tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85572888061027207732024-03-16T11:50:21.742-07:00Italian Cinema Today100+ YEARS OF THE GREAT ITALIAN MOVIEMAKERSPyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.comBlogger662125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-45858742417857355252024-03-06T09:58:00.000-08:002024-03-06T09:58:46.183-08:00Michelangelo Frammartino's "Il buco" — Unearthing our past<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12R4BKoy9xh9BeTBaju__mNqo2iWXeKpwJdpFSJlxS3YBLNr-35FV7CCFAKJlM7pboY1faJZDndJStGg0Z_AZ80yG-3VN0b5pxK2kHEXIxeOLWZrWvH8WUER_vLU7S6psBeUDfTaNTosRV05rJlHiCsre1KH7ifAE3LiM5nhk5vkHOkgTPC7Wexr5rBcB/s3000/1627325494511.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1622" data-original-width="3000" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12R4BKoy9xh9BeTBaju__mNqo2iWXeKpwJdpFSJlxS3YBLNr-35FV7CCFAKJlM7pboY1faJZDndJStGg0Z_AZ80yG-3VN0b5pxK2kHEXIxeOLWZrWvH8WUER_vLU7S6psBeUDfTaNTosRV05rJlHiCsre1KH7ifAE3LiM5nhk5vkHOkgTPC7Wexr5rBcB/w400-h216/1627325494511.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When a team of speleologists descended 700 meters into the Bifurto Abyss in Cosenza, Calabria, in 1961, they discovered that the underground caverns were the third deepest in the world and the deepest in Europe. Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Frammartino retraces that mission six decades later with a cast of locals and their livestock in his latest documentary, “Il buco” (“The Hole”).<p></p><p>Inspiration for the film came while he was on location shooting his 2007 documentary, “Le quattro volte” (“Four Times”). Officials in the Pollino mountains, which stretch between Calabria and Basilicata, showed him what appeared to be just another sinkhole. Frammartino failed to understand their enthusiasm until they tossed a large stone into the void. It disappeared without making a sound. He was so overcome by the experience and the eerie landscape, he was haunted for years, compelling him to make his current film, one of many rooted in nature.</p><p>“I was born in Milan, but my family is from Calabria. My parents come from a small town on the Ionian coast called Caulonia. This is where I spent my summers as a child and where I experienced a sense of freedom and deep fusion with nature and everything around me,” he told me in an interview during the 12th edition of the Tribeca Film Festival.</p><p>That bond has been a driving force behind his filmmaking, leading him to explore the connection between humans and the outdoors.</p><p>“We tend to forget the origins of nature and that (we are) deeply related to other species,” he said. “I love to work on this unspoken bond. With this philosophy, I am more challenged to shoot scenes more creatively.”</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5uWH5VmAFBotYWN9MF4hZA6OkA-wD8sZEwEAANMuiB6IuO43WCBZBl99NL9guogp299wBvC1eiJIvSaRzB76RlrproGrR0JjCtfctpAFKL0jP1rCM7ymFdxyaqVtbG7KPEQcaCQxCncH1ocupZWJVU9XwVEPXFTeoYo55JDDHAzJy0_sGxhaQR4DSiNj/s3000/1627325504543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="3000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI5uWH5VmAFBotYWN9MF4hZA6OkA-wD8sZEwEAANMuiB6IuO43WCBZBl99NL9guogp299wBvC1eiJIvSaRzB76RlrproGrR0JjCtfctpAFKL0jP1rCM7ymFdxyaqVtbG7KPEQcaCQxCncH1ocupZWJVU9XwVEPXFTeoYo55JDDHAzJy0_sGxhaQR4DSiNj/w400-h240/1627325504543.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Frammartino puts a poetic spin on the caverns, capturing the tranquility of its rural location. Driven more by image than plot, the film includes wide, sweeping shots of fog rolling through the mountain valleys enhanced only by natural light and the sounds of nature. Scenes set around a campfire are illuminated by the flames and small lanterns alone.<p></p><p>Locals tend to their flocks with the grandeur of the mountain ranges in the background, conjuring a sense of the “old country” that we associate with our ancestors. To say that these locations are off the beaten path is an understatement. The Italy we see in Frammartino’s films isn’t the Italy they trot out in travel shows, or even the Italy most of us encounter when we visit there. Frammartino has a talent for discovering and sharing precious remnants of an Italian way of life that has disappeared from most of the peninsula.</p><p>The ancient tradition of <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2016/01/to-mark-carnevale-of-satriano-in.html">“la foresta che cammina" (“the forest that walks”)</a> is one such treasure. Frammartino’s 2013 film, “Alberi” (“Trees”), brought attention to a nearly forgotten arboreal rite in which the men of the village cover themselves in leaves, transforming themselves into mystical walking trees. The film helped revive the ritual, which had been practiced for centuries in Satriano di Lucania in the Basilicata region. Well-received by young audiences in the South when it was released, “Alberi” captivated New Yorkers when it was presented as an installation at the Tribeca Film Festival.</p><p>Frammartino’s philosophy of nature has its roots in the fifth century B.C. and the writings of Pythagoras. The ancient Greek philosopher and mathematician believed that our souls are reincarnated four times — as minerals, vegetables, animals, and humans — until they ultimately become immortal.</p><p>That theory was the basis for Frammartino’s 2010 film, “Le quattro volte.” Profound and poetic in its message and visual landscape, it depicts the connection between man, animals and nature. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/30/movies/le-quattro-volte-review.html?unlocked_article_code=1.ak0.19oy.3oNm8O3m-gfZ&smid=url-share">The New York Times </a>described it as “an idiosyncratic and amazing film so full of surprises — nearly every shot contains a revelation.” Frammartino carries on this practice of spotlighting the ancient in a new world with his latest film. </p><p>“Il Buco” is available to stream on <a href="https://amzn.to/3To1uG6">Amazon</a>. "Le quattre volte" is available through <a href="https://www.kanopy.com/en/rochester/video/114243">Kanopy</a>.</p><p>-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for April 2024 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here </a>to subscribe.