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Showing posts from August, 2016

A Hungarian Filmmaker and his Italian Story about a German Philosopher

It's been a tough couple weeks watching the images of people- children in particular- suffering through war and natural disasters. First, we saw the heartbreaking image of a toddler being pulled from the wreckage of a bombing in Aleppo, Syria. Little did we know it was just the beginning of a week of similar images.. children being pulled from collapsed buildings after the earthquake in Amatrice, Italy. Some children made it out alive, while many others didn't. Among the images that struck me the hardest was a rescue worker reassuring an elderly woman buried in rubble, the rescue of 10-year-old Giulia and the countless shots of dogs- whether they were being rescued, helping with the rescue or sitting by the coffins of their masters. The dogs in particular that were rescued made me curious about their backstories and that reminded me of a clever, dark and mysterious film I saw a few years ago by Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr. So, I thought it would be an appropriate way to co

Basilicata: Terra di Cinema - Interview: Actor Walter Nicoletti of “Jesus VR - The Story of Christ”

Cinema history is about to be made at the 73rd edition of the Venice FilmFestival coming up in September. The festival just announced the world premiere screening, in a special 40-minute preview, of “Jesus VR - The Story of Christ”, the first Virtual Reality feature-length film ever made. The 90-minute film covers all of Jesus’s life and death, from his baptism to the Last Supper to his crucifixion. Shot in Basilicata’s ancient Sassi district of Matera, the film will be released to the public in December on all major mobile and premium VR platforms. “I am beyond thrilled to be a part of this groundbreaking project. It’s as exciting a take on the story of Christ as I’ve ever seen and its production values will absolutely set a new benchmark for virtual reality,” said executive producer Enzo Sisti in a statement about the film. Sisti worked on Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” , which was also filmed in Matera. “The viewers truly feel they are there with Jesus and his dis

Sunday Cibo & Cinema goes Old School: My Interview with Dom DeLuise

A few years before he passed away in 2009, I had the great pleasure of talking with actor and comedian extraordinaire Dom DeLuise. It was a phone interview for Fra Noi Magazine. My editor had asked me to choose an Italian American filmmaker that month. As I grew up in the '70s with my parents watching the films of DeLuise and Burt Reynolds, I've always had an affection for him, so I reached out to ask for an interview and was thrilled when his publicist granted my request. Our conversation will always remain a beautiful memory. He was so down-to-earth and enthusiastic. I discovered that his Italian origins hailed from the Basilicata region of Italy like mine, so it was a nice surprise to learn we had something in common. DeLuise has a list of film, television and stage credits that few could match. He worked with icons of television and cinema, becoming one himself, and also did the voices for cartoons such as "An American Tail" and "All Dogs Go To Heaven.&q

Michel Petrucciani: His Artistic Legacy in our Shallow World

It seems lately that we are living in dark days. We turn on the computer or the news to hear political candidates saying the most cruel thing one can muster up. We are living in days of social media "friends" who in reality are not "friends" at all. People lie, cheat, steal, copy others and manipulate to get ahead. People bully on the internet, cowardly hiding behind a keyboard. Their little fingers clamoring away to compose a nasty tweet or message to make themselves feel more important. There is hate and rage and intolerance like we've never seen. There are people literally walking across continents because their homes were destroyed. I remember the Bosnian war in the 90's- the genocide, the mass graves, the heartbreaking images of elderly women walking ridiculous distances to find shelter and safety. It seems that history is repeating itself, but worse because the hatred and anger has spread via the internet, specifically social media, into our own hou

Film Shot in Basilicata is Headed to the U.S.

Update 3 November 2016 I recently had the great pleasure of seeing La Slitta on the big screen at the Bella Basilicata Film Festival and also meeting the director and actress Emanuela Ponzano in person. It's no wonder this short film has received so many accolades. It's a beautiful coming-of-age story about discovery and tolerance. In today's climate of prejudice and intolerance, it's a great message for people of all ages.  Original Post Emanuela Ponzano's short film, "La Slitta" (The Sled)  will be shown this month at two American film festivals. The  Rhode Island Film Festival , which will qualify the film for Oscar and BAFTA consideration, will show "La Slitta" on August 14. Then a week later, on August 20, the film will be shown at the New  Filmmakers Los Angeles Film Festival . In addition, it was awarded Best Drama Foreign Short Film at Ohio's Indie International Gathering Film Festival. Shot in the region of Basilic

