Gloria!, directorial debut from singer and actress Margherita Vicario, which premiered in competition at the 74th Berlin Film Festival where it was well received by public and critics, is a costume period drama set in late 18th century Venice. The key elements of the story take place in the institute for women which takes in Teresa, a talented young visionary who, with a small group of extraordinary female musicians, directed by a priest of limited artistic talent, defies the rules, leading to the secret birth of a modern, rebellious and revolutionary kind of music.
Although the story is set in Venice (with several days shooting there), the film was mostly shot in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Locations included Cervignano del Friuli and the Strassoldo Castle, Gorizia and Palazzo Lantieri (here is the concert chapel), Udine, the mountains of Friuli with Jôf di Montasio, and in particular, the Lagoon of Grado, chosen for its pristine nature to play the Venice of the story. “The story is set in a place that is almost invented, as if Venice is in the background – says Margherita Vicario about the location- We shot in Venice for a couple of days but I loved Grado’s uncontaminated lagoon, which was much more 18th century”.
The orphanage was created in Villa Steffaneo Roncato at San Vito al Torre, (Udine), an imposing complex of central building and two side wings (barchesse), whose refined stucco work and frescoes make it one of the most artistically interesting buildings in Friuli. “When I walked in, after all those months of research, I could feel that it was the place! There’s a music room with frescoes which we made a bit more orphanage. I had imagined a large dormitory but there wasn’t space for that, there were many small passages, it was quite oppressive in a way, which made it right”, notes the director.
The film was supported by contributions from the Regione and Film Commission FVG, and support from the Ticino Film Commission. While most of the film was shot in Italy, Gloria! also used several locations in Ticino, with five days in the historical setting of Palazzo dei Landfogti, Malvaglia.
The production followed the international EcoMuvi protocol for sustainable development on set.
Gloria!, directorial debut from singer and actress Margherita Vicario, which premiered in competition at the 74th Berlin Film Festival where it was well received by public and critics, is a costume period drama set in late 18th century Venice. The key elements of the story take place in the institute for women which takes in Teresa, a talented young visionary who, with a small group of extraordinary female musicians, directed by a priest of limited artistic talent, defies the rules, leading to the secret birth of a modern, rebellious and revolutionary kind of music.
Although the story is set in Venice (with several days shooting there), the film was mostly shot in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Locations included Cervignano del Friuli and the Strassoldo Castle, Gorizia and Palazzo Lantieri (here is the concert chapel), Udine, the mountains of Friuli with Jôf di Montasio, and in particular, the Lagoon of Grado, chosen for its pristine nature to play the Venice of the story. “The story is set in a place that is almost invented, as if Venice is in the background – says Margherita Vicario about the location- We shot in Venice for a couple of days but I loved Grado’s uncontaminated lagoon, which was much more 18th century”.
The orphanage was created in Villa Steffaneo Roncato at San Vito al Torre, (Udine), an imposing complex of central building and two side wings (barchesse), whose refined stucco work and frescoes make it one of the most artistically interesting buildings in Friuli. “When I walked in, after all those months of research, I could feel that it was the place! There’s a music room with frescoes which we made a bit more orphanage. I had imagined a large dormitory but there wasn’t space for that, there were many small passages, it was quite oppressive in a way, which made it right”, notes the director.
The film was supported by contributions from the Regione and Film Commission FVG, and support from the Ticino Film Commission. While most of the film was shot in Italy, Gloria! also used several locations in Ticino, with five days in the historical setting of Palazzo dei Landfogti, Malvaglia.
The production followed the international EcoMuvi protocol for sustainable development on set.
Set in a women’s institution in late 1700s Venice, Gloria! is the story of Teresa, a talented young visionary, ahead of her time, who, with a small group of extraordinary musicians, defies the dusty dictates of the status quo by inventing a rebellious, modern, light music. Pop!