</p><div><br /></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-24244915908269727182024-02-16T14:01:00.000-08:002024-02-28T06:56:32.641-08:00Pasolini's Playground of Roman Ruins<p><span style="font-family: Times;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-O48x5cTBy6Kv1UBjhi8uxecVxDYLfC8FSeR0TcAa_lIm2TNAN3rD0unyjCi6aE0qirsdzd7BWxtAzAgbiaC1KlOkvxErc0BSBEnLgwNP4SECWGQLZRM2S1dZEFs0Tw1BR_hroEA6lZqKKS-bFWKhcLwgS1ptn4IpS-kPQldPI21S5EhYP_QppU3UvXzQ/s3623/IMG_4614.HEIC" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1975" data-original-width="3623" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-O48x5cTBy6Kv1UBjhi8uxecVxDYLfC8FSeR0TcAa_lIm2TNAN3rD0unyjCi6aE0qirsdzd7BWxtAzAgbiaC1KlOkvxErc0BSBEnLgwNP4SECWGQLZRM2S1dZEFs0Tw1BR_hroEA6lZqKKS-bFWKhcLwgS1ptn4IpS-kPQldPI21S5EhYP_QppU3UvXzQ/w400-h217/IMG_4614.HEIC" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Anna Magnani in a scene from "Mamma Roma"</span></td></tr></tbody></table><a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-timeless-vision-of-pier-paolo.html">Pier Paolo Pasolini’s</a> 1962 “Mamma Roma” starring <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/06/anna-magnani-unconventional-cinema.html">Anna Magnani</a>, follows the title character, a Roman prostitute determined to change her life and give her son the opportunities she never had. She seizes the opportunity to leave her life on the streets behind when her pimp (Franco Citti) gets married and frees her from his possession. Mamma then goes to the small provincial town of Guidonia to fetch her son, Ettore (Ettore Garofolo), and bring him to Rome to embark on their new life together. She buys a pushcart, finds an apartment in a nice neighborhood, and uses her connections to secure him a job in a restaurant. However, Ettore gets mixed up with boys who are petty thieves and is negatively influenced by them. At the same time, Mamma Roma’s pimp resurfaces and sends her back to the streets. When Ettore learns about his mother’s prostitution, he goes astray and wholeheartedly joins in on the petty crimes of the boys. One day, while suffering from the delirious effects of a high fever, he boldly walks into a hospital to rob a patient. He is caught and sent to jail, where he dies while strapped to a table in isolation. Mamma is devastated upon learning of his death. She becomes hysterical and attempts to throw herself out of a window but is saved by the townspeople, who share her shock at the news of Ettore’s death. The film ends with her gazing in horror at the cityscape that once held her hopes and dreams for a beautiful life with her son.<span style="font-family: Times;"> </span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kAl7RtZyQqd7vmzzQpbcxQn2cBf3ytpdKaf9azEL91mS_AQCywtv8uhPn8IMZuA711nHQpVmP9ENu-lyB91gh9_kruZJFe_IuJejvUZASZr_xW-gyEda4Bhxqm443b59zdgQYWRuwLgJvFYLI3cHSeHxzYk20cbMBH01SYgxIIFGPiQSX2QymftqXsKW/s3462/IMG_4591.HEIC" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1848" data-original-width="3462" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9kAl7RtZyQqd7vmzzQpbcxQn2cBf3ytpdKaf9azEL91mS_AQCywtv8uhPn8IMZuA711nHQpVmP9ENu-lyB91gh9_kruZJFe_IuJejvUZASZr_xW-gyEda4Bhxqm443b59zdgQYWRuwLgJvFYLI3cHSeHxzYk20cbMBH01SYgxIIFGPiQSX2QymftqXsKW/w640-h342/IMG_4591.HEIC" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Ettore Garofolo in a scene from "Mamma Roma"</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: Times;">The film was released when the industrial parts of Italy were experiencing a post-war economic boom. However, marginalized people, like those from rural areas and the south, still faced challenges. Christopher Duggan wrote in his book,</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span><i style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://amzn.to/49f4DOj">A Concise History of Italy</a></i><span style="font-family: Times;">,</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span><span style="font-family: Times;">“During the 1950s and 1960s, over 9 million Italians migrated to a new region of the country. Men and women, often illiterate, whose families had rarely stirred beyond their rural communities for centuries and who spoke dialect only, suddenly found themselves amid the neon lights, the hoardings, and the traffic of a huge bustling city: ‘I felt alone, like in a forest without a single living soul,’ recalled Antonio Antonuzzo, a Sicilian peasant who came to Milan in 1962 after his small family farm had failed</span><b style="font-family: Times;">.” </b><span style="font-family: Times;">Italy’s post-war wealth did not reach everyone. People were still struggling, as reflected in “Mamma Roma” and other Italian films of that period. Pasolini also visited this topic in his films “Accattone,” which preceded “Mamma Roma” and “The Hawks and the Sparrows,” which came after it.</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GnfyMdEiGetrLxmbFAXZMbi2oql7QWVZQlOnXZvXwpHTV3-F00fRiidlszFFonsXA5mR1Qb8_0Vkyll_yggsW4C_jTiTIPp3w_nnDEXibgSlQ0xiWzCOjO7PaArnHmLABbqtaDBHiYTRkUbplzTwF1HHiANfaixdlqnzsscRZD2nJdY3ObE3Q-ltFKP3/s2100/MammaRoma.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1561" data-original-width="2100" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GnfyMdEiGetrLxmbFAXZMbi2oql7QWVZQlOnXZvXwpHTV3-F00fRiidlszFFonsXA5mR1Qb8_0Vkyll_yggsW4C_jTiTIPp3w_nnDEXibgSlQ0xiWzCOjO7PaArnHmLABbqtaDBHiYTRkUbplzTwF1HHiANfaixdlqnzsscRZD2nJdY3ObE3Q-ltFKP3/w400-h297/MammaRoma.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>It is rare to see a contemporary film intertwined with the physical ancient world as “Mamma Roma.” Pasolini’s characters are so unphased as they glide around Rome’s ancient structures; they could have been the ancient builders themselves. This Rome, with its neighborhoods, old music, lively markets, sense of community, and ancient ruins, was Pasolini’s last romp with the old days. The music was old, the dancing was old. It was another time. He could probably feel modernity on the horizon, so he went “full immersion” because the Rome he loved was slipping away.<div><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Enzo Siciliano, a friend and confidant of Pasolini, wrote in his book<a href="https://amzn.to/48myy5V"> </a></span><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;"><a href="https://amzn.to/48myy5V">Pasolini: A Biography</a></span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif;">,</span><span style="font-family: Times;"> quoting the director, “At the time I made ‘Accattone<i>,</i>’ ‘Mamma Roma,’ and even ‘Hawks and Sparrows,’ this ancient world existed, but it was then swept away, and from the age of innocence we passed to the age of corruption.” </span><span style="font-family: Times;">The grandiosity of ancient Rome is present throughout the film and was most likely influenced by Pasolini’s love of ancient art and architecture, a common theme in his work. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: Times;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWy2bzgqhwkD8Lv2dMfxstSErCA2l8G2P0dv96MEkqW4rnEqg79GlF0_QvaqWc8fCiD8gfiOJVxVIhm7GJ1KXK7r78fYTdfc-IXwxYFgtsnt5Cv2MyF6T8QzBKgRqzFDFm_RLe2xZI4XD0ZkHDqbTwv1aJ13EubJHtpQARFvLrnNRXi4FopAFkZ1RrJ9m/s3356/Park%20of%20Acqueducts.Scene%20from%20film.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1797" data-original-width="3356" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilWy2bzgqhwkD8Lv2dMfxstSErCA2l8G2P0dv96MEkqW4rnEqg79GlF0_QvaqWc8fCiD8gfiOJVxVIhm7GJ1KXK7r78fYTdfc-IXwxYFgtsnt5Cv2MyF6T8QzBKgRqzFDFm_RLe2xZI4XD0ZkHDqbTwv1aJ13EubJHtpQARFvLrnNRXi4FopAFkZ1RrJ9m/w400-h214/Park%20of%20Acqueducts.Scene%20from%20film.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Pasolini introduces us to the Park of the Aqueducts, where the ancient Roman ruins featured in the film serve as the boys’ playground. Nearly every shot in which we see the boys contains an ancient ruin, whether off in the background or at the center of the scene. When Ettore is alone in the park while his new friends are scheming, Pasolini lets Ettore run free among the ruins as he plays with the little girls, trying to make them laugh. In the next shot, he is at an area of the park containing the ruins of Villa delle Vignacce, one of Rome’s largest suburban villas, dating from the 1st to the 6th century AD, with construction likely beginning during Emperor Hadrian’s rule. Situated within the park’s borders, this group of ruins is not as centrally located or as obvious as the huge, towering aqueducts. