Documentary Filmmaker Gianni Minà presents "Pope Francis, Cuba and Fidel" in Toronto

Gianni Minà and Cristiano de Florentiis

Update February 2, 2017
It's recently been announced that documentary filmmaker Gianni Minà will receive an honorary Nastro d'Argento award for career achievement. Read the full story on Ansa Italian news.

The World Premiere of “Pope Francis, Cuba and Fidel,” directed by Gianni Minà and presented by ICFF and AMBI screened in Toronto in occasion of the TIFF, Toronto International Film Festival, was met with standing ovation and appreciation from Canadian critics.

ICFF Artistic Director Cristiano de Florentiis awarded Gianni Minà with the ICFF Award of Excellence for addressing themes of historical, economic, social and cultural development with insight, nuance, professionalism and personal commitment.

Minà’s documentary explores the recent story of Cuba and its undisputed leader, Fidel Castro, through the lens of last year’s visit of Pope Francis to the Caribbean island. Fidel appears onscreen at age 89, his body marked by his venerable age, but also by a consistently determined spirit; he emphasizes the value of the revolution that he began over sixty years ago in Cuba.

“Fidel Castro was the only one to lead both a revolution and a country, Cuba, which - despite the long suffering - has never known defeat,” said Minà at the conclusion of the Q&A to the audience.

The protagonists of Minà’s film are, in addition to Castro, Castro’s brother Raul, President Barack Obama, and many other witnesses of the long Cuban epopee. Above all, the inimitable figure of Pope Francis, considered one of the leading protagonists in the ‘thawing’ of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States, gives the film its title and lasting impact.

The screening of the documentary was presented jointly by the Italian Contemporary Film Fesitval (ICFF) and AMBI Pictures, founded by producers Andrea Iervolino and Lady Monika Bacardi. ICFF is an official partner of the TIFF Bell Lightbox.

AMBI is also currently present in the official selection of TIFF 2016 with the feature film In Dubious Battle, directed by James Franco, as well as the latest production from director Philippe Falardeau, The Bleeder. The documentary ‘Pope Francis, Cuba and Fidel’ is produced by GME Production and distributed by RAI.Com and AMBI Distribution.

Comments

Luminous Legacies: Yoichi Ohira’s Murano Glass at Magazzino Italian Art

A new exhibition in Cold Spring, New York, is bringing the luminous legacy of Murano glassmaking into focus through the work of Japanese artist Yoichi Ohira. “Yoichi Ohira: Japan in Murano” is on view at Magazzino Italian Art until February 2027. The exhibit showcases the work of Ohira, who became a leading figure in the design of Venetian glassworks on the island of Murano. The exhibition features works that highlight the uniqueness of Ohira’s art across the decades of his career. Ohira’s earliest Murano works blend Venetian glass techniques with his own style. These pieces show balanced shapes, clear surfaces, and striking color combinations. His Venezia e l’Oriente (Venice and the Orient) decanters reflect Venice’s ties to the East, creating vases inspired by Marco Polo’s tales with a modern twist. The exhibition shows Ohira’s respect for Murano’s glass masters, displaying objects alongside preparatory drawings that map ideas to the final works of art. It also explores ho...

The Legend of Alberto Sordi - Rome's Eternal Son

′′They will always judge you, whether you behave well or if you behave badly. So screw it and live as you want but above all don't listen to anyone.′′ - Alberto Sordi By giving his fellow Italians something to laugh about during tumultuous times, he emerged as his generation’s King of Comedy. One of Italy’s best-loved personalities, Alberto Sordi played a pivotal role in Italian cinema from the end of World War II to the postwar economic boom of the 1950s. During those tumultuous years, he gave his countrymen a hearty laugh when they might have otherwise cried. Former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi perhaps said it best: “Alberto Sordi interpreted the feelings of Italians, especially in their most difficult and tough moments.” Born in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome in 1920, Sordi grew up in a creative household. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father, a professional musician for the Rome Opera House. A young Sordi joined the children’s choir o...

Alessandro Gassmann: Born to Act

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda" Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty. He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence. Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play ...

Netflix's 'Il Gattopardo" — A classic reborn

Netflix photo A new Netflix series adaptation of “The Leopard,” based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s seminal novel, is captivating audiences worldwide. Directed by British filmmaker Tom Shankland, the series revisits the iconic tale first brought to the screen by Luchino Visconti in 1963. Set against the backdrop of 1860s Sicily during the Risorgimento, the film follows Prince Fabrizio Salina (Kim Rossi Stuart), an aging aristocrat witnessing the decline of the Sicilian nobility and the rise of a new social order. As Garibaldi’s forces land in Sicily, the prince reflects on the now-fleeting aristocratic way of life. His nephew Tancredi (Saul Nanni) embraces the changes and aligns himself with the new order, famously stating, “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.” Prince Fabrizio, once the epitome of male, moneyed privilege, finds himself grappling with a changing world where his way of life is becoming obsolete. He comes to realize that the aristocracy ...

The Sweetness and Genius of Giulietta Masina

Fellini and Masina on the set of "La Strada" As open-hearted and sunny as Federico Fellini was dark and complex, they were perfect counterpoints during a half-century of marriage and professional collaboration. Nicknamed a “female Chaplin” and described by Chaplin himself as the actress who moved him most, Giulietta Masina confronted the tragedy of her characters with an eternal innocence and enthusiasm that gave Italians hope in the most challenging of times. Born in 1921 in San Giorgio di Piano, a commune north of Bologna, Masina was the oldest of four children born to a father who was a music professor and violinist and a mother who was a grade-school teacher. Her parents sent her as a child to live in Rome with her widowed aunt while she attended school there. As Masina took an early interest in gymnastics, her aunt saw in her a passion for performing and encouraged her to pursue acting. So after high school, Masina attended Rome’s La...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog