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Showing posts from July, 2018

The Photography of Silent Film Actress Tina Modotti

I recently stumbled upon the photography of silent film actress Tina Modotti and it's absolutely mesmerizing. Modotti was born in 1896 in the northern Italian city of Udine and  immigrated to the United States in 1913. She headed to San Francesco where her father had arrived earlier. There, she became involved in the performing arts and landed parts in plays, operas and silent films. Modotti was ahead of her time and a true working woman on the move. During the course of her life, she worked as a photographer, model, actress and political activist. She moved to Mexico City in the early 1920s and dedicated her life to political activism where she eventually joined the Mexican Communist Party. Her life thrived in Mexico City and her close circle of friends included artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera and Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. Modotti died at the age of 45 of congestive heart failure while on her way home in a cab. Neruda wrote the epitaph for her grave stone: Pure your

The Italian Selection of the 71st Locarno Film Festival

Leonardo Guerra Seràgnoli's LikeMeBack   Switzerland's Locarno Film Festival, with its signature outdoor venue, has always been a sure spot for Italian cinema, and a huge supporter of new talent. The 71st edition is no different. Check out this great lineup of contemporary Italian films. (S)WORDS by Federico Di Corato: Pardi di domani: Concorso internazionale DULCINEA by Luca Ferri: Signs of Life THE GUEST by Duccio Chiarini: Piazza Grande JUST LIKE MY SON by Costanza Quatriglio: Fuori Concorso LIKEMEBACK by Leonardo Guerra Seràgnoli: Concorso Cineasti del presente MENOCCHIO by Alberto Fasulo: Concorso internazionale MY BELOVED ENEMY by Denis Rabaglia: Piazza Grande MY HOME, IN LIBYA by Martina Melilli: Fuori Concorso ORA E SEMPRE RIPRENDIAMOCI LA VITA by Silvano Agosti: Fuori Concorso The first edition of the Locarno Film Festival opened on August 23, 1946 with a screening of Giacomo Gentilomo's O  Sole  Mio . The 2018  edition  will carry on  that dedicati

Actor/Director Antonio Albanese on the Immigration Crisis in Italy

Antonio Albanese is one of contemporary Italy's most versatile actors. Having portrayed characters in just about every situation one can find himself in, Albanese has proven that he could bring that level of diversity to writing and directing as well. His latest directorial effort is the comedy  Contromano , which deals with the ever so relevant subject of  immigration. Albanese directs himself in the role of Mario Cavallari. A man set in his ways, Mario is confronted with the prospect of a new boss. When a Senegalese sock vendor further upsets his daily routine, Mario searches for a solution and ends up being forced to step out of his confort zone and face life head on. Albanese recently presented the film at Canada's Italian Contemporary Film Festival. He addressed the film's relevance during this important moment in Italian history as the country's newly elected officials are taking controversial steps to control the number of clandestine immigrants seeking ref

The lineup of the 33rd Venice International Films Critics' Week

Letizia Lamartine's  Saremo giovani e bellissimi The Venice International Film Critics’ Week (SIC) is an independent and parallel section organized by the National Union of Italian Film Critics (SNCCI) during the 75th Venice International Film Festival (29th August – 8th September, 2018).  The program will open with  Toni D'Angelo's short film  Nessuno è innocente  starring Salvatore Esposito,  and will include a selection of seven debut films in competition and two special events out of competition, all presented in world premiere screenings. The selection is curated by the General Delegate of the Venice Critics’ Week Giona A. Nazzaro together with the members of the selection committee Luigi Abiusi, Alberto Anile, Beatrice Fiorentino and Massimo Tria. The 2018 official selection includes: Competition A kasha / The Roundup by Hajooj Kuka (Sudan, South Africa, Qatar, Germany) Adam und Evelyn / Adam & Evelyn by Andreas Goldstein (Germany) Bêtes blo

Director Marco Tullio Giordana on his Art & Muses

If you’re an aficionado of international cinema, then chances are you have seen the films of Marco Tullio Giordana. His work is not for the faint of heart. It is dramatic, in your face and often reflects the brutality of society and the prices one must pay to hold on to his or her values. Giordana’s most successful films outside Italy are One Hundred Steps (I cento passi) and The Best of Youth (La meglio gioventù). One Hundred Steps is the true story of Peppino Impastato, a Sicilian activist who spoke out against the mafia. He paid the ultimate price for his activism and to this day, is regarded as a beloved hero among Sicilians. The Best of Youth was originally a television mini-series but was so well-received, it was edited down to six hours for a theatrical release. Not many films could hold an audience for six hours, but I saw the film in a regular theater in upstate New York, not at a film festival, and people were laughing, crying and enjoying the emotional rollercoaste