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Times;">So, Pasolini must have really wanted to include this in the film. Not only does the villa represent imperial Rome and the city’s rich history, but it is also aesthetically pleasing to the eye. They are beautiful, monumental structures that add a dose of visual poetry to the film. The background music only intensifies the scene and the magnificence of the ancient structures against the modern apartment buildings. When Bruna joins Ettore in the park, and the two are talking, surrounded by the ruins, there is a strong sense of the past as if they belong to a different era. The ancient structures have that effect, and Pasolini captured it.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_sPYQYu3OlM_gp4d1NfPPDPX7qdzz2MIMMur2Mqxkzu4CebnLKXCN3vq4jSMltJ10pbfb7Ime7w15KTILnE93x1HF1qm36pVGfR356Xab9pOAxBhr3WK9KLmmtuRAKM3mWIP6kUdt68ctfx-ZrKdA41xZmGpt5VVL53HdT5Anxg4Si6CDF7aI5LcWtsp/s4032/Park%20of%20Acqueducts%20today.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_sPYQYu3OlM_gp4d1NfPPDPX7qdzz2MIMMur2Mqxkzu4CebnLKXCN3vq4jSMltJ10pbfb7Ime7w15KTILnE93x1HF1qm36pVGfR356Xab9pOAxBhr3WK9KLmmtuRAKM3mWIP6kUdt68ctfx-ZrKdA41xZmGpt5VVL53HdT5Anxg4Si6CDF7aI5LcWtsp/w640-h480/Park%20of%20Acqueducts%20today.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;">Another striking scene filled with the social togetherness of days gone by correlated to his love of art history takes place at the market when Zacaria, the potato vendor, informs Mamma that Ettore is involved with Bruna. In the scene, despite the uncomfortable exchange between mother and son, there is electricity in the air in the hustle and bustle of the market. Everyone knows each other, and there is friendly competition among the vendors. Add the Roman ruins we see in the long shot of Ettore walking to and from the market, and we have another exquisite homage to the “good old days” and ancient Rome.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqLG7WStePV3a7ZUTEcGNOcXT38VquMqTYeXe6sllQKQrEqDmEF5VK-Ao8ZkKbcrGolfIeJYSRSIGt_LZrELl1MUouLp6h5zP0PXxGqHgkOxjLqKinXyRjDrLBA1gohWrut48NzfXQpwbpvKGPAktKezu2aFgAGn2uPmBz_LHEsLs8PO4R7u-3H0hYv1_/s3617/Park%20of%20Acqueducts.Wideshot%20Scene%20from%20film.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1943" data-original-width="3617" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqqLG7WStePV3a7ZUTEcGNOcXT38VquMqTYeXe6sllQKQrEqDmEF5VK-Ao8ZkKbcrGolfIeJYSRSIGt_LZrELl1MUouLp6h5zP0PXxGqHgkOxjLqKinXyRjDrLBA1gohWrut48NzfXQpwbpvKGPAktKezu2aFgAGn2uPmBz_LHEsLs8PO4R7u-3H0hYv1_/w400-h215/Park%20of%20Acqueducts.Wideshot%20Scene%20from%20film.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The film begins to wind down with an extreme long shot of the boys walking down a road along the park with the massive aqueducts in front of them. The scene is suspenseful and foreboding as we watch them from Mamma’s point of view as she follows behind. They continue to walk along the park in full view of the aqueduct ruins. Pasolini is utilizing these ancient structures to the full extent. However, his artistic eye has turned them from romantic and nostalgic to dark and foreshadowing. Even as the boys seem playful as they run and joke around, there is an atmosphere of danger. Something bad is about to happen. Mamma attempts to run after them, but she cannot keep up. When Ettore turned the corner, he met<span style="font-family: Times;"> Bruna sitting in the park with her son. We see the ruins from another angle. They are further in the distance but still present in the scene. The two have an exchange, and then Ettore runs off. Mamma finally catches up. As she watches him from a distance, that is the last time she’ll see him alive.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Times;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRMrJWJ2-GeEODB2f2aAMumz51qVIjJQeyYD43-pkif0jPwvd7TGdIGMXtARsncumjEmNcIKz_ZDfBNGotaTQ1YX4y3cgTO2MXRjoqH6wX4d0V5AleBPBKBK8axsa2r2wNRfzbejddfsRZJcX6zu-XldJOE8MJ002cBc6tX6uvYPzIhjx-yqX0DauvhaJ/s3573/Church%20of%20Don%20Bosco%20from%20film.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1877" data-original-width="3573" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSRMrJWJ2-GeEODB2f2aAMumz51qVIjJQeyYD43-pkif0jPwvd7TGdIGMXtARsncumjEmNcIKz_ZDfBNGotaTQ1YX4y3cgTO2MXRjoqH6wX4d0V5AleBPBKBK8axsa2r2wNRfzbejddfsRZJcX6zu-XldJOE8MJ002cBc6tX6uvYPzIhjx-yqX0DauvhaJ/w400-h210/Church%20of%20Don%20Bosco%20from%20film.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The ruins are present for the last time after Ettore’s incarceration when Mamma pulls her cart along the park as she heads to work with the other vendors. They are giving her a pep talk, trying to convince her that jail time will do Ettore some good. After <span style="font-family: Times;">Ettore’s death, Mamma is devastated and attempts to commit suicide by jumping out of her apartment window. Pasolini carries his theme of old-time community right until the last shot when we see her friends, neighbors, and fellow vendors save her life and look out to the great dome of the Basilica Giovanni Bosco. Perhaps Pasolini and Mamma are both in mourning at that moment; Mamma for her son and Pasolini for the ancient Rome that he feels is slipping away.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><a href="https://www.criterionchannel.com/videos/mamma-roma">Click here</a> to stream “Mamma Roma” on the Criterion Channel.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Times;"><i>- Written by Jeannine Guilyard</i></span></p></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-50005603065946773462024-01-02T20:41:00.000-08:002024-01-03T11:40:33.419-08:00A look back at a legend honored<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSahYtW2grTiY1AdEG8jNF_2Dll7DB6jZOtVu9Et5Cpovjq1kX25Y91ZYQKexXXUyg6asSg-tfIdjc4K-pe6_yfhVafXPqzTe9pt86bI3hRUPpjVSmESKumrgnrQuse1JGlTJXM1WpMamvvMT2BlP3XhngAKU61ub7vGIDGRhjtNTm8Ej38MChEh5uPrqC/s500/Liliana%20Cavani.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="500" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSahYtW2grTiY1AdEG8jNF_2Dll7DB6jZOtVu9Et5Cpovjq1kX25Y91ZYQKexXXUyg6asSg-tfIdjc4K-pe6_yfhVafXPqzTe9pt86bI3hRUPpjVSmESKumrgnrQuse1JGlTJXM1WpMamvvMT2BlP3XhngAKU61ub7vGIDGRhjtNTm8Ej38MChEh5uPrqC/w400-h290/Liliana%20Cavani.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />As 2023 has drawn to a close, we look back at one event that honored a living legend.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Organizers of the 80</span><sup style="font-family: inherit;">th </sup><span style="font-family: inherit;">edition of the Venice Film Festival, which ran August 30 – September 9, recognized several iconic artists. Tributes included a film retrospective dedicated to <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/7-days-7-women-gina-lollobrigida.html">Gina Lollobrigida</a>, who passed away in January.