La Biennale -
Episode nine of the Podcast La Biennale on Air
Contributors include filmmaker Mona Fastvold, who talks about the importance of archives in her films and Willem Dafoe, who presents the new edition of Biennale Teatro.
La Biennale on Air
Norwegian filmmaker and screenwriter Mona Fastvold (The Testament of Ann Lee, The Brutalist) talks about the importance of archives in her historical films, in anticipation of the opening of the new home of the Historical Archives of La Biennale at the Arsenale, in the ninth episode of the Podcast La Biennale on Air. In the new episode Willem Dafoe presents the 54th International Theatre Festival (7 – 21 June 2026), Alter NATIVE, which he directs. The Podcast produced by La Biennale is available for listening starting today, Wednesday 29 April, on the major platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music – Audible and YouTube) and on the website of La Biennale (La Biennale on Air).
In the new episode of La Biennale on Air, the director and screenwriter Mona Fastvold, who has presented her films – The World to Come (2020) and The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) – in competition at Biennale Cinema, talks about the importance of archival research in her filmography, addressing the relationship between memory, images and contemporary creation, dwelling in particular on the reconstruction of the first Biennale Architettura represented in the film The Brutalist (winner of the Silver Lion for Best Director in 2024), written with the director Brady Corbet. The filmmaker’s contribution also serves as a prelude to the imminent inauguration of the new premises of La Biennale’s Historical Archive at the Arsenale, on 1, 2 and 3 June.
Willem Dafoe, the Artistic Director of Biennale Teatro, introduces the principal themes and guests of the 54th International Theatre Festival (7 – 21 June 2026), titled Alter NATIVE, in an excerpt from the presentation press conference, and in a new contribution recorded for this episode. He will be followed by the Greek-Albanian director Mario Banushi, Silver Lion for Biennale Teatro 2026, who comments on this important acknowledgment and presents Romance Familiare, the trilogy of plays he will bring to Venice during the Festival.
The episode is further enriched by the contributions of Linda Goode Bryant, one of the artists selected by Koyo Kouoh for the 61st International Art Exhibition, In Minor Keys; and of Wayne McGregor, Artistic Director of Biennale Danza, with an excerpt from the lecture about peace he held during the joint event organised in Sala delle Colonne at Ca’ Giustinian, Biennale of the Word / Dissent and Peace, during the pre-opening of Biennale Arte 2026.
The Podcast La Biennale on Air is released monthly in the form of audio episodes in English and offers access to all the Departments of La Biennale, sharing the content of the Exhibitions, Festivals, Special Projects and collections of the Historical Archive with contributions recorded by the Artistic Directors, artists, filmmakers, performers and other figures from the world of culture.
La Biennale on Air is a Podcast of La Biennale di Venezia.
