Italian Cinema Today

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"Ennio" — Portrait of a Genius

Though he wasn't a filmmaker, his name is inextricably bound with Italian cinema and some of Hollywood's biggest blockbusters. Known for his longtime collaborations with directors Giuseppe Tornatore, Sergio Leone, and Quentin Tarantino, Ennio Morricone created the soundtracks for Italian classics like "Cinema Paradiso" and "Malena" and American films like "The Hateful Eight," for which he won an Oscar, and "The Untouchables." Now, we have a deeply moving documentary that immerses us in the life and music of this modest genius. Written and directed by Tornatore, "Ennio" traces Morricone's path to becoming a renowned composer, focusing on his work on numerous films. It features archival and original footage, poignant interviews with Morricone conducted between 2015 and 2016, and heartfelt conversations with his peers and collaborators. The film spans Morricone's 80+ years in music, from trumpet lessons at six years old to

Review: “Hitler Versus Picasso and the Others” by Claudio Poli

A compelling 2018 documentary by Claudio Poli aims to shed light on a chapter of Nazi history that is still relevant today. “Hitler Versus Picasso and the Others” is the story of how the Führer didn’t just take countless human lives but also robbed a whole culture of its artistic heritage. Narrated by actor Toni Servillo, “Hitler Versus Picasso and the Others” takes viewers on an incredible journey in search of masterpieces stolen during World War II. The stories of individual works are told by people who witnessed the looting, much of which took place during raids on homes and galleries belonging to Jewish collectors. The documentary reveals that 600,000 works of art were stolen from private owners, museums, churches and galleries. The confiscated artwork was either kept by the Nazi elite, warehoused, sold or destroyed in bonfires. Few benefited more from this large-scale heist than Hildebrand Gurlitt, Hitler’s so-called art dealer, who kept many of the most priceless treasures for

Retrospective dedicated to Sophia Loren, June 7 - 13 at Lincoln Center

Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà is presenting an exceptional retrospective of Sophia Loren’s work, June 7 - 13. “Sophia Loren: La Signora di Napoli” will showcase 13 films celebrating her distinguished career. “I am very happy to promote this retrospective journey to celebrate Sophia Loren at Film at Lincoln Center,” said Chiara Sbarigia, president of Cinecittà. “As we review the long gallery of unforgettable characters that she has portrayed, we give back to the audience a universal talent admired by diverse generations worldwide.” The retrospective will showcase new restorations of films rarely seen on the big screen in the United States, including her early roles in films such as "Poverty and Nobility" and "The Sign of Venus," her stunning portrayal of a peasant opposite Omar Sharif in Francesco Rosi’s 1967 period drama, “More than a Miracle,” as well as her Oscar-winning performance in Vittorio De Sica’s 1961 "Two Women." The series

Documentary showcases the art of photography in Sicily

A visual love letter to the Sicilian culture and landscape, Sergio Gianfalla’s documentary “Sicily in Photographs” features images taken by a few of the island’s most renowned photographers, including Angelo Pitrone, Melania Messina and Mauro D’Agati, and the stories behind them. The film begins with the photographers talking about what initially sparked their interest in photography and then what fueled their passion to master their craft. We are then taken through the Sicilian countryside for a firsthand look at the natural landscape that has captured their intrigue through the years. “The calling of the lens around here has been irresistible, and it seems that the landscape itself cannot help but pose,” the narrator says. The photographers talk about Sicily’s enchantment seen through their lenses and the lenses of their colleagues and how the landscape has changed through the years. Pitrone talks about the generation of photographers that came before him, including Franco Fontan

Michelangelo Frammartino's "Il buco" — Unearthing our past

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

Pasolini's Playground of Roman Ruins

Anna Magnani in a scene from "Mamma Roma" Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1962 “Mamma Roma” starring Anna Magnani , follows the title character, a Roman prostitute determined to change her life and give her son the opportunities she never had. She seizes the opportunity to leave her life on the streets behind when her pimp (Franco Citti) gets married and frees her from his possession. Mamma then goes to the small provincial town of Guidonia to fetch her son, Ettore (Ettore Garofolo), and bring him to Rome to embark on their new life together. She buys a pushcart, finds an apartment in a nice neighborhood, and uses her connections to secure him a job in a restaurant. However, Ettore gets mixed up with boys who are petty thieves and is negatively influenced by them. At the same time, Mamma Roma’s pimp resurfaces and sends her back to the streets. When Ettore learns about his mother’s prostitution, he goes astray and wholeheartedly joins in on the petty crimes of the boys. One day, while