Celebrities Step Up for Child Refugees

With the news of another refugee child found dead today in the waters of the Mediterranean, humanitarian efforts are needed and appreciated more than ever. One movement that is contributing to children throughout the world, especially those affected by the Syrian War, is Every Child is My Child , an association that began shortly after the bombing of a children’s hospital in Aleppo. The association is run by a group of Italian celebrities, which include Anna Foglietta, Edoardo Leo, Veronica De Laurentiis, Marco Bonini, Paola Cortellesi, Valerio Mastandrea and many others. The goal is to bring attention to the plight of children not only in Syria but across the world as they have become refugees and try to integrate into the culture of different countries. Actors Andrea Bosca and Anna Foglietta participated in a press conference to talk about the movement at the Casa del Cinema in Rome. There, I asked them about the latest mission of Every Child is My Child . Foglietta explaine

Actress Lucia Mascino on her Collaboration with Francesca Comencini

Actress Lucia Mascino presented Francesca Comencini’s " Stories of Love that Cannot Belong to This World"   at the 18th edition of the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Open Roads: New Italian Cinema. Adapted from Comencini's book, the film offers an intimate look at how one woman deals with the end of a relationship. Although many would not have the same seemingly desperate reaction, it's the delusional or even hopeful motivation for which she stayed that we can all understand on some level.  The film follows Claudia (Lucia Mascino) and Flavio (Thomas Trabacchi), two very different people but deeply in love nonetheless. Their tumultuous, passionate relationship is driven by powerful feelings, but they are simply not good for each other. Their sincere love, affection and attraction keep them emotionally and physically attached and unable to leave even though they often argue. However, an indifferent comment made by Claudia is Flavio's last straw and he

Filippo Luna of Lo Scambio on His Roles & Being Sicilian

Canada’s annual Contemporary Italian Film Festival recently showed a riveting film that has earned success in Italy and abroad.  Inspired by true events, Salvo Cuccia’s   Lo Scambio  takes place in Palermo during the mid-90s when violent organized crime was at its peak. The film centers on a husband and wife in their mid-40s. He is a police commissioner consumed by his work and she longs for a child, becoming obsessed with the story of a boy who was kidnapped by the mafia in retaliation for his father becoming an informant.  Cuccia presents the story of the commissioner’s work and the never-ending, lonely days of his wife in parallel sequences of delusion and stark reality. Cuccia said of this surreal style,  “I wanted to make a movie about a crime that really happened, but that was more than just the account of a news report of the time. I was interested in exploring the nature of the characters and the situations in order to bring out a drama that stood on its own feet, above and

Mimmo Calopresti: A Filmmaker in Search of the Truth

Through tragedy, corruption, friendship and love, Mimmo Calopresti’s characters forge through life with dignity and hope. Born in Calabria, raised in Torino and currently living in Rome, Calopresti is known for his direct style of filmmaking that treads finely between reality and fiction. Often drawn from his own point-of-view, he documents life-changing events whether tragic or historic. Calopresti began his filmmaking career with documentaries and short films and then in 1996, made his feature film debut with   La Seconda Volta  (The Second Time) starring Nanni Moretti. He followed up with two successes- the 1998 drama  La parola amore esiste  (The Word Love Exists), which recounts the obsessive love of an emotionally fragile woman, and the 2000 film  Il rumore del mare  (The Sound of the Sea), which was most likely taken from Calopresti's own life experiences. The story of two teenagers on the verge of adulthood and discovering their independence, Rosario, from the so

Major Announcement for Paolo Sorrentino's followup to The Young Pope

It's been announced that John Malkovich will star in The New Pope, Paolo Sorrentino’s follow-up to his critically acclaimed HBO limited series The Young Pope. Jude Law will be back to resume his role as the eccentric American pontiff Lenny Belardo. Production will begin in Italy in November.

2018 Giffoni Film Fest News

The 48th edition of the Giffoni Film Festival is slowly being revealed with the shorts lineups just announced. It was announced today that Italian cinema stars Matilda de Angelis, Marco Ponti, Francesco Scianna and Ilenia Pastorali will grace the signature Blue Carpet and meet their fans.  Showcasing cinema dedicated to children and teens, the first edition of the Giffoni Film Festival took place in 1971 in its namesake city of Giffoni Valle Piana, which is located in the region of Campania. The festival has served not only as an event to watch films, but also as a place for youngsters to learn about the filmmaking process. The French master François Truffaut is quoted saying “Of all the film festivals, Giffoni is the most necessary.” Perhaps that has something to do with its renowned Masterclasses. The festival has hosted numerous extinguished guests over the years including Robert De Niro, Sergio Leone, Michelangelo Antonioni, and Alberto Sordi.  The shorts program has already