Venice is a cinematic city in more ways than one. Every September, thousands of cinephiles descend upon the Lido for the Venice Film Festival, to watch great films, drink Campari and try to catch a glimpse of George Clooney. The seven mile-long island hosts the world’s oldest film festival each year, but it’s not just for industry professionals, critics and the gaggle of PRs with their red lanyards. There are plenty of screenings open to the public too.
However, Venice is filmic beyond the 11-day festival. A city of 118 islands connected by gondola-enchanted canals, it’s no surprise that filmmakers keep returning here to shoot their films. From old classics (The Canal of the Angels, Summertime, Don’t Look Now) to modern blockbusters (Casino Royale, The Tourist, Spider-Man: Far From Home) to the strange and experimental (Susan Sontag’s Unguided Tour), Venice has served as a romantic and moody setting for hundreds of films – offering a resplendent backdrop to romance, espionage and murder.
