#ICFF16 Director Renzo Martinelli to Present "Ustica" in Toronto
Marco Leonardi in a scene from "Ustica"
On June 15, Director Renzo Martinelli will present the film "Ustica" in Toronto at the Italian Contemporary Film Festival. Based on a true story, Martinelli explores the unsolved mystery of a downed passenger plane in the Tyrrhenian sea between the islands of Ponza and Ustica, located in the stretch of sea between Rome and Palermo.
On June 27, 1980 at 8.59 pm, a DC9 belonging to the private Italian airline ITAVIA disappeared from radar without launching any emergency signal. The airplane was flying at cruise speed at an altitude of 7,600 meters, along the airway “AMBRA 13” when it suddenly crashed around the “CONDOR” point between the islands of Ponza and Ustica, sinking in the “Tyrrhenian trench”, which is 3,500 meters deep. All 81 people onboard died, including 14 children.
The wreckage and bodies that were recovered indicate something happened to the aircraft while in the air, whether that be an explosion or collision. Evidence shows the plane broke into two main sections. Many hypothesis have been raised to explain the possible cause of the crash such as structural failure of the airplane, a bomb in the rear bathroom, a missile or a mid-air collision with an American fighter jet, which is explored in depth in the film. As we see in the film, the few workers who actually saw what happened with their own eyes mysteriously died in the months following the crash. I thought this was fiction but after doing some research, I was surprised to see that those people really did pass away.
Director Renzo Martinelli
I recommend seeing "Ustica" because the plane crash is a part of recent history and an event that many North Americans don't know much about. However, I have a few criticisms. The film stars Marco Leonardi and my biggest issue is that his voice was dubbed. The film was made in English. Leonardi has appeared in a number of American films and lived in the United States for many years. So it's a mystery to me why the choice was made to dub his lines, especially since his wife in the film has a strong Italian accent. If I was attending the Q&A, this would be my first question. My other criticism is with the contrived script, which made it hard for the actors to recite their lines naturally. I think this film would have been much better if it was made in Italian and presented with English subtitles. With that said, I think it's an important history lesson on a somewhat recent current event and should not be missed. If you are unable to attend the screening, check out the website for the museum in Bologna- Museo per la memoria di Ustica, which houses the wreckage and personal belongings that were recovered in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Screening times and locations:
June 15 @ 9:30pm TIFF - Toronto
June 15 @ 7:00pm Cinema Cartier - Quebec City
June 16 @ 9:00pm Cinematheque Quebecois - Montreal
The 2017 David di Donatello award show, which took place on Monday, was an exciting event that celebrated many great contemporary talents of Italian cinema. I was fortunate to have seen most of the nominees. Among my personal favorites is Michele Vannucci's Il più grande sogno simply because it is based on one of the most inspiring, beautiful stories I've ever heard, and the person behind that story is as authentic and down-to-earth as they come. The film won the 3 Future Award, which is determined by the public. With Director Michele Vannucci and Actor Mirko Frezza I first saw Il più grande sogno last September when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. I didn't make it to Venice, but thanks to a great online platform called Festival Scope , which offers a handful of premieres to be screened on the web, I felt like I was there. The film itself blew me away, and then when I realized it was based on a true story, I knew t...
Photo Courtesy of Archivio Luce-Cinecitt à A retrospective dedicated to the films of Italian cinema icon Monica Vitti will be held from June 6 to June 19 at Lincoln Center in New York City. The 14-film series, titled "Monica Vitti: La Modernista," is presented by Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà and marks the first North American retrospective celebrating Vitti's 35-year career. "We are pleased to partner with Cinecittà to celebrate one of Italy's most revered actresses," said Film at Lincoln Center Vice President of Programming Florence Almozini. "It is a privilege to present decades' worth of films from Monica Vitti's illustrious and prolific career, especially with many restored versions of her legendary works." Monica Vitti, a key figure in film history, began her career in the mid-1950s and quickly became a captivating presence on screen. Her collaboration with director Michelangelo Antonioni produced memorable films in the 196...
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...
Fellini and Masina on the set of "La Strada" As open-hearted and sunny as Federico Fellini was dark and complex, they were perfect counterpoints during a half-century of marriage and professional collaboration. Nicknamed a “female Chaplin” and described by Chaplin himself as the actress who moved him most, Giulietta Masina confronted the tragedy of her characters with an eternal innocence and enthusiasm that gave Italians hope in the most challenging of times. Born in 1921 in San Giorgio di Piano, a commune north of Bologna, Masina was the oldest of four children born to a father who was a music professor and violinist and a mother who was a grade-school teacher. Her parents sent her as a child to live in Rome with her widowed aunt while she attended school there. As Masina took an early interest in gymnastics, her aunt saw in her a passion for performing and encouraged her to pursue acting. So after high school, Masina attended Rome’s La...
Gianni Minà and Cristiano de Florentiis Update February 2, 2017 It's recently been announced that documentary filmmaker Gianni Minà will receive an honorary Nastro d'Argento award for career achievement. Read the full story on Ansa Italian news. The World Premiere of “Pope Francis, Cuba and Fidel,” directed by Gianni Minà and presented by ICFF and AMBI screened in Toronto in occasion of the TIFF, Toronto International Film Festival, was met with standing ovation and appreciation from Canadian critics. ICFF Artistic Director Cristiano de Florentiis awarded Gianni Minà with the ICFF Award of Excellence for addressing themes of historical, economic, social and cultural development with insight, nuance, professionalism and personal commitment. Minà’s documentary explores the recent story of Cuba and its undisputed leader, Fidel Castro, through the lens of last year’s visit of Pope Francis to the Caribbean island. Fidel appears onscreen at age 89, his body marked by hi...
Comments
Post a Comment