A new documentary exploring the life of Fernanda Wittgens, Italy’s pioneering first female museum director, will debut at the Venice Film Festival this month. Directed by Francesco Clerici and Mattia Colombo, “Anatomy of a Portrait” examines Wittgens’ remarkable tenure leading Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera during and after World War II, as well as her courageous resistance to fascism. Despite facing a 20-year prison sentence from the Fascist Special Tribunal under Mussolini’s regime, Wittgens was released following the war’s conclusion.
Faced with limited historical documentation about their subject, the filmmakers took an unconventional approach to storytelling. Rather than attempting to reconstruct Wittgens’ life through traditional biographical methods, they assembled actress Sara Drago and art historian Giovanna Ginex in a recording studio. Ginex, who spent nearly four decades researching Wittgens’ life and legacy, worked with Drago to give voice to the historical figure through her personal correspondence and scholarly findings.
The directors emphasized that their work challenges conventional biographical filmmaking. By focusing on how Wittgens’ memory resonates through those who study her rather than filling gaps in the historical record, they created a meditation on life storytelling itself. The Italian-Swiss production, premiering September 4 in Venice’s Venetian Nights program, uses archival materials, music and contemporary reflection to explore both Wittgens’ significance and broader questions about presenting historical lives on film.
Originally reported by Variety →
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