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One special recognition went to director <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2018/03/trailblazer-liliana-cavani-and-her.html">Liliana Cavani</a>, who was awarded a Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. Now 90 years old, Cavani was there to receive her award and later presented her new film, "L'ordine del tempo,” which premiered out of competition. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Actress Charlotte Rampling, who starred in Cavani’s 1974 devastating Holocaust drama, <a href="https://amzn.to/4azSYKS">"Il portiere di notte" (The Night Porter)</a>, presented Cavani with the award. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8uMvL2XNGI_RZQqRbgEKwf5gkVaMNkBiEM9An-Xc3LtM2RToWYMGem_5xd_N1v2UcQ0cLzZp4oJ6PYCt0RkonYYQ2Z4PaAzTsDNDfJW_4ZJrVzgfIzXe125tqg-MUwRtx89iQ1DPFHWzXONn-e9KyfF9L2IhAp9k3sc9FWWU6Ikmid4LgMXZ3PPIBPK_/s1119/Charlotte.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="1119" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw8uMvL2XNGI_RZQqRbgEKwf5gkVaMNkBiEM9An-Xc3LtM2RToWYMGem_5xd_N1v2UcQ0cLzZp4oJ6PYCt0RkonYYQ2Z4PaAzTsDNDfJW_4ZJrVzgfIzXe125tqg-MUwRtx89iQ1DPFHWzXONn-e9KyfF9L2IhAp9k3sc9FWWU6Ikmid4LgMXZ3PPIBPK_/w400-h272/Charlotte.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Charlotte Rampling in "The Night Porter"</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">“From the early 1960s, Liliana Cavani has been forcing us to confront the beautiful, the ugly, and the unresolved. With her relentless questioning through her documentaries and film, she sent streams of passionate and complex messages out into the world,” said Rampling.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She said about their collaboration, “I couldn’t have played Lucia in ‘The Night Porter’ had I not been carrying shadows. You took hold of my shadows, Liliana Cavani. They belong at the center of our shared destiny.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cavani took advantage of her international platform to rally for the recognition of women in film. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I’m the first female to receive this award,” she said. “There are women writers and directors who are working as well as men. It’s not quite right if we don’t give them a chance to be seen.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cavani's filmmaking style is fierce, unflinching, and no-holds-barred. Working with future stars Charlotte Rampling, Helena Bonham Carter, and Mickey Rourke early in their careers, she was able to evoke a depth of emotion from her actors that was truly exceptional. Her films are like symphonies with exquisite sets, rich cinematography, and classical music that almost feels like an additional character.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She rose to international prominence with the 1974 release of “The Night Porter.” A dark erotic thriller, the film stars Rampling as Lucia, a concentration camp survivor who checks in to a Vienna hotel with her husband, an American conductor. There, she meets with her former captor and lover, Max, who now works as the hotel's night porter.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrl0IKey32jGkOebfxcFnC7ChEkJ0T4cYp-TbaW_L7edsX4oGh8qdQdT_MBfWzc0pL-UBmv5RtcY52VgSpq3zuWjAbMNnWiov5CTh_QK5qJyDXOFooZzPcd4M0oVIau8DU5H6ZrUPBwEz190VW19v7ATrGeSFklxZuyKOB2kZ8djaJD5HKCtaC6v3dquJ/s374/nightporter.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="267" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkrl0IKey32jGkOebfxcFnC7ChEkJ0T4cYp-TbaW_L7edsX4oGh8qdQdT_MBfWzc0pL-UBmv5RtcY52VgSpq3zuWjAbMNnWiov5CTh_QK5qJyDXOFooZzPcd4M0oVIau8DU5H6ZrUPBwEz190VW19v7ATrGeSFklxZuyKOB2kZ8djaJD5HKCtaC6v3dquJ/w285-h400/nightporter.jpg" width="285" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">After spending a sleepless night haunted by her flashbacks of life in the camp and her relationship with the former Nazi SS officer, played by British actor Dirk Bogarde, she tells her husband to continue on his way, and she stays behind at the hotel. When Max confronts her, paranoid that she has searched him out to turn him into the police for war crimes, the two have an explosive encounter that ends with the realization that they still love each other. What follows is the pain and pleasure of a tortured, doomed love. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cavani’s balance of tenderness and violence, death and despair, is expressed through the extraordinary performances of her actors. The scenes in the concentration camp brilliantly highlight the human desire for the beautiful things in life, like culture and closeness, against the grey, corrupt, and brutal backdrop of the Holocaust. Cavani’s camera moves smoothly in time with the classical music soundtrack, contrasting the extravagance of the Vienna hotel with the cold reality outside its doors, as if the hotel is a sanctuary, and once the couple leaves, they must fend for themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“The Night Porter” is available to stream on Apple TV and <a href="https://amzn.to/3TMg8b8">Amazon Prime Video </a>with a MAX subscription. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">We’ll keep you posted on the stateside release of Cavani’s latest film.</span></p>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-58777427618332998142023-11-20T20:47:00.000-08:002023-11-20T20:47:35.154-08:00Simona Tabasco Beyond 'The White Lotus'<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDt2uiGrFPaqSomYdexNRgvBaryJLD0aQiNE_5RzuUUA5U1GOM7aVp_G7lI7PmVshakS-CPKul-xNd3ESBuWfAD50CeHts5iIOPVfEn9aPhw_7nxrz98txwSEiSUDENlRVkaxTMTmxi2BHWJX9fyQudhRfCmJpIng_ZRvF5VUny4d9ujWi9_hDHuvy95v2/s1920/simona-tabasco-as-lucia.jpg.webp" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDt2uiGrFPaqSomYdexNRgvBaryJLD0aQiNE_5RzuUUA5U1GOM7aVp_G7lI7PmVshakS-CPKul-xNd3ESBuWfAD50CeHts5iIOPVfEn9aPhw_7nxrz98txwSEiSUDENlRVkaxTMTmxi2BHWJX9fyQudhRfCmJpIng_ZRvF5VUny4d9ujWi9_hDHuvy95v2/w400-h266/simona-tabasco-as-lucia.jpg.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face="VogueAvantGarde, helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(31, 31, 31); color: #1f1f1f; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; text-align: left;">Photo: Fabio Lovino/HBO</span></td></tr></tbody></table>She became an international overnight sensation for her role in the HBO hit series <a href="https://amzn.to/47kjLJ9">“The White Lotus,”</a> but she’s no stranger to Italian moviegoers.<p></p><p>Born in Naples in 1994, Simona Tabasco started acting when she was just 8 years old. Her craft is second nature to her now, but acting didn’t always come easily. In an interview with Forbes, she explained, “The spark that started my acting career didn’t happen right away when I started acting, but it broke out during the last 10 years.”</p><p>Her first feature film role came around that time in Edoardo De Angelis’ 2014 crime drama “Perez,” for which she received the Nastri d’Argento Premio Biraghi, an award designated for young artists. In it, Tabasco portrays Tea Perez, the daughter of a famous Neapolitan criminal lawyer, played by <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/02/roman-actor-luca-zingaretti-diverse-as.html">Luca Zingaretti</a>. When she falls in love with the son of a Camorra boss, her father must walk a fine line between his professional ethics and his love for his daughter. Tabasco brought depth and authenticity to her character through a forceful, dramatic performance.