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Showing posts from March, 2020

100+ Years of the Great Italian Moviemakers: Cristina Comencini's 1996 "Follow Your Heart"

Virna Lisi in a scene from "Follow Your Heart" "Follow Your Heart" is a sentimental story written by Susanna Tamaro. I n 1996,  I purchased the book  at Rizzoli Bookstore in San Francisco. I was so captivated it, I remember finishing it on the BART train on my way to work at KTVU in Oakland with tears rolling down my face.  After all these years, I just watched the movie that was directed by   Cristina Comencini . As much as I have written about her over the years, I have no recollection of her having made a film adapted from the book. I am still shocked. Of course, I got chocked up at the end to actually see this book from my 20s play out on the screen directed by one of my favorite filmmakers who I actually met a few years ago. So strange how small the world really is.   Virna Lisi   and   Margherita Buy   are really spectacular as the same character in different time periods. It is such a moving story and so perfectly adapted by these women. Virna Lisi n

Explore Ancient Rome Without Leaving the House

Referred to as “Museum Edutainment,” Bardeum is a new interactive app that’s like having your own private tour guide at some of the most iconic sites in the world.  A work in progress, the app currently covers Ancient Rome. Florence and Pompeii are slated for a May release and Venice for a 2021 release. Clicking on Rome  in the app will take you to a page titled Rome Experiences . There, you’ll see sections on the Roman Forum and Roman Colosseum . Palantine Hill will be coming soon. Each section covers a variety of topics. Selecting  Roman Colosseum , you will be advanced to the story of Spartacus where you will hear a detailed account of the legendary slave-turned-gladiator who led an uprising that gave Julius Caesar a run for his money. The story takes you out of Rome to the slopes of Mt. Vesuvius in Pompeii as the Roman fleet of soldiers was stationed at the Bay of Naples. Selecting the Roman Forum will give you the tragic story of the Vestal Virgin Cornelia who broke h

The Extraordinary Photography and Cinematography of Arturo Zavattini

Marcello Mastroianni, La Dolce Vita Watching an old movie today, Love in the City , I rediscovered the work of Arturo Zavattini. Born in 1930, Zavattini is known for his work as a photographer, cinematographer and director of photography. His father, Cesare Zavattini was one of Federico Fellini's longtime collaborators, so Arturo practically grew up on film sets. He worked as an assistant and camera operator on famous Italian films such as Il Bidone , La Dolce Vita and  Divorce Italian Style . He also worked as an ethnographic photographer, accompanying anthropologist Ernesto de Martino on his infamous expedition to Lucania in 1952, which would later inspire Luigi Di Gianni's debut documentary, Magia Lucana . Matera Being a teenager in Rome during the post-war years, Zavattini was very influenced by the neorealism film movement and that influence was always apparent during the multi-decade span of his career.  His images taken in Rome, Naples and other Italian c

Explore the Immense Historical Archives of Istituto Luce Cinecittà

The historical archives of Istituto Luce Cinecittà offers an extensive online collection of more than 70,000 archival videos dating back to the early 20th century and more than 430,000 photographs. The organization provides free access to the vast digital records of Italy's history and culture, which includes thousands of hours of footage.  Topics include cinema, arts, history, politics, sports and current affairs. Three hundred silent films spanning the years of 1927 – 1932 have just been added, some never seen before, with a section dedicated to world travel, entitled “Cinemobile.”  Go to  https://cinecitta.com  and click on “Esplora” on the menu bar and then choose “Archivio Cinematografico”  for film or "Archivio Fotografico" for still photos... and then explore! Click here to view one of my favorite film menus on the site... a treasure trove of documentaries made between the 1930s and 1960s. Click here to see gorgeous, rare photos of silent film actress a

Paolo Sorrentino to Make Autobiographical Film for Netflix in Naples

Paolo Sorrentino recently revealed in an interview with Dagospia  that he will be making an autobiographical film for Netflix about his childhood, falling in love with cinema and his journey to becoming a director. The film will be set in the neighborhood of Vomero where Sorrentino spent time as a child and adolescent. Longtime collaborator Nicola Giuliano is attached to the project. There are no other details available. We'll keep you updated when we learn more. In the meantime, click here to read my interview with Sorrentino. Vomero