Educational Media Reviews Online

The Venetian Dilemma is a poignant documentary about the 70,000 inhabitants of Venice trying to survive in a city overrun by 14 million tourists per year. Venetians suffer from lack of daycare services for working women, decent living quarters and the refusal of permits for small businesses. It seems that space and resources support only the needs of the growing tourism industry, a means of economic survival as well as economic ruin for Venetians. Allocation of scarce building materials for the renovation of empty historical buildings takes precedence over the needs of everyday people whose dwellings may lack showers, decent plumbing, and availability to essential building materials such as doors.

Another problem arises from the logistics of importing and preparing food for the 14 million tourists per year that visit Venice. Moreover everything that is imported is fast-paced. To keep up with high demand, the city is considering a metro system from the mainland to Venice. Venetians claim that a metro system would deface the city’s rare buildings and upset the delicate balance of Venetian life.

Venice also lacks control or regulation of its canals and waterways. Turbulence from the numerous taxi-boats that roam the canals at high speed creates an overflow of water in the piazzas. Venice is slowly sinking. Walking planks installed in the Piazza San Marco keep visitors above the six inches or so of water. Moreover the waves of agitated waters weaken and deface building foundations and cause propelled-generated waste damage: too many boats do not mix well with the plumbing system.

This professional quality video makes a worthwhile addition to any public or academic library and is highly recommended as an honest representation of the daily dilemma that faces (and defaces) Venice. The dialogue is in Italian with English subtitles.