</p><p>Her next high-profile role was as Alex Di Nardo, an undercover police officer in the first two seasons of the Italian television series <a href="https://amzn.to/47JCaz0">“I Bastardi di Pizzofalcone.”</a> Set in Naples, the series follows a crew of law enforcement agents fighting crime and solving cases in the local Pizzofalcone police station. Alex Di Nardo is a woman at odds with her overbearing family. Tabasco gives Alex the perfect balance of toughness when confronting the grim nature of her job and affability when interacting with her colleagues. She is a layered character who deals with the demands of work and the disappointments of family members by compartmentalizing her life and living in the moment.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbJckfpLx5VH-us-agF3V6nivYXryv2skW8rmNlPulHvQMPf8ge6PYs9THLfQHtK8ykS9711IdLt82MuSnxldRz0fyfjR1yxV-fk2lZl4IVukZ0yWzp9qawlW8hTx7ZHucMsiezQOerT809o59hcOTRWetDmiR9ONlL-QVqwE22U5O7bbbj5dOSJT2rAZ/s800/image-w1280.jpg.webp" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMbJckfpLx5VH-us-agF3V6nivYXryv2skW8rmNlPulHvQMPf8ge6PYs9THLfQHtK8ykS9711IdLt82MuSnxldRz0fyfjR1yxV-fk2lZl4IVukZ0yWzp9qawlW8hTx7ZHucMsiezQOerT809o59hcOTRWetDmiR9ONlL-QVqwE22U5O7bbbj5dOSJT2rAZ/w400-h225/image-w1280.jpg.webp" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">"Luna Park" Netflix</span></td></tr></tbody></table>In 2021, Tabasco had a starring role in the Netflix original <a href="https://www.netflix.com/title/81045006?source=35">“Luna Park,”</a> a delightful, cleverly written series with a tangled storyline that’s fueled by enough comic relief to keep you laughing throughout. Tabasco is Nora, a vivacious young woman who grew up in her family’s circus in Rome during the 1960s. Working as a tarot card reader at her father’s carnival park, she reads the cards for a young woman on a quest to find her twin sister, who has been missing since she was a baby. Nora puts the pieces of the puzzle together and realizes that she is the woman’s sister. <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2023/08/from-stage-to-screen-many-faces-of.html">Tommaso Ragno</a> gives a heartfelt performance in the role of her free-spirited father, who is on a lifelong mission to design the perfect ride for his carnival. The two actors from different generations have strong chemistry, making for some compelling, heart-tugging scenes.<p></p><p>When auditioning for a role, Tabasco believes it is important to study the character closely to give a sincere performance. That’s exactly what she did for her next character, Lucia Grecco, a young Sicilian prostitute in Season 2 of HBO’s “The White Lotus,” which proved to be a life-changing role.</p><p>The White Lotus is a fictional hotel chain in the HBO series created by Mike White. At the story's center are various guests and employees, each dealing with their own drama. Lucia and her partner in crime, Mia, played by Beatrice Grannò, flit about the Sicilian hotel hustling tourists like they own the place, much to the chagrin of Valentina (<a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2023/03/sabrina-impacciatore-living-dream.html">Sabrina Impacciatore</a>), the hotel’s no-nonsense manager. Lucia becomes involved with serial adulterer Dominic Di Grasso (Michael Imperioli). Later, she inadvertently strikes up a friendship with Dominic’s son, and they develop strong feelings for each other.</p><p>Tabasco received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series for her role, and she and Grannò received an MTV Movie + TV Award nomination for Best Duo. The part opened doors for Tabasco. She recently starred in a campaign for Kim Kardashian’s clothing line and is set to co-star with Sydney Sweeney, a fellow “White Lotus” cast member, in the forthcoming horror film “Immaculate.”</p><p>“Many projects are coming,” said Tabasco. “While before ‘White Lotus,’ I was used to dealing with Italy, now my prospects have broadened a bit, and so I will spend a little more time in the U.S.”</p><p>Keep up with Tabasco on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/simonatabasco/">@simonatabasco</a>. All of the aforementioned films and series are available online. Click on the titles for direct links.</p><p><br /></p>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-68069386757769121562023-10-01T11:06:00.006-07:002023-10-01T11:18:20.487-07:00Agnès Varda's NYC footage of Pier Paolo Pasolini to make its North American Premiere at the New York Film Festival <p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRSj78lbERaA8UJDJ_33p1NgOyhMABzyihS3JV-Cg-Ll_OJw4AJJ5uQsgxYqO6AS0lznl1ZSaGjWF286CB05R9FS1UrtmHaA5Pwg_PNi-zhbKL2YXCFwBmjOIxMf6QtdQaJo4cbz3T3L1r30jQsgbGaIEucmyqwMUbsIkYxA2pPVhuJS-H8Icy_wPZaZH/s653/IMG_4595.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="653" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHRSj78lbERaA8UJDJ_33p1NgOyhMABzyihS3JV-Cg-Ll_OJw4AJJ5uQsgxYqO6AS0lznl1ZSaGjWF286CB05R9FS1UrtmHaA5Pwg_PNi-zhbKL2YXCFwBmjOIxMf6QtdQaJo4cbz3T3L1r30jQsgbGaIEucmyqwMUbsIkYxA2pPVhuJS-H8Icy_wPZaZH/s320/IMG_4595.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">A recently recovered film treasure will make its North American premiere at the New York Film Festival next week. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Pier Paolo Pasolini – Agnès Varda – New York – 1967” is a short documentary shot with 16 mm color film by the French director Agnès Varda in New York City. The two were in town for the 4th edition of the New York Film Festival. The footage shows Pasolini walking around Times Square narrated by a Q&A voiceover between the two discussing filmmaking, Christianity and life. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The clarity is stunning for a film made more than 50 years ago. The footage was discovered in 2021, two years after Varda’s death, and restored by Cine-Tamaris, in collaboration with L’Immagine Ritrovata.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The film will precede screenings of <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2018/09/martin-scorsese-backs-alice-rohrwachers.html">Alice Rohrwacher’s</a> “La Chimera” and other NYFF61 Main Slate selections, including Pictures of Ghosts, and Revivals selection Return to Reason: Short Films by Man Ray. <a href="https://www.filmlinc.org/calendar/">Click here </a>for the complete lineup and schedule.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p></p>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-82864632156665529692023-09-20T17:22:00.002-07:002023-09-20T17:43:03.915-07:00Fortunato Verduci's latest project reflects his Calabrese pride<p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAioU6LpqDZfPrHm0OlgnzjOKmE530otus_9GBCIG_8PBGos4eIDNVGBAsZPOPeGVbm5Sii1cf2IWLLjgePpi94R4OqmA9Qzc4qZg8vt__uppgFEceXJUOKGdhmAIAHZKMoVa6Wzwc42kD5WsQGOtogFIGZ42d0kk3O4mBSI_Cnt-FuW-v8uP4-DgZA61H/s1024/VERDUCI%20FORTUNATO%20.