L’incanto “dal vero”. Atmosfere veneziane del primo cinema

The essay explores the early Venetian cinematic representations, situating them within a broader historical framework. It proposes a narrative capable of transcending the notions of “veduta” and “dal vero” as mere documentary acts, pushing beyond the reality effects ensured by mechanical devices. Reflecting on Venice through these early films expands media-archaeological practices, moving away from the established paths of traditional film archive work and the historical reductionism to which these early documentaries were relegated. The “atmospheric” revision demanded by Venetian non-fiction from the early days of cinema becomes a privileged perspective on the act of viewing as an sentimental moment. Thinking beyond a history based on fixed textbook principles confirms the need to broaden the cinematic horizon to include these films: an ecological perspective and a hierarchical inversion, where what was once considered an iconic periphery becomes central to new definitions of meaning within a broader field of visual culture.