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Ten years after its world premiere at the 2016 Venice International Film Festival, “La La Land” is back for a victory lap with “La La Land in Concert.” The celebratory 10th anniversary screening, complete with a live-to-film
concert, took place on Sept. 5 during the 83rd edition of La Biennale de Venezia. The award-winning film was broadcast alongside a live orchestra performance of the soundtrack inside the iconic Venice institution Teatro La Fenice, one of the most renowned opera houses in the city.
Presented by the Cartier Cinema Club in collaboration with Lionsgate and Hurwitz Concerts, the event was attended by the film’s writer and director, Damien Chazelle, and his close collaborator and friend, the film’s composer Justin Hurwitz, who conducted the Orchestra Regionale Filarmonia Veneta. The pair share a lifelong friendship that spans multiple projects, but “La La Land” is their most successful collaboration by far. Hurwitz won several awards for his work on the film, including Best Original Score and Best Original Song for “City of Stars.”
“To conduct an orchestra along with ‘La La Land’ in Venice, where the world first saw [the film] 10 years ago, is an absolute dream come true,” said Hurwitz, who conducted the prestigious Italian orchestra known for both their classical work and high-profile collaborations with pop stars and prominent performers.
The orchestra was joined by a special player — pianist Randy Kerber, a studio legend and prolific cinematic composer who performed on the film’s original soundtrack recording. Prior to “La La Land,” the accomplished musician has worked on over 800 films, including “Titanic” and “Forrest Gump,” and brought the film’s signature jazz piano riffs to life at the screening. A decade after premiering in competition in Venice on Aug. 31, 2016, “La La Land” remains a unique accomplishment in the contemporary cinematic landscape. It’s rare for a modern musical to elicit the kind of acclaim it received, and the outpouring of public support from the public that followed its success is equally unusual. Moreover, it’s already proven to stand the test of time. Even after a decade, the film is just as relevant and resonant.
Alberto Barbera, the artistic director of the cinema department at the Venice International Film Festival, defines “La La Land” as the “finest musical of the contemporary era.” In his view, it’s the only modern musical that’s capable of standing alongside timeless classics from Hollywood’s Golden Age. “La La Land is a captivating and spectacular film, an unforgettable love story, a heartfelt love letter to Hollywood cinema, a celebration of creativity and a remarkably mature reflection on the nature of success and failure,” Barbera said. “Above all, however, it features some of the most beautiful songs and musical compositions of recent years. That is why the opportunity to experience it once again, accompanied by the live performance of the Orchestra Regionale Filarmonia Veneta, is truly unmissable, a gift for everyone who fell in love with the film, as well as for the few who have yet to discover it.”
The screening was offered free to the public and represented the festival’s desire to offer events that benefit not just international attendees, but the local community as well. Inside the Teatro la Fenice, gilded Rococo interiors and lavish gold decor framed the film with glittering allure, adding a dramatic subtext to its rags-to-riches storyline.
“La La Land in Concert” was just the kind of special event that Cartier’s Cinema Club strives to organize to support and amplify artists and filmmakers. “The Cartier Cinema Club is conceived as a platform for ongoing dialogue and discovery,” said Arnaud Carrez, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Cartier. “We want to continue celebrating the many talents who contribute to filmmaking, both in front of and behind the camera, through screenings, conversations, masterclasses and other creative formats. Our ambition is to develop the Cinema Club internationally while giving each edition its own identity, reflecting the creative energy and cultural context of the city where it takes place. What will remain constant is our commitment to celebrating creativity, craftsmanship and the collective spirit behind cinema.”
Set against the venue’s spectacular neoclassical trimmings, hand-painted frescoes and Murano glass chandeliers, the most impressive element of the “La La Land” anniversary screening was still the live orchestra, a living, breathing layer that enriched each scene with grand swells and swift decrescendos. Bathed in the shifting light from the screen, the orchestra’s movements and playing functioned like a second drama unfolding onstage, augmenting and mirroring the original film.
The special concert event reflects Cartier’s year-round support of the work at the Fondazione Teatro la Fenice; the brand will also sponsor its upcoming season of opera, ballet and concerts. Since the 2021 Venice International Film Festival, Maison Cartier has supported a host of initiatives that aim to protect the city’s living heritage, namely by contributing to the ongoing development of Venice’s cultural life.
“Cartier’s relationship with cinema goes back more than a century, so supporting the Venice Film Festival is a very natural expression of this heritage,” Arnaud Carrez said. “Since 2021, our partnership with the festival has allowed us to deepen this relationship and to support contemporary cinema and the people who bring it to life. Venice is particularly meaningful because the festival is the oldest film festival in the world and one of the most prestigious. We share its fundamental values of creativity, excellence and savoir-faire.”
Along with the Cinema Club, Arnaud Carrez also noted the brand’s Glory to the Filmmaker Award and masterclass conversations as ancillary initiatives at Venice this year. “Our ambition is not simply to be present at the festival, but to make a meaningful contribution to its creative ecosystem,” he said.
“La La Land In Concert” is just one of many events and collaborations Cartier has undertaken to showcase the collective spirit of cinema and add to the Venice International Film Festival’s rich, multifaceted history. Along with the concert, there was the inaugural Cartier Cinema Club dinner held at the Gritti Palace, where Chazelle and “La La Land” were honored with a dinner overlooking the Basilica della Salute.
“Our commitment to Venice extends well beyond cinema. We want to contribute to preserving the city’s extraordinary artistic heritage while supporting the people and institutions that keep its culture alive,” Arnaud Carrez said of Cartier’s initiatives to protect the living heritage of Venice and continue the development of the city’s cultural life.
“We support the restoration of parts of the Teatro Verde, the historic open-air amphitheater on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, and we have an ongoing relationship with Teatro La Fenice, supporting its cultural program,” Arnaud Carrez shared. “We are also working with Orsoni Venezia 1888 and La Scola to support the transmission of traditional Venetian mosaic craftsmanship. At Cartier, we always talk about living heritage because it needs to be preserved, transmitted to new generations and given the opportunity to evolve. This is also aligned with our own approach to craftsmanship and savoir-faire.”