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAioU6LpqDZfPrHm0OlgnzjOKmE530otus_9GBCIG_8PBGos4eIDNVGBAsZPOPeGVbm5Sii1cf2IWLLjgePpi94R4OqmA9Qzc4qZg8vt__uppgFEceXJUOKGdhmAIAHZKMoVa6Wzwc42kD5WsQGOtogFIGZ42d0kk3O4mBSI_Cnt-FuW-v8uP4-DgZA61H/s320/VERDUCI%20FORTUNATO%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Calabrese actor and musician<a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2020/04/musician-turned-actor-fortunato-verduci.html"> Fortunato Verduci</a> has a new project; an enchanting music video celebrating the land he loves so much. Set at the Castle of Santo Niceto, an 11th-century Byzantine castle situated on a hilltop in Motta San Giovanni in the province of Reggio Calabria, Verduci and model Maryame Jafire recite a tale of love to the organetto-inspired song, “l'amuri effectu.”</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Directed by photographer and video editor Vincenzo Sanci, the song is performed by musicians Giuseppe Lucà, who is also a manufacturer of traditional Calabrian instruments, and Antonio Nicolò, a renowned expert in wind instruments who boasts collaborations with various international artists.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to Verduci, the song is about love. “It talks about the sun and the moon, about an impossible love. When there is one, the other is missing,” he explained.” He goes on to say, “However, maybe the intense feelings of love can bring the sun and moon together. We wanted to insert the perfect opposite already existing in nature that between the other marries with the reality of this wonderful region. The dance we wanted to perform is not a traditional dance but a hymn to a life stuck in a crucial moment of the story.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">This non-traditional element was important to the message of the project given the climate in which we are currently living. “Besides the feeling of love, we also wanted to leave space for other very current themes: that of integration and coexistence between peoples. Music can unite us citizens of the world. Music and acting (theater and film) are driving models of interculturality and tradition but also of openness, which in this case join under one sky,” said Verduci.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Watch the video on YouTube… </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sl4MAoXt-bw" width="320" youtube-src-id="Sl4MAoXt-bw"></iframe></div><br /><span style="font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span><p></p>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-69505383613573176202023-08-18T04:57:00.010-07:002023-09-12T16:21:58.545-07:00Tommaso Ragno: From Stage to Screen<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEsZ4WxEi9NTZ6W8VEwviq_Cq1ECUgloN7lH1DLBe3uQK3iBuZnRWNZlLmNaoSJKmeCEPeyEKk6_xVdb1Arr_9hzgOgnUqUNROjMhisOORGy5p77OyhDOGVPrBdElv6sh_abBwvziiFnmx2yD6bicyJJzg1cxluixKzz9q7PQyzxz7t9xp2c2ECdnn-t1/s1600/1357408.jpg-r_1920_1080-f_jpg-q_x-xxyxx.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTEsZ4WxEi9NTZ6W8VEwviq_Cq1ECUgloN7lH1DLBe3uQK3iBuZnRWNZlLmNaoSJKmeCEPeyEKk6_xVdb1Arr_9hzgOgnUqUNROjMhisOORGy5p77OyhDOGVPrBdElv6sh_abBwvziiFnmx2yD6bicyJJzg1cxluixKzz9q7PQyzxz7t9xp2c2ECdnn-t1/w400-h266/1357408.jpg-r_1920_1080-f_jpg-q_x-xxyxx.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Tommaso Ragno in a scene from "Nostalgia"</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">A seasoned character actor, his performances reflect the diversity and intensity of his stage training as well as his knack for comic timing.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born in 1967 in the region of Puglia, Tommaso Ragno grew up in the north of Italy and studied acting at the Paolo Grassi School of Dramatic Arts in Milan. In 1988, he appeared in his first stage production, which was directed by Mario Martone, a filmmaker who would have a huge impact on his work. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ragno continued perfecting his craft, building a distinguished career as a theater actor for a decade before his gradual transition into film. During those early years, he worked with renowned directors on productions ranging from Shakespeare to Eduardo De Filippo.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Though he built an impressive theater resume, he was destined for success beyond the stage. His first screen role came in 1997 in Davide Ferrario’s “Tutti giù per terra” (All Down to Earth), followed by parts in various television series. He went back and forth between TV, film and theater during the late ‘90s and early 2000s.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIXMPYru4fTrfInI7GMBsjzCvKozMV4JTnCHzfOymVObTF535sokh2CPQ7RwRoNLpbTLUjHB2EmSfhXHM2-LPyOco0TM2Mq-r0O4ScGhAe3CJSNi7DHheYMDQT2DJssGCdwOEyQS2ke1TPtEToQ9Z7vFUr5StFnSImeOHKDrr18UgzQFQy8vQljERin1w/s1800/Unseen.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1205" data-original-width="1800" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIXMPYru4fTrfInI7GMBsjzCvKozMV4JTnCHzfOymVObTF535sokh2CPQ7RwRoNLpbTLUjHB2EmSfhXHM2-LPyOco0TM2Mq-r0O4ScGhAe3CJSNi7DHheYMDQT2DJssGCdwOEyQS2ke1TPtEToQ9Z7vFUr5StFnSImeOHKDrr18UgzQFQy8vQljERin1w/w400-h268/Unseen.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2007, he took on the complex role of a womanizer in Emidio Greco’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3WG41vy">“L’uomo privato” (Unseen)</a>. The film follows a seductive law professor who engages in casual affairs with students and colleagues. Insensitive to their feelings, he is caught off guard when one young student falls in love with him and is overcome by grief when he calls off their affair. He soon becomes involved in the girl’s life when her new boyfriend is found dead. The tragedy forces him to finally consider the pain he has caused through his indifference. Ragno gives a thoughtful, subtle performance as a man coming to terms with the consequences of his actions.</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The ensuing decade solidified his career as a screen actor, with important roles in films by Bernardo Bertolucci, Paolo Virzì and Alice Rohrwacher. Two roles in particular helped define his career.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7be7gDN7DbVVszPxjbcTehr1S7d4KqK0wmDBAiVCXlVOaa34jvPqXStf18pgAGLAc4lCvoO_F1J8Ts0plSmMZgG4rCELeB8HphM3kfNoT5sd4cQqeNUXrbBET1V8oMwRw7H50HRS6ckdtPMNPu6XeAZnLZ5TT3rnqk6zhJhIqr4qFbyWiok9DEsI-KlR/s720/miracolo-serie-tv-4.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="720" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS7be7gDN7DbVVszPxjbcTehr1S7d4KqK0wmDBAiVCXlVOaa34jvPqXStf18pgAGLAc4lCvoO_F1J8Ts0plSmMZgG4rCELeB8HphM3kfNoT5sd4cQqeNUXrbBET1V8oMwRw7H50HRS6ckdtPMNPu6XeAZnLZ5TT3rnqk6zhJhIqr4qFbyWiok9DEsI-KlR/w400-h266/miracolo-serie-tv-4.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2018, he starred in the Italian series “Il miracolo” (The Miracle) as Padre Marcello, a priest who has lost his faith in God. It was a tumultuous period for the actor, as he was going through a difficult separation. He made Padre Marcello an outlet for the stress and pain he was feeling and, in doing so, delivered an award-winning performance.