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Showing posts from April, 2021

Happy 90th Birthday, Adriana Asti!

"Be like me. I don't love anybody anymore, and they call me Amore." An unforgettable line in  Pier Paolo Pasolini's 1961 "Accattone" came from a spirited, light-hearted prostitute portrayed by Adriana Asti.  Born in Milan in 1931, Asti began her acting career in theater before going on to work with many of the great maestros of Italian cinema, including Luchino Visconti, Bernardo Bertolucci and Federico Fellini , to name a few. She had small roles in huge, iconic films and made those characters memorable. In addition to her on-screen roles, she was also the voiceover of many of her contemporary counterparts like Claudia Cardinale , Lea Massari, and  Stefania Sandrelli . She is still very active in theater, television, and film. I am working on a feature article about Asti for the July issue of Fra Noi Magazine . As part of my research, I reached out to documentary filmmaker Rocco Talucci , who made a beautiful film about her life and career. "A.A. Prof

A Conversation with Director Luca Caserta

Luca Caserta's 2019 short film "Dimmi chi sono" (Tell Me Who I Am) has received high acclaim from every corner of the globe.  "Dimmi chi sono" is the story of a young mother who is violently attacked during a walk and is so traumatized that she loses her memory, taking shelter in an abandoned house and doing what she can to get by. The film was inspired by a true story that Caserta saw on the news in northern Italy.  Actress Elisa Bertato delicately balances the myriad of emotions that her character is feeling, including fear, loneliness, confusion, and determination. The film speaks to the international movement aimed at ending violence against women and has taken on its own voice in spreading awareness of the movement throughout the world.  The soundtrack includes the song "Piccola stella senza cielo" by the Italian rock star Luciano Ligabue, courtesy of the artist himself and Warner Music Italia/Warner Chappell Music Italiana. The film was recently

Design Visionaries Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo

Written by Sveva De Marinis During the 6th edition of Filming Italy Los Angeles, production designers Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo, who have been married for years, hosted a masterclass and received the Filming Italy Los Angeles achievement award for their outstanding accomplishments.   The two have been working for decades with some of the most distinguished directors in the business. Ferretti began his career in 1964 at the age of 21 as an assistant production designer on the set of “Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo” (The Gospel According to St. Matthew) by Pier Paolo Pasolini and went on to work as a production designer for five more movies of his. He then worked on Federico Fellini’s last five movies, from “Prova d’orchestra” (Orchestra Rehearsal) to “La voce della luna” (Voice of the Moon).    Lo Schiavo started working as a production designer with Ferretti on Liliana Cavani’s 1981 “La pelle” (The Skin). They continued on their shared artistic path with exceptional Itali