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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
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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

A look back at a legend honored

As 2023 has drawn to a close, we look back at one event that honored a living legend. Organizers of the 80 th  edition of the Venice Film Festival, which ran August 30 – September 9, recognized several iconic artists. Tributes included a film retrospective dedicated to Gina Lollobrigida , who passed away in January.   One special recognition went to director Liliana Cavani , who was awarded a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. Now 90 years old, Cavani was there to receive her award and later presented her new film, "L'ordine del tempo,” which premiered out of competition.    Actress Charlotte Rampling, who starred in Cavani’s 1974 devastating Holocaust drama, "Il portiere di notte" (The Night Porter) , presented Cavani with the award.    Charlotte Rampling in "The Night Porter" “From the early 1960s, Liliana Cavani has been forcing us to confront the beautiful, the ugly, and the unresolved. With her relentless questioning through her documentaries and fi

Simona Tabasco Beyond 'The White Lotus'

Photo: Fabio Lovino/HBO She became an international overnight sensation for her role in the HBO hit series “The White Lotus,” but she’s no stranger to Italian moviegoers. Born in Naples in 1994, Simona Tabasco started acting when she was just 8 years old. Her craft is second nature to her now, but acting didn’t always come easily. In an interview with Forbes, she explained, “The spark that started my acting career didn’t happen right away when I started acting, but it broke out during the last 10 years.” Her first feature film role came around that time in Edoardo De Angelis’ 2014 crime drama “Perez,” for which she received the Nastri d’Argento Premio Biraghi, an award designated for young artists. In it, Tabasco portrays Tea Perez, the daughter of a famous Neapolitan criminal lawyer, played by Luca Zingaretti . When she falls in love with the son of a Camorra boss, her father must walk a fine line between his professional ethics and his love for his daughter. Tabasco brought depth an

Agnès Varda's NYC footage of Pier Paolo Pasolini to make its North American Premiere at the New York Film Festival

A recently recovered film treasure will make its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival next week.  “Pier Paolo Pasolini – Agnès Varda – New York – 1967” is a short documentary shot with 16 mm color film by the French director Agnès Varda in New York City. The two were in town for the 4th edition of the New York Film Festival. The footage shows Pasolini walking around Times Square narrated by a Q&A voiceover between the two discussing filmmaking, Christianity and life.    The clarity is stunning for a film made more than 50 years ago. The footage was discovered in 2021, two years after Varda’s death, and restored by Cine-Tamaris, in collaboration with L’Immagine Ritrovata.   The film will precede screenings of Alice Rohrwacher’s “La Chimera” and other NYFF61 Main Slate selections, including Pictures of Ghosts, and Revivals selection Return to Reason: Short Films by Man Ray.   Click here for the complete lineup and schedule.

Fortunato Verduci's latest project reflects his Calabrese pride

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

Tommaso Ragno: From Stage to Screen

Tommaso Ragno in a scene from "Nostalgia" A seasoned character actor, his performances reflect the diversity and intensity of his stage training as well as his knack for comic timing. Born in 1967 in the region of Puglia, Tommaso Ragno grew up in the north of Italy and studied acting at the Paolo Grassi School of Dramatic Arts in Milan. In 1988, he appeared in his first stage production, which was directed by Mario Martone, a filmmaker who would have a huge impact on his work.    Ragno continued perfecting his craft, building a distinguished career as a theater actor for a decade before his gradual transition into film. During those early years, he worked with renowned directors on productions ranging from Shakespeare to Eduardo De Filippo.   Though he built an impressive theater resume, he was destined for success beyond the stage. His first screen role came in 1997 in Davide Ferrario’s “Tutti giù per terra” (All Down to Earth), followed by parts in various television series