</span></div><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Also that year, he began the first of three seasons on the Netflix series <a href="https://www.netflix.com">“Baby,” </a>directed by <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2021/07/andrea-de-sica-against-grain.html">Andrea De Sica</a>, Anna Negri and Letizia Lamartire. Inspired by a scandal that rocked Rome’s upscale Parioli neighborhood in 2013, the series follows two high school girls and their classmates as they get caught up in a prostitution ring.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ragno interprets the role of Alberto Fedeli, a stern high school principal and overbearingly strict father. The arc of this character is impressive. Ragno brings a great deal of pathos to Alberto while lending a touch of naivete that resulted in some much-needed comic relief. In a cast of superbly written and performed characters, Alberto stands out as a mysterious man who slowly lets down his guard to reveal a warm, thoughtful human being trying to do his best as chaos unfolds around him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Episode 5 of the first season, during a moving scene with his son, Alberto says, “We single parents have to be tougher than the others because we have nobody to support us.” He finishes the thought by cracking a joke. Thanks to Ragno’s kind smile and sincere gaze, the scene is a revelation, showing that someone who at first appears villainous is actually relying on tough love to guide the youngsters so dear to him.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The 2020s are proving to be even busier for Ragno. In a recent interview with Fra Noi, he talked about his surprise at the direction his career has taken. “Most of my life was spent in theater. In the last five years, I’ve started to work more often in movies and television series. What I’m experiencing now is that it’s the best time for me to be a movie actor,” he explains. “When I was younger, I thought there was no space for actors like me in movies and television series given my background as a theater actor. It took some time for me to understand how to present myself as a movie actor. It was a turning point.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2020, Ragno appeared in the first two episodes of Season 4 of the FX series <a href="https://www.hulu.com/series/fargo-203cda1b-7919-40fb-ab36-1e45b3ed2a50?entity_id=91eb0930-962b-49da-b1cd-0a85e7de6aa0">“Fargo.”</a> His character, Donatello Fada, once again called upon his inherent sense of comic timing. The series brought Ragno to Chicago, where he shot on location right before the pandemic. “It was a great experience. I was blessed to be there with great writers and actors. It was a dream,” he says.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He goes on to talk about his appreciation for the city. “Chicago is a very European city. And at the same time, it’s also American. In my vision, the American culture is really very important.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9PS7jWqB1fufdYvyXIKTWJNhfI7Vl09qyK-aV-TYKZ3yJBLaFyqprd_nmGw4rsplpNcskuzy0EZBgzLIefJpLhLY_29-xxNLzIUYwQLKHAkiKcxZAEAxb-GjLhVPBgZY9Fo7FAnmfFdHRvE-7ExuVUXRxnRSwbthjQhHv8fIYcoFN5dZWbLBEV2fm5Oj/s681/nostalgia.jpeg.webp" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="681" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB9PS7jWqB1fufdYvyXIKTWJNhfI7Vl09qyK-aV-TYKZ3yJBLaFyqprd_nmGw4rsplpNcskuzy0EZBgzLIefJpLhLY_29-xxNLzIUYwQLKHAkiKcxZAEAxb-GjLhVPBgZY9Fo7FAnmfFdHRvE-7ExuVUXRxnRSwbthjQhHv8fIYcoFN5dZWbLBEV2fm5Oj/w400-h225/nostalgia.jpeg.webp" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Pierfrancesco Favino and Tommaso Ragno <br />as Felice and Oreste in "Nostalgia"<br />Photo by Mario Spada, True Colours</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">Arguably his finest performance came in Mario Martone’s 2022 thriller <a href="https://amzn.to/3Co6qBT">“Nostalgia.”</a> Adapted from the 2016 novel by Ermanno Rea, the film follows two former childhood friends who haven’t seen each other in 40 years. Felice (<a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2019/10/pierfrancesco-favino-on-his-portrayal.html">Pierfrancesco Favino</a>) returns to his hometown of Naples after living abroad for his entire adult life. Upon his arrival, he is surprised to find his mother living in squalor. He cares for her, but sadly she passes away. His new mission is to reunite with his childhood friend Oreste (Ragno), who has become the neighborhood’s ruthless crime boss. Felice confesses to his priest that when he was a teenager, he was sent away after the mischievous friends were involved in a robbery that turned fatal. Felice and Oreste have had no contact since.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Even though Felice’s friends try to discourage him from pursuing Oreste, he insists that he knows Oreste like no other and goes ahead with the meeting. He finds his old friend changed and distant, living in isolation in a broken-down apartment. Oreste shows no interest in forgiving Felice for abandoning him all those years ago and warns him to leave Naples forever. Felice refuses to leave and suffers the consequences.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The role of Oreste was an intellectual and physical feat, according to Ragno. “The first thing I did was learn the Neapolitan dialect. It’s not just a language but also a way of thinking,” he explains. “My body also had to be excessive for that role. It was very strong, un corpo muscoloso, un corpo allenato (a strong, trained body). That gave the appearance of an animal in a cage.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Nostalgia” won a whole slew of awards, with Ragno receiving best-supporting actor from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists. In June, he traveled to New York to present the film at the 23rd edition of Lincoln Center’s annual series Open Roads: New Italian Cinema.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">With dozens of stage, television and film projects under his belt, Ragno has earned every bit of his success and is taking nothing for granted. “I’m grateful for everything that is happening,” he says.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of the aforementioned films are available to stream. Click on the titles for direct links.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the September 2023 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</span></i></p></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-56591469755704464952023-07-27T09:22:00.008-07:002023-08-09T10:29:49.737-07:00Elisa Amoruso: A Director For Our Times<p><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pWG3t7QPYmDl1ggdHTQLwPN8kW_4prP1Xk7kbb5hU6i1L2B3nnltxn5G2W6SwAFA_grlRVLB5JM79gZe4HY4K_HTttym5dl6qX70tr0U7snu7V061b3xoIgYLr_XJIMi6Dll8op3M1hnKBG7dom2DDlTmLVtuShFI3HrJjSWBif-7CtGMaPElSgI6SC_/s6320/L1000514.tif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6320" data-original-width="4320" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0pWG3t7QPYmDl1ggdHTQLwPN8kW_4prP1Xk7kbb5hU6i1L2B3nnltxn5G2W6SwAFA_grlRVLB5JM79gZe4HY4K_HTttym5dl6qX70tr0U7snu7V061b3xoIgYLr_XJIMi6Dll8op3M1hnKBG7dom2DDlTmLVtuShFI3HrJjSWBif-7CtGMaPElSgI6SC_/w273-h400/L1000514.tif" width="273" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">With a passion for telling stories about women, and a talent for creating compelling dramas, she has created unique works that resonate with audiences worldwide.