In January 1996, the Gran Teatro La Fenice in Venice, considered by many to be the world’s most beautiful opera house, was destroyed in a mysterious fire. Made during the aftermath of this event, when speculation was rife as to the cause of the blaze, this documentary contrasts the past glories of the theatre with the devastation that remained. But La Fenice – named after the phoenix – was to rise from the ashes and plans for its rebuilding are scrutinised in this film.
Kurt Schwitters
Kurt Schwitters (1887-1948) scraped a living selling naturalistic paintings, while his ground-breaking collages, now recognised as some of the twentieth century’s most influential art works, were largely ignored. After his death, his legacy became the subject of one of the art world’s most acrimonious wrangles. With comments from some of the key players involved, the extraordinary tale of this scandal is told against the background of Schwitters’ difficult life and the innovative works he produced.