Samantha Cristoforetti presents the docu-film "Astrosamantha la prima italiana nello spazio"

It's been a full week of star/studded premieres with four nights of events preceding the opening of the 10^th Rome Film Fest, which will be held from Friday October 16th to Saturday 24th. The events have begun at the MAXXI - National Museum of XXI Century Arts, and the Casa del Cinema, before converging to the Auditorium Parco della Musica, which has been the heart of the festival since its very first edition.

The first event took place on October 12th at the MAXXI- National Museum of XXI Century Arts, when Samantha Cristoforetti, European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut, Italian Air Force Capitan, and flight engineer for the second long-term mission of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), presented the docu-film "Astrosamantha la prima italiana nello spazio", a beautiful, inspiring documentary about the first Italian woman in space. The film, directed and produced by Gianluca Cerasola, a journalist and international reporter, was made in collaboration with ESA, ASI and the Aeronautica Militare. With the narrative voice of Italian actor Giancarlo Giannini, the director follows Samantha Cristoforetti for three years, from her training to her return from space, showing us a new side of the woman who was awarded the highest Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, the title of Cavaliere di Gran Croce, upon her return from her mission.

With a backdrop of exceptional photography, director Gianluca Cerasola gives us an inside look at the personality of Cristoforetti, a woman that is often seen in the media talking about her profession but rarely about herself. The film shows us the intense training for the mission that took place on three continents along with some lighter moments with friends, including a group of women she met through NASA that call themselves the "Tank Girls." The quality of Cristoforetti's personality that I appreciate the most after watching this film is her ability to stay calm and smile under any circumstance. I'm sure that quality has helped her get to where she is today.

In person, she was gracious in posing for photos and talking with fans. She stood by Cerasola's side as he gleamed with pride at the masterpiece he and his team created. Cristoforetti took a few moments to chat with a young fan that was looking up to her with complete adoration in her eyes. It was a sweet moment and all the paparazzi gathered around to make the most of it.

Samantha Cristoforetti is well-connected with her fans on social media and is always posting interesting updates. You can follow her on Twitter at @AstroSamantha as well as American astronaut Terry Virts, who was on the same mission and featured throughout the film.

We will keep you posted on the international distribution of "Astrosamantha la prima italiana nello spazio". In the meantime, check out the film's trailer (with English subtitles) on Vimeo.

Comments

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

Ornella Muti: Four decades of Acting and Still Going Strong

Ornella Muti was born Francesca Romana Rivelli in Rome in 1955 to a Neapolitan father and an Estonian mother. She began her career as a model during her teenage years and made her film debut in 1970 with La Moglie più bella (The Most Beautiful Wife). Her follow-up role was in the 1971 film, Sole nella pelle (Sun on the Skin) in which she played the daughter of wealthy parents who runs off with a hippie they don’t approve of. The film offers a telling journey through Italian society in the seventies with the political climate, the breathtaking seaside as well as the styles and cars of that time. Much of the film is set amid the sunny Italian seaside and succeeds in capturing the innocence and beauty of first love. Muti made her American film debut in 1980 with Flash Gordon . She played the role of Princess Aura. She’s appeared in two other American films, including, Oscar , which was directed by John Landis and featured Don Ameche, Chaz Palminteri, and...

Cineuropa's Interview with Michele Placido

It was announced this week that Michele Placido's new film, "7 minuti" will be shown at this year's Rome Film Festival. 11 amazing actresses women star in "7 minuti" by Michele Placido , a drama co-produced by Italy, France, Spain and Switzerland and being distributed by German company Koch Media. The cast features Cristiana Capotondi , Ambra Angiolini , Fiorella Mannoia , Maria Nazionale , Ottavia Piccolo , Violante Placido , Sabine Timoteo , Anne Consigny , Mimma Lovoi and Clémence Poésy . The film is based on the play of the same name by Stefano Massini, who wrote the screenplay with Placido, and is the story of 11 women, a mixture of manual labourers and office workers, who are called to the negotiation table when the owners of the textiles company they work for sell the majority of their shares to a multinational. In a short space of time they must decide, for themselves and on the behalf of their fellow colleagues, whether to accept the...

Iconic scenes from 'Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina' highlight Italy's North-South divide

If you’re in the mood for a quintessential old-school Italian comedy, look no further than “Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina.” Directed in the mid-1950s by Camillo Mastrocinque, the film has stood the test of time. Starring two of Italy’s most beloved comic actors, Totò (Antonio De Curtis) and Peppino De Filippo, it is widely regarded as one of the country’s most iconic comedies, showcasing mid-century Neapolitan humor. The film also features a young Nino Manfredi at the beginning of his prolific six-decade career. “Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina” is the story of two simple, old-fashioned brothers from Naples, Antonio and Peppino Caponi (Totò and De Filippo respectively), who embark on a trip up north to check on their young nephew Gianni. Gianni has moved to Milan and fallen for a seductive nightclub dancer named Marisa (Maria Luisa Mangini, aka Dorian Gray), whom they refer to as a “malafemmina,” meaning a “bad woman” or femme fatale. Believing she is corrupting him, Totò and Peppino ...

A Conversation with Actor- Luca Calvani from Warner Bros. Upcoming Release "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."

The cast and filmmakers of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. in Rome A few years ago, I interviewed actor, Luca Calvani on the occasion of his U.S. release, When in Rome . Today, we are revisiting our conversation as he is promoting his much anticipated spy thriller, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Directed by Guy Ritchie, the all-star cast includes Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris, and Hugh Grant. Based on the television series by Sam Rolfe, the story is set in the 1960's and follows CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin as they participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons. The U.S. release date is set for August 14, but the cast recently did some press for the film in the Eternal City, where much of it was shot. Luca Calvani Born in Tuscany, Calvani has traveled the world following his career. He began working as a model in the 1990's...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog