio Ca’ Foscari, to accompany the mooring of spectators’ boats with musical moments, DJ sets by Giallo Man and Akiko, and stand-up comedy performances by artists like Nicola Falcone.
Among this year’s novelties is the Short Film Contest on Water: an international competition for short films on water, dealing with themes of travel, environment, and craftsmanship.
The five finalists will be evaluated by a jury composed of Lia Furxhi, Eva Carducci, and Marco Spoletini, and screened before the main features.
Campari, the official partner of the event, will contribute its iconic cocktails, which can be ordered via app and received directly on board the boats thanks to the food delivery service on electric dinghies provided by Cocai Express, offering a menu designed to combine the convenience of street food with Venetian tradition.
The Film Program
Sunday, July 7
The festival will begin with the screening of the first part of the film The Adventures of Marco Polo by Emanuele Luzzati and Giulio Gianini, a 1971 Rai project, introduced by Maria Parisi of the FEMS du Cinéma association.
Thursday, July 11
The second part of the film The Adventures of Marco Polo opens the second evening of the festival, which continues with Belfast by Kenneth Branagh. The film explores the director’s childhood in 1960s Northern Ireland through an emotional and personal narrative.
Friday, July 12
An evening dedicated to adventure and fantasy with the animated film Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas, in collaboration with the VeneziaComix Association, inspired by the tales of One Thousand and One Nights.
Saturday, July 13
The Surprise Film is curated by Cineclub Venezia, which this year was inspired by a work of Oriental cinema. The film will be revealed on the day of the screening.
Sunday, July 14
The closing evening will feature two special events: the screening of the Euro 2024 European Football Championship final, a sporting event introduced and commented on by Nicolò Groja of RCF – Radio Ca’ Foscari, Emanuele Meschini, and Marco Paladini, followed by the third and final part of the film The Adventures of Marco Polo, thus closing the cycle dedicated to the great Venetian explorer.
Founded in 2020 during the pandemic, Cinema Barch-In has successfully transformed an emergency situation into a cultural and innovative opportunity for Venice; when restrictions made it difficult to access traditional cinemas, four Venetian architects—Nicola Scopelliti, Silvia Rasia, Caterina Groli, and Simone Borghi—conceived a drive-in cinema on the waters of the Arsenale, one of the city’s historic sites and a symbol of its naval power, turning it into a floating cinema and a beloved, highly anticipated tradition in the Venetian summer calendar.
Cinema Barch-In
July 7 to 14
Venice Arsenale
Cinema Barch-In is a free event with mandatory booking on the official website: www.cinemabarchin.com.
The festival is not only accessible by boat: there are seats on the pier bookable via the CocaiExpress app and boat seats provided by Venetian rowing clubs by sending an email to cercoimbarco.cinemabarchin@gmail.com.
Seats on the pier will also be made available for those arriving on foot, and these reservations must also be made in advance.
Stay updated via the festival website and follow the Instagram account @cinemabarchin to be informed about available spots on boats and on the pier.
Article by Lucia Pecoraro. Photos of Barch-in.
