Venice, Italy, is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful and romantic cities on Earth, and every year close to 14 million tourists visit the fabled city of canals. However, all is not well in Venice; the town's population has been shrinking, falling to 65,000 in the year 2004 from a high of 175,000, and local industry has dramatically shrunk, resulting in an increasing reliance on tourist income in order to keep Venice afloat, which in turn further alienates many long-time residents. Part-time Venetian residents and first-time filmmakers Carole Rifkind and Richard Rifkind have turned their cameras on the challenges and dilemmas facing Venice in The Venetian Dilemma, in which politicians, environmentalists, townspeople, and city planners debate the issues of how to save Venice as a city where people live, as opposed to a sort of theme park where the town's rich cultural history is sold off bit by bit.