Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts from April, 2015

Three Generations of Cinema Icon Silvana Mangano

Silvana Mangano is one of Italy's most memorable leading ladies. She was born in Rome on April 21, 1930 and grew up amid conditions of poverty during World War II.   She persevered through those tough times training as a dancer.   Then in 1946, she won the Miss Rome beauty pageant, a victory that gave her the push she needed to discover her destiny. Just three years later, she landed a role in one of the most influential films of Italian cinema, Riso Amaro (Bitter Rice) by  Giuseppe De Santis. The film was one of the first of the Neorealism film movement and received an Academy Award nomination in 1950.   Produced by Mangano's husband, the prolific filmmaker, Dino De Laurentiis,   Riso Amaro is a multi-layered story, which called on Mangano's talent and sex appeal to pull off the part of a peasant girl who could manipulate just about anyone with her beauty. The story follows three main characters through the rice-planting season in northern Italy  during World Wa

Cristina Comencini to present film at Open Roads: New Italian Cinema film series in NYC

It was just announced on Friday that director, Cristina Comencini will be attending the North American premiere of her latest film, Latin Lover at the 2015 edition of Lincoln Center’s annual film series, Open Roads: New Italian Cinema. The female ensemble comedy tells the story of four sisters. Ten years after the death of their father, the famous actor, Saverio (Francesco Scianna), they are forced to face secrets buried in the past.The film explores the consequences of infidelity and how the offspring of multiple marriages and affairs have to deal with the voids, resentment and in this case, sisters from other mothers. I felt a lot of anger while I watched this film, anger towards the man that created all this drama, an arrogant, aloof, self-centered actor, portrayed perfectly by Sicilian born, Francesco Scianna. A few years ago, Maria Sole Tognazzi’s film, L’uomo che ama (The Man Who Loves) was presented at Open Roads. It showed infidelity through the eyes of a man whose fiancĂ©

Tribeca Film Festival 2015: Vittorio and Paolo Taviani's "Wondrous Boccaccio"

Updated 4 January 2016 "Wondrous Boccaccio" has been added to the lineup of the 2016 European Union Film Festival in Chicago, which will run March 4 – 31 at the Gene Siskel Film Center. Click here to get your Festival Pass. From the dramatic music of the opening credits to the last frame of film, "Wondrous Boccaccio" is a poetic, surreal and yes, wondrous escape back in time. Based on stories written in the 14th century by Giovanni Boccaccio in "The Decameron", the film depicts the dark ages of Tuscany during the plague when grave diggers couldn't keep up with the demand. Iconic filmmakers, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani live up to their reputation by creating an atmosphere of loss, tragedy, fear, struggle and most importantly, hope. The film opens with the dreary, grey atmosphere of a doomed city whose inhabitants are dying at an alarming number. Mass graves filled with children and adults alike are dug daily with mourning relatives desparately

Festival del Cinema Europeo begins today

The festival del cinema europeo begins today with a special section dedicated to actress, Paola Cortellesi.. For more information, visit their website.. Festival del Cinema Europeo

Vito Facciolla Talks About his Character in 'Anime Nere'

Interview: Vito Facciolla - "Pasquale" Today is the day that we Italian cinema aficionados have been waiting for: Anime nere (Black Souls) officially opens on this side of the Atlantic. We meet Pasquale in the opening moments of Anime nere and he stays with us during the duration of the film, giving support and a bit of comedy relief to the characters as well as the audience as we all watch and digest the painful tones of  the story. Vito Facciolla is a Pugliese-born character actor with a wicked sense of humor and impeccable comic timing. He's appeared in a number of Italian films including, Kim Rossi Stuart's, Angel of Evil . However, it seems that Facciolla is really starting to hit his stride. He had a a key role in Ricky Tognazzi's recent RAI television movie, Pietro Mennea - La Freccia del Sud   and is experiencing international stardom with the success of Francesco Munzi's Anime nere . We have much more to discover about Vito Facciolla, b

Countdown to April 10th U.S. Release of "Black Souls" - Day 3

Interview: Sebastiano Filocamo "Antonio Tallura" Sebastiano Filocamo is a highly respected character actor with an impressive resume to his credit. He's worked in just about every genre of performance including theater, television and film. He's worked with international filmmakers such as Roman Polanski and Gerard Depardieu. Before I knew about his long list of career achievements, I noticed something special about Filocamo when I watched his performance in "Anime nere".  He is a supporting actor in the film, but he owns his scenes and has a commanding presence in the brief time we see him on screen. When I contacted him for an interview, he was very enthusiastic to talk about his experience working on the film. After corresponding with him during our interview, I have come to understand the tremendous depth of passion and love he has for his work. He is truly an artist in every sense of the word. I am so grateful for having found this amazing talent

Countdown to April 10th U.S. Release of "Black Souls" - Day 4

Interview: Peppino Mazzotta - "Rocco" Everyone interprets art differently. That’s what makes it so beautiful. It’s an expression of the person creating it and the person admiring it. For me, “Anime nere” (Black Souls) is two separate pieces of art. It’s a beautifully, articulately written story. On the other hand, it’s an explosion of visual performance. I watched the film twice. The first time, I followed the story and carefully read the subtitles because I didn’t want to miss a thing, especially with all the dialect. So let’s put aside the stunning lighting and cinematography and focus a bit on the performances. There are so many elements that make up the cast. We have Marco Leonardi who worked in American cinema for nearly a decade. He definitely brought an element of the American mafia story with his subtle sense of humor and arrogant confidence. When I mentioned this “lightness” to the director of the film and also to Peppino Mazzotta, they didn’t quite understand