Italian Cinema Today

When a team of speleologists descended 700 meters into the Bifurto Abyss in Cosenza, Calabria, in 1961, they discovered that the underground caverns were the third deepest in the world and the deepest in Europe. Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Frammartino retraces that mission six decades later with a cast of locals and their livestock in his latest documentary, “Il buco” (“The Hole”). Inspiration for the film came while he was on location shooting his 2007 documentary, “Le quattro volte” (“Four Times”). Officials in the Pollino mountains, which stretch between Calabria and Basilicata, showed him what appeared to be just another sinkhole. Frammartino failed to understand their enthusiasm until they tossed a large stone into the void. It disappeared without making a sound. He was so overcome by the experience and the eerie landscape, he was haunted for years, compelling him to make his current film, one of many rooted in nature. “I was born in Milan, but my family is from Calabria. My pa...

Calabrese actor and musician Fortunato Verduci has a new project; an enchanting music video celebrating the land he loves so much. Set at the Castle of Santo Niceto, an 11th-century Byzantine castle situated on a hilltop in Motta San Giovanni in the province of Reggio Calabria, Verduci and model Maryame Jafire recite a tale of love to the organetto-inspired song, “l'amuri effectu.” Directed by photographer and video editor Vincenzo Sanci, the song is performed by musicians Giuseppe Lucà, who is also a manufacturer of traditional Calabrian instruments, and Antonio Nicolò, a renowned expert in wind instruments who boasts collaborations with various international artists.   According to Verduci, the song is about love. “It talks about the sun and the moon, about an impossible love. When there is one, the other is missing,” he explained.” He goes on to say, “However, maybe the intense feelings of love can bring the sun and moon together. We wanted to insert the perfect opposite alrea...

Ciccio's Olive Groves In this week’s edition of Cibo & Cinema, a look at olive harvesting in Calabria with one of my favorite short films- Luigi Di Gianni’s 1967 “Tempo di Raccolta,” which documents a day in the life of Calabrese women as they work in the olive groves of the region.  The majestic trees, Di Gianni’s evocative use of traditional music, and the interplay of sun and shadow on autumn days transform the film into a rich visual and auditory experience. Scenes of women from different generations working side by side—the elders filling baskets while the younger ones carry them away—create a portrait of harmony and fulfillment. I talked with Pennsylvania-based, Calabrese olive oil producer Giuseppe “Pino” Pugliano who co-founded Ciccio's Olives with his wife, Laura. Their family farm is located in Vena di Máida, which is located in the province of Catanzaro. He told me about the modernization of harvesting olives and how the process has changed since Di Gianni made ...

Marcello Fonte in a scene from “Aspromonte: La terra degli ultimi” A gifted actor, Marcello Fonte has made a career out of effortlessly transforming himself into every character he plays. Born in Melito di Porto Salvo at the southern tip of Calabria, Fonte learned his craft on the fly while working a variety of jobs, including fruit vendor, butcher and barber. During those years of balancing day jobs with small parts, he landed roles in Alice Rohrwacher’s “Corpo celeste” (Heavenly Body) and Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York.” In 2015, Fonte stepped behind the camera to co-direct as well as act in “Asino volo” (Donkey Flies), a coming-of-age story about Maurizio, a headstrong 7-year-old who has to fight to realize his dream of playing the snare drum in the town band. He does so with the counsel and support of a wise donkey and in the face of resistance from his mother, who views music as a luxury the family can’t afford. The film made its North American premiere at Canada...

Fortunato Verduci made a name for himself in his native Calabria as a musician specializing in traditional folk songs. One day, he received a call to audition for an American production being shot on location in his region. Three years later, he is responsible for helping to create some of the most memorable scenes in television, which thanks to VOD platforms like Netflix and Amazon, represent Calabria on the international stage.  Born in the Calabrian commune of Motta San Giovanni, located on a mountain top overlooking the Ionian sea, Verduci was raised by a family of musicians. “I grew up to the sound of the tarantella and since I was a child. I’ve accompanied my father with the Motta folk group to play and dance around Italy and Europe. The dance facilitated me in acting because I was used to performing in front of the audience.” Verduci didn’t initially have plans to pursue an acting career. A few years ago, word got around that an international film crew was shootin...

Production is underway for the first project of Lu.Ca. , the new film initiative in which the film commissions of Calabria and Basilicata have joined forces. Shooting for The Millionairs is taking place in the Pollino National Park, the largest protected area in Europe. Directed by the award-winning actor Claudio Santamaria, who is of Basilicata origin, the short film is being produced by his longtime friend and colleague,  Gabriele Mainetti , director of the award-winning, They call me Jeeg Robot . Check back here and on our Twitter page for updates on this new, exciting project.

He’s had roles in some of the biggest Italian blockbusters of the new millennium and each time, he portrayed a fearless protagonist willing to fight until the end against organized crime.  Sicilian born actor, Domenico Centamore is proud of his heritage, expressing that pride by working on films that make strong statements against the corruption his culture has had to endure. He’s had roles in  popular mafia-themed films such as I cento passi (One Hundred Steps), La mafia uccide solo d’estate (The Mafia Only Kills in Summer) and Anime nere  (Black Souls). Centamore has an impressive list of credits to his name, always portraying complex characters, some of which seem to border on insanity. His gaze is penetrating, as you can see in the clip below from I cento passi with Luigi Lo Cascio, and he sincerely gives a performance that comes straight from the soul. When we began our informal interview a few weeks ago, Centamore at first seemed a man of few words ...

Interview: Vito Facciolla - "Pasquale" Today is the day that we Italian cinema aficionados have been waiting for: Anime nere (Black Souls) officially opens on this side of the Atlantic. We meet Pasquale in the opening moments of Anime nere and he stays with us during the duration of the film, giving support and a bit of comedy relief to the characters as well as the audience as we all watch and digest the painful tones of  the story. Vito Facciolla is a Pugliese-born character actor with a wicked sense of humor and impeccable comic timing. He's appeared in a number of Italian films including, Kim Rossi Stuart's, Angel of Evil . However, it seems that Facciolla is really starting to hit his stride. He had a a key role in Ricky Tognazzi's recent RAI television movie, Pietro Mennea - La Freccia del Sud   and is experiencing international stardom with the success of Francesco Munzi's Anime nere . We have much more to discover about Vito Facciolla, b...

Interview: Peppino Mazzotta - "Rocco" Everyone interprets art differently. That’s what makes it so beautiful. It’s an expression of the person creating it and the person admiring it. For me, “Anime nere” (Black Souls) is two separate pieces of art. It’s a beautifully, articulately written story. On the other hand, it’s an explosion of visual performance. I watched the film twice. The first time, I followed the story and carefully read the subtitles because I didn’t want to miss a thing, especially with all the dialect. So let’s put aside the stunning lighting and cinematography and focus a bit on the performances. There are so many elements that make up the cast. We have Marco Leonardi who worked in American cinema for nearly a decade. He definitely brought an element of the American mafia story with his subtle sense of humor and arrogant confidence. When I mentioned this “lightness” to the director of the film and also to Peppino Mazzotta, they didn’t quite understand ...