Watching: Rhinoceros

Overview

"Rhinoceros" (Rinoceronte) involves the fascinating figure of Alessandro de Medici (played by Justin Randolph Thompson) as he makes a passionate appeal to rally the good people of Florence. Shot in the Villa la Pietra in Florence, in black and white video, and spoken in Italian, the film resembles a televised broadcast in the last days of Muammar Gaddafi. This short film sets the stage for Everson's upcoming feature, "Rhino" that will examine the parallel worlds of politics and performance in sixteenth century Italy and twentieth century Hollywood, through the personages of de Medici and the actress Gail Fisher (Mannix).