Italian Cinema Today

"Around 1918, (Francesca) Bertini was probably the most powerful woman in Italian cinema. She was certainly the highest paid, and her authoritative temperament and exorbitant privileges were so well known that they could even become an object of irony on screen."                                                                                                 -Women Film Pioneers Project

I recently stumbled upon the photography of silent film actress Tina Modotti and it's absolutely mesmerizing. Modotti was born in 1896 in the northern Italian city of Udine and  immigrated to the United States in 1913. She headed to San Francesco where her father had arrived earlier. There, she became involved in the performing arts and landed parts in plays, operas and silent films. Modotti was ahead of her time and a true working woman on the move. During the course of her life, she worked as a photographer, model, actress and political activist. She moved to Mexico City in the early 1920s and dedicated her life to political activism where she eventually joined the Mexican Communist Party. Her life thrived in Mexico City and her close circle of friends included artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Modotti died at the age of 45 of congestive heart failure while on her way home in a cab. Neruda wrote the epitaph for her grave stone: ...

Assia Noris in a 1938 Telefoni Bianchi film My discovery last December of a 1915 silent film by Francesca Bertini made me curious about other lesser known genres of Italian cinema. That curiosity led me on a cinema adventure in which I discovered a genres I never knew existed such as Italian Futurism, Telefoni Bianchi and Propaganda films. Bertini's "Assunta Spina" boasts a melodic soundtrack and stunning cinematography that captures the Bay of Naples during an era in which most of our America-bound ancestors were passing through. Filmmakers Bertini and Gustavo Serena created a timeless story of love, passion and envy. The restored version shows images of Naples that are surprising clear for being shot 100 years ago. "Assunta Spina" was indeed ahead of its time, and Bertini was not shy in acknowledging it. In 1982 at the age of 90, she said in an interview, "It had been my idea to wander around Naples taking ordinary people from the streets....

We’ve all seen those classic black and white pictures of the silent film era...  the glamour with all the mystery and nostalgia from an infinite time forever captured in a photo.   Silent film star, Louise Brooks is often at the center of those fascinating portraits.   Although Brooks seems to be the picture-perfect poster girl from days gone by, her life was far from perfect.   She lived through many dark days and suffered from bouts of profound depression. I was originally doing a story just on the life and work of Brooks. Then, I discovered an Italian connection, which so often happens. So, I am thrilled to share the story of Brooks on this blog about Italian art and cinema, because clearly she had an impact on both. I talked with Thomas Gladysz, an official expert on all things Louise Brooks.   He told me about Brooks the person and Brooks the actress.   He also talked about the Louise Brooks Society, an online community that he started to pay trib...