Italian Selection of the 54th New York Film Festival Reflects Artistry of Yesterday and Today

The New York Film Festival announced its lineup this week and will offer a diverse Italian presence, which will include a contemporary documentary filmmaker, a female director and a restored classic.   Award-winning director Gianfranco Rosi will present his documentary, "Fire at Sea" (Fuocoammare). Winner of this year's Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, this screening will mark Rosi's debut at the New York Film Festival, although he presented his 2014 "Sacro Gra" at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's annual series, Open Roads: New Italian Cinema. "Fire at Sea" is an observation of Europe’s migrant crisis from the vantage point of Lampedusa, a Mediterranean island where hundreds of thousands of refugees, fleeing war and poverty, have landed in recent decades. Rosi shows the harrowing work of rescue operations but devotes most of the film to the daily rhythms of Lampedusa, seen through the eyes of a doctor who treats casualties and

Interview: Director Paolo Genovese

Pre-production for Paolo Genovese's next film is officially underway, and the big news is that it will be shot in English in New York. Addressing an audience at the Giffoni Film Festival, Genovese said the new project, titled The First Day of My Life (Il primo giorno della mia vita), will be very different from his blockbuster, Perfetti sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers). He explained, "It will be the contrast, very positive." He went on to say, "It's probably a reaction to this moment when the whole world seems to be on fire. I want to make a film about the beauty of life." Paolo Genovese is known for his character-driven stories, mostly labeled comedies. Although, my feeling is that they are more along the lines of drama with strong comedy relief. In America, as he pointed out in an interview with the Italian newspaper, Il Messaggero, we call them dramedies. From his coming-of-age film, Immaturi to his southern Italian romantic comedy, Sei mai stata sul

Travel the Culinary side of Italy with the Granddaughter of Italian Cinema Royalty

After watching Italian films, the two things I love doing are traveling around Italy and indulging in the country's amazing regional food. Celebrity chef and Food Network star Giada De Laurentiis has found a way to showcase all three in her new series "Giada in Italy". The show airs every Sunday on the Food Network at 12:00 eastern/11:00 central and features the gorgeous chef cooking her way through Italy. Giada is the granddaughter of Silvana Mangano and Dino De Laurentiis, a power couple of the Golden Age of Italian cinema. Giada carries on her grandmother's looks and grace as well as Dino's passion for food. Giada's mother Veronica De Laurentiis is an actress and advocate for women. She recently started her own show, "Dillo a Veronica" in which she profiles ordinary women who have overcome the struggles of life. To read the history of the three generations of De Laurentiis women, check out an article that I posted last year about the  legac

Diverse lineup of international films at this year's Lucania Film Festival

Click here to view the complete program

Just Announced: "The Space Between" to Premiere at Australian Italian Film Festival

The first ever Australia/Italy coproduction will premiere at Australia's Italian Festival in September. Directed by Ruth Borgobello, "The Space Between" is set in Udine, a small urban city in Northern Italy. The story follows the journey of Marco (Flavio Parenti), a 35-year-old who has stopped searching for his place in the world, then finds it in an unexpected place. Although he is a talented chef, he works, uninspired, in a factory. Avoiding real love, he passes his time in an empty relationship. Even unhappiness can't last forever. But it can get much worse. He finds out when he  loses his best friend in a tragic car accident. Suddenly, his comfortable world is turned upside down. Forced to fight for something for the first time in a while, he focuses on trying to keep his friend's struggling business alive. Along the way, he meets Olivia (Maeve Dermody), a spirited young Australian living out her dreams in the most unlikely place. Olivia helps Marco navi

Interview: Italian-American Actress/Comedian/Host Joy Behar

It's recently been announced that Joy Behar will be among the cast in Woody Allen's upcoming Amazon series, still untitled. It won't be the first collaboration between the two New York comedians. A few years ago, I spoke with Joy Behar for Fra Noi Magazine and she told me about her unique experience working on a Woody Allen film. In light of this latest announcement, lets revisit that interview. Born Josephina Victoria Occhiuto in Brooklyn, New York in 1943, Joy Behar grew up in a poor neighborhood, but had a supportive family and drive that would eventually take her to the top of her game. Well educated, Behar holds a Bachelor's degree in Sociology and a Master's in English Education.   She's done stand up comedy, acted on the big screen, appeared on numerous TV shows, written books and has interviewed some of the most influential people in the world.   Not bad for a kid who grew up in a tenement!   Behar is widely known for her work on the daytime talk