Ivan Galietti

A work-in-progress portrait of Tina Aumont by her longtime friend, artist and filmmaker Ivan Galietti. Through private moments, never-before-seen interviews, and film clips, this homage attempts to reveal the human being beyond the media clichés.

A crumbling pier, its walls covered with graffiti and erotic frescoes reminiscent of pagan Pompeii, the locus of the seduction rituals of men longing for men, is the focus of this meditation on gay cruising at the height of sexual freedom before AIDS. Shot in 1982, this is the first segment of a film capturing the life, death, and rebirth of the legendary “sex piers” over the last three decades.

Filmed on the streets of Venice, the Gender Symphony follows the hapless servant Columbina as she toils under the tyrannical Dr. Pants—an alchemist obsessed with unlocking the secrets of wealth. When Dr. Pants stumbles upon an ancient incantation promising limitless riches, the spell summons not gold, but a powerful witch determined to teach him a lesson in humility. In a surprising twist, Columbina takes matters into her own hands, sipping the enchanted potion and transforming into an elegant Venetian courtier. Emboldened by her new persona, she challenges Dr. Pants to a duel that will change both of their lives in unexpected ways. What follows is a wild, whimsical exploration of identity, power, and transformation—where gender is both the battleground and the symphony.