Italian Cinema Today

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Open Roads: New Italian Cinema marks 25 years at Lincoln Center

Photo Courtesy of Oscilloscope Laboratories The 25th anniversary edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema is upon us, and it’s hard to believe that a quarter of a century has gone by since the first edition in 2001. This year’s lineup features 15 films that exemplify the richness and diversity of contemporary Italian cinema, from young filmmakers to veterans, from comedies to dramas to documentaries. “It’s always a pleasure to bring the most exciting new films in Italian cinema to our audience here in New York, and this year’s edition of Open Roads should prove especially stimulating, spotlighting some of Italy’s greatest up-and-coming talent, but also paying tribute to Roberto Rossellini , an absolutely pivotal, paradigm-shifting figure in the history of world cinema,” said Film at Lincoln Center Programmer Dan Sullivan. “Taken as a whole, this lineup offers some interesting propositions about the present and future of Italian cinema, while also deeply engaging with its incompar...

Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni navigate war’s heavy toll in 'Sunflower'

Vittorio De Sica’s 1970 drama “Sunflower” (“I girasoli”) is an emotionally charged and ultimately heartbreaking meditation on the lasting effects of war. Co-written by Tonino Guerra and De Sica’s decades-long collaborator, Cesare Zavattini , the film tells a profoundly human tale that grapples with love, loss and difficult choices. Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni star as Giovanna and Antonio, a young Italian couple who marry quickly during World War II in the hopes of delaying Antonio’s deployment. After only a few weeks together, Antonio is sent to the Russian front anyway. When he does not return after the war, Giovanna refuses to accept his presumed death. Her determination to uncover the truth leads her from Italy to the Soviet Union, where she traces his footsteps and discovers that her gut feeling was right. De Sica shows that war’s impact extends far beyond the battlefield. Antonio’s absence is a pain that never goes away, and Giovanna cannot make peace with it. Her des...

Review: Paola Coretellesi stars in her outstanding directorial debut 'C'è ancora domani'

An Italian box office hit and winner of six David di Donatello awards, “C'è ancora domani” (“There’s Still Tomorrow”) is actress Paola Cortellesi ’s highly regarded directorial debut. Set in the aftermath of World War II, the film paints a vivid portrait of post-war Rome, where liberation contrasts with lingering hardship. Cortellesi stars as Delia, a woman who lives within the strict confines of her role as wife and mother, dominated by her overbearing, abusive husband, Ivano ( Valerio Mastandrea ), and his demanding, bedridden father (Giorgio Colangeli). Her greatest hope rests on her daughter, Marcella (Romana Maggiora Vergano), whose engagement to the respectable Giulio (Francesco Centorame) seems, at first, like a possible escape from the cycle of female submission that comes with being on the brink of poverty. The story takes an emotional turn when a mysterious letter awakens Delia’s long-suppressed courage, pushing her to question the so-called traditional (gender) roles t...

Review: “Water and Sugar: Carlo Di Palma, The Colours of Life"

The 2016 documentary, “Water and Sugar: Carlo Di Palma, The Colours of Life” is a portrait of an artist told through memory, sincere admiration, and respect. Directed by Kurdish-Iranian filmmaker Fariborz Kamkari, the film pays homage to Carlo Di Palma , one of Italy’s most influential and beloved cinematographers, whose work helped define photography in both European art cinema and American independent filmmaking. The documentary is deeply moving and thought provoking because rather than following a traditional style of biography, the story unfolds gently, almost conversationally, the viewer hears from the collaborators, friends and family that shaped Di Palma’s life and work. Kamkari structures the film around interviews with those who knew Di Palma best: directors, collaborators, friends, journalists, and, most poignantly, his wife, Adriana Chiesa Di Palma, who travels the world revisiting the landscapes of his career. Her conversations are unhurried, allowing reflections to emerge ...

Federico Fellini brings Edgar Allen Poe tale to life in "Toby Dammit"

Terrance Stamp in a scene from Fellini's "Toby Dammit" Long before he portrayed General Zod in the first two “Superman” movies, English actor Terence Stamp lived in Italy and collaborated with some of the country's most renowned filmmakers, including Federico Fellini , Silvana Mangano , Monica Vitti and Pier Paolo Pasolini . The actor died in August at age 87, so to pay homage to his extraordinary six-decade-long career, we are spotlighting his collaboration with Fellini on a short film that served as the final segment in a three-part film inspired by Edgar Allen Poe tales. Loosely adapted from Poe’s story “Never Bet the Devil Your Head,” Fellini’s contribution to the 1968 “Spirits of the Dead” is notable for being as close to a horror film as Fellini ever created. A 40-minute frenzy of celebrity, decadence and damnation, his “Toby Dammit” appears along with contributions by Louis Malle and Roger Vadim, and stands out as the film’s most imaginative, unsettling and i...

Ettore Scola explores enduring friendships and lost ideals in 'C’eravamo tanto amati'

A scene from "C'eravamo tanti amati" Mixing both tragedy and humor, Ettore Scola ’s 1974 film “C’eravamo tanto amati” (“We All Loved Each Other So Much”) follows 30 years in the lives of three men and the woman they each adore. By examining how his generation changed after the war, Scola makes a film that reflects its era. Scola explores the moral, political and emotional evolution of Italy’s postwar generation and, in doing so, creates a film that is a chronicle of its time and a love letter to cinema. The story begins in the aftermath of World War II. Three friends — Antonio ( Nino Manfredi ), Gianni (Vittorio Gassman) and Nicola (Stefano Satta Flores) — emerge from the Italian Resistance with a shared dream of justice, equality and social renewal. They are united by their hope that the sacrifices of war will lead to a better world. But the decades that follow prove to be challenging as Italy undergoes massive social changes, from the postwar economic boom to the politi...