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born in 1981 in Rome, Elisa Amoruso studied Performing Arts at the city’s La Sapienza University and went on to further her studies in screenwriting at Rome’s famed Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She began her filmmaking career with short narratives and documentaries that were met with much success and prestigious awards including the David Donatello and Nastro d’Argento from the Italian Journalists Association. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Watching her films and reading the credits, which include many women in key roles like cinematography and editing, it’s clear that Amoruso is a filmmaker who supports other women, trailblazing creative paths for them, too.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That support has landed on both sides of the camera. In 2016, she made a poignant documentary that was released in Italy on International Women's Day. “Strane Straniere” (Strange Foreigners), presented at the 2016 edition of Rome’s film festival, tells the story of five women forced to leave their countries for various reasons in search of new beginnings in Rome. The common ground among them is their entrepreneurship. Amoruso explores the women’s processes of reinventing themselves in this majestic, but foreign land. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She continues the theme of bringing together different cultures by interweaving the stories of her diverse characters. She is part of a new crop of Italian filmmakers enjoying the proliferation of streaming platforms. Over the last decade, some of Italy’s most talented 30-something filmmakers have teamed up with streaming companies like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon to tell stories of their generation to global audiences. Amazon has played a huge part in Amoruso’s worldwide reach, featuring three of her feature films on its platform.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLGGTqBroGiOJpwzJH177SkrpjfH2vF5mksEPaP38N_G8UYe61UkKRskLANBXsk7VhxdbWFGW8R8C-J1ouMs0QvKHfzgoOjZK9cRhRTbvvULdRddWmXuIkuIjn3T-vNT040HitpkE1oCQ7_ZT3lMhH1axuESOVA4wFW4eMw32gkTKgsVL5xZ1GqIOnWKA/s2500/Chiara%20Ferragni.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1907" data-original-width="2500" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLGGTqBroGiOJpwzJH177SkrpjfH2vF5mksEPaP38N_G8UYe61UkKRskLANBXsk7VhxdbWFGW8R8C-J1ouMs0QvKHfzgoOjZK9cRhRTbvvULdRddWmXuIkuIjn3T-vNT040HitpkE1oCQ7_ZT3lMhH1axuESOVA4wFW4eMw32gkTKgsVL5xZ1GqIOnWKA/w400-h305/Chiara%20Ferragni.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her 2019 feature-length documentary, <a href="https://amzn.to/3rLOq24">“Chiara Ferragni: Unposted,” </a>is a brilliant, comprehensive essay on the evolution of social media and the birth of the influencer. Whether you’re an active participant or still living analog, the documentary is a must-see to understand how digital media has come to dominate the trend-setting landscape. </span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Chiara Ferragni was born in the northern Italian city of Cremona in 1987. She had a normal childhood, nurtured by loving parents and two sisters. Her mother, an executive in the fashion industry, was known for always having a camera in her hand, capturing special moments on video. In the documentary, Ferragni credits her bringing-up for the confidence she has as an adult. “Your true self-confidence comes from your childhood, I think. If you had a happy childhood, if your parents make you feel special, you will always feel special,” she said. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amoruso tells Ferragni’s story in a touching yet informative manner that shows the brilliance of this young entrepreneur who possesses an innate knowledge of how to connect with her peers and build a following that’s earned her wealth and fame. The downside is the emotional torment she’s experienced due to the barrage of hateful messages that come with the territory of being an internationally-known influencer. The film shows the human side of a person known mostly by her image. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcvkcNMD6NW8Ox2L-MSypOorVI0vLqhRdV5Plqtw4TbWezQxxwompfyk_9fAaUv1fxSOku2JEbXyDPQ0wDnYcn2DpUfpME6BtjFIfk-S8h5Ia05IHI-U9HoNzgOk2NekEgZQTPHwQOYbe81VToegUywlSfhybsALse1vlYnp0orDi6CUAz2zLXIM7twhT/s3639/IMG_9053.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3023" data-original-width="3639" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZcvkcNMD6NW8Ox2L-MSypOorVI0vLqhRdV5Plqtw4TbWezQxxwompfyk_9fAaUv1fxSOku2JEbXyDPQ0wDnYcn2DpUfpME6BtjFIfk-S8h5Ia05IHI-U9HoNzgOk2NekEgZQTPHwQOYbe81VToegUywlSfhybsALse1vlYnp0orDi6CUAz2zLXIM7twhT/s320/IMG_9053.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Chiara Ferragni: Unposted” premiered in Rome in November of 2019, making it one of the last Red Carpet events before the pandemic, and it was magnificent. The event brought together Italians from the film and fashion worlds, dressed to the nine, to celebrate one of Italy’s early high-profile Amazon premieres. Since then, Amazon has embraced the work of young filmmakers with original films and series aimed at telling contemporary stories. The streaming platform recently released its Amazon Original, <a href="https://amzn.to/3q8HdbY">“The Ferragnez: The Series,”</a> a docuseries on Ferragni, which follows her life with rapper-husband Fedez and two children. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amoruso’s second narrative feature film, <a href="https://amzn.to/44JePw6">“Time Is Up,”</a> stars Gen-Z favorites, Bella Thorne and Benjamin Mascolo, who were dating in real life when the movie was shot. A story of young love, the film follows Vivien (Thorne) as she tries to make sense of her parents’ crumbling marriage and her distracted boyfriend while preparing for a final exam in physics that is key to her college placement. When she meets Roy (Mascolo), who is on the swim team with her boyfriend, the two strike up a friendship. He is also dealing with the challenges of deciding his future plans, which often clash with his father’s expectations. When the story moves to Rome, we are faced with stunning drone shots of the city, including aerial views of the Pantheon, Vatican City, Castel Sant’Angelo, and the Temple of Hercules Victor. After strolls through Villa Borghese and Piazza di Spagna, Vivien and Roy’s relationship turns romantic but is halted by a sudden accident. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kgX-SGrM0UBCe_xT422j6es5nCEO48gFCXi7nCQ7fkTZBVpwOyELFoBpnGUgSqC99sCLEi0k9lkpQpSIdTtG5fHZxdd0YepUvntNKpsZHel5l61pS2ToTFH-FfNLmFyTNv0aWxz5fZXQWGkI1Y7sDdlABpecSMKdzsnaXYuDG0dk9cjfIM1kZOMUJDjr/s4593/Time%20is%20up%20with%20Elisa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3062" data-original-width="4593" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_kgX-SGrM0UBCe_xT422j6es5nCEO48gFCXi7nCQ7fkTZBVpwOyELFoBpnGUgSqC99sCLEi0k9lkpQpSIdTtG5fHZxdd0YepUvntNKpsZHