Rocco Papaleo: Basilicata Coast to Coast

Born in the southern Italian region of Basilicata, Rocco Papaleo has been working in cinema, television, theatre and cabaret for three decades. He's a familiar face to Italians and a naturally funny person whose jokester ways have made for many funny skits on variety shows and television series while his keen acting skills have made him one of Italy's most beloved character actors.

Papaleo grew up in Lauria, a small city located in the province of Potenza in Basilicata. He moved to Rome when he was 18 years of age. Although acting seems second nature to him, it was not his chosen field. He originally majored in mathematics and planned on becoming a teacher. He had a change of heart after he saw how much a friend who was studying acting enjoyed her craft. It was not long after that change of heart that Papaleo starting working in the industry. He spent the first part of his career on stage and on the small screen and then moved to feature films in the '90s.

Basilicata Coast to Coast

Papaleo has been a star and popular figure in Italy since the beginning of his career, but the success of his 2010 film, "Basilicata Coast to Coast," extended his appeal to international shores. The film documents the journey of four down-on-their-luck musicians and a journalist as they make their way on foot to a music festival on the other side of the region. The film is Papaleo's love letter to the Italian region in which he was raised, and if you know anything about Basilicata, you will appreciate the references that are made in this film, which include Basilicata's hero freedom fighter Carmine Crocco, its wine, Aglianico del Vulture, its patron saints, its traditions and its beautiful rolling countryside. "Basilicata Coast to Coast" made its North American premiere in 2010 at the film festival, Open Roads: New Italian Cinema. The Film Society of Lincoln Center hosts the annual festival, which showcases the most innovative films in contemporary Italian cinema. I talked with Papaleo and asked him where he found the inspiration to make a film about a group of people walking across an entire region. "I like walking and I think it's very interesting for a man to walk to find a relationship with the earth and I think it's the most authentic contact to have with the earth. Each of the characters in the movie had his or her own problem, so I felt that walking was a good way for them to re-examine their lives and search for answers."

"È nata una star?"

In 2012, he teamed up with fellow comic, Luciana Littizzetto for the hilarious story about parents who discover their son is secretly appearing in pornographic movies. "È nata una star?" was co-written and directed by filmmaker Lucio Pellegrini and also stars Pietro Castellitto, the son of Sergio Castellitto and his wife, novelist Margaret Mazzantini. The role showcases Papaleo's genius comic timing, and some of his scenes will have you crying with laughter. His chemistry with Littizzetto is undeniable and the two beloved Italian comedians are a match made in heaven for this wildly funny scenario.

"Un boss in salotto"

The following year was also a prolific year for Papaleo. He once again stepped behind the camera to write and direct the comedy, "Una piccola impresa meridionale." The film stars Barbora Bobulova who goes through great lengths to protect her politically incorrect family from the curiosity and gossip of the town. In the end, it's a story that demonstrates the strength of unity. He also co-starred in the 2014 New Year's Day release, "Un boss in salotto" in which he plays the role of Ciro Cimmaruta, a long lost brother with ties to the mafia who shows up at his sisters doorstep, immediately joining the family. Again, Papaleo manages to deliver a most hilarious performance, but also shows us the sentimental side of this petty criminal, especially as he gets to know his adorable niece and nephew.

Comments

The Timeless Talent of Stefania Sandrelli

On screen since the tender age of 14, she has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with a compelling combination of strength and vulnerability. She achieved stardom at just 14 years old playing the angelic cousin of a love-struck Marcello Mastroianni in Pietro Germi’s “Divorce Italian Style.” More than half a century later, she is still going strong and remains one of Italy’s most esteemed actors. Stefania Sandrelli was born on June 5, 1946, in Viareggio in the province of Lucca in northern Italy. As a child, she studied music and dance. Then in 1960, she won a beauty pageant and was featured on the cover of Le Ore magazine. Her purity captivated the country and shortly thereafter, movie offers began pouring in. Just one year later, she made her cinema debut in three feature films: Mario Sequi’s Gioventù di notte , Luciano Salce’s The Fascist, and Pietro Germi’s Divorce Italian Style . She instantly became a star and before long was a key figure in Italy’s legend...

'Salvatore Giuliano' blends documentary realism with dramatic storytelling

"Salvatore Giuliano" is a 1962 Italian crime drama directed by Francesco Rosi that dramatizes the real-life events surrounding the life and death of the legendary Sicilian bandit and folk hero. Giuliano rose to notoriety after the liberation of Sicily from fascist control in 1943, when he formed a gang that joined a separatist army. When the army dissolved, he and his gang intensified their outlaw activities. One of their most significant crimes was the Portella della Ginestra incident, during which dozens of men, women, and children were killed or wounded. This act prompted the authorities to launch an all-out war against Giuliano. His defenses slowly crumbled, and on July 5, 1959, his body was discovered in the courtyard of a house in Castelvetrano. That moment serves as the starting point for Rosi's film. Giuliano's fame is tied to his involvement in the Sicilian independence movement and his battles against both the Italian government and the Mafia in the 1940s a...

"Roma 11:00" – The Tragic True Story of Desperation in a World of Poverty

There couldn’t have been a more perfect couple than Lucia Bosè and Raf Vallone in Giuseppe De Santis’ 1952 “Roma 11:00.” A tragic story based on true events, the film follows several young women in post-WWII Rome as they answer a job listing for a typist. When 200 women are in line on one staircase over several floors, a crack leads to the collapse of the entire staircase. Dozens were injured and one was killed. The tragedy spoke to the poverty and desperation that existed for so many Italians in the early 1950s before the ‘58 industrial boom began. Cesare Zavattini was one of the screenwriters. Elio Petri was the assistant director who interviewed many of the victims and cast a few in supporting roles. In addition to Bosè and Vallone, the film stars Carla Del Poggio, Massimo Girotti, Maria Grazia Francia, Lea Padovani and Delia Scala. The film is set in Largo Circense 37, while in reality the collapse took place in via Savoia 31, in the Salario district, on J...

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

Gianfranco Rosi to premiere 'Sotto le nuvole' at Venice Film Fest, exploring Naples' history

Documentary filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi will premiere his much-anticipated latest film at the upcoming 82nd Venice International Film Festival , which runs August 27 - Sept. 6. "Sotto le nuvole" (Below the Clouds) takes a deep dive into the rich history and culture of Naples and the area surrounding Mount Vesuvius. There has not been much information revealed but so far, we know that the film will focus on themes similar to those explored by Rosi in his previous works, such as the examination of Roman culture in "Sacro GRA" (2013) and Lampedusa's refugee crisis in "Fuocoammare" (2016). The film's synopsis reads, “The land around Vesuvius is a vast palimpsest. On the surface, underground and even beneath the sea of the modern city of Naples and its surroundings, the memory of history is etched into tunnels, walls and fissures, the remains of women, children and men — statues, buried cities. Only thin layers separate contemporary and ancient life, an...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog