Gianni Berengo Gardin's Tale of Two Cities (2019)

How can we preserve the endangered city of Venice? What threatens this iconic city and what can be done to safeguard it? Gianni Berengo Gardin, Italy's most famous living photographer, embraced this challenge. His powerful photographs and a controversial exhibition would stimulate debate, incite protests and trigger an international outcry over the giant cruise ships in Venice. Gianni Berengo Gardin's Tale of Two Cities examines the photographer's documentation of Venice, which spans a period of more than sixty years. His photographs provide a window onto the dramatic changes taking place in the city. The profound impact of globalization - giant cruise ships traveling through the heart of the historic city and unsustainable mass tourism - endanger Venice, its lagoon and the lives of the city's inhabitants. Tensions between diverse stakeholders explode in the ensuing climactic events as the audience is forced to confront Venice's uncertain future. This film is a call for action. The time to act is now.