HIDDEN TREASURES

10 must-see movies filmed in Venice

Venice is unique amongst world cities and every year it turns into a dream-like experience for scores of tourists thanks to its timeless charm. Its alleyways have acted as film locations for countless movies, both Italian and foreign. It is no coincidence that Lido of Venice is where the International Film Festival is held, attracting directors and actors from all over the world to compete for the coveted award of best film, the Golden Lion. In this strange period of time, we at Venetoinside have created a list of the top 10 movies set in Venice and its lagoon that we recommend you should watch in the coming weeks, so that you will be able to once again enjoy the city, albeit virtually, inside your screens and discover new hidden corners to visit as soon as it will be possible to do so. We have strived to select films of a varied nature, belonging to different genres and times so that you can all find at least a couple of titles to suit your tastes... Enjoy it! 1. ‘Othello’ (1952) by Orson Welles, based on the famous tragedy by William Shakespeare. We revealed many interesting details about it in another post of our blog.  2. ‘Anonimo Veneziano’ (1970) by Enrico Maria Salerno, narrates the last encounter between a Teatro Fenice musician who, upon discovering he is seriously ill, asks his wife to spend a day with him in Venice years after the couple separated. We have told you some interesting facts about one of the locations of the film in this post.  3. ‘Everyone says I love you’ (1996) by Woody Allen, narrates with the author’s classic and well-known humor, the emotions in the lives of an extravagant extended family. 4. ‘Bread and Tulips’ (2000) by Silvio Soldini, tells the story of housewife Rosalba who, after being abandoned in a motorway restaurant, instead of returning to her family, seizes the opportunity and decides to go to Venice in search of new adventures. 5. ‘Casanova’ (2005) by Lasse Hallström, narrates the vicissitudes of the great womanizer Giacomo Casanova, known all over the world for his many love affairs and encounters. 6. Martin Campbell's ‘Casino Royale’ (2006), featuring a young James Bond who, as soon as he receives the Double O license, or license to kill, prepares for his first mission as a secret agent 007. 7. ‘Ten winters’ (2009) by Valerio Mieli, tells the life of two young boys, who originally met on a water bus, and spans over ten years imbued with love, fears and contrasts. 8. ‘The Tourist’ (2010) by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck, with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. We revealed some of its backstage details here. It is the story of an American tourist traveling to Venice, who falls in love with a charming woman and mistress of a man wanted by the government, who will get him embroiled in a series of reckless adventures. 9. ‘I am Li’ (2011) by Andrea Segre, was shot in Chioggia, also known as "Little Venice". It narrates the story of Shun Li, a Chinese immigrant who, to pay off a debt and be able to bring her son to Italy, finds herself working as a bartender in Chioggia, where she will meet an old fisherman nicknamed the Poet. 10. ‘Spider-man: Far from Home’ (2019) by Jon Watts is a continuation of the vicissitudes of Peter Parker, this time on a trip to Europe. It is partially shot in Venice and we are recommending it for its spectacular special effects, which will make you see the city in a completely different light. Obviously, there are many movies set in Venice that are worth to be watched, this is only a small selection but there are many others to choose from which, unfortunately, we had to exclude from our list, otherwise we would have ended up with a top 50 chart! These are just a few more worth mentioning: ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’, â€˜Senso’, ‘The merchant of Venice’, ‘Dangerous Beauty’, 'Summertime', 'Death in Venice'... If you are die-hard movie buffs and can't wait to come to Venice to see the places that have acted as the backdrop to these films, don't miss our Cinetour in Venice! Our expert guide will accompany you in this original experience, telling you everything about the backstage details and interesting facts of these movies.   Venice, 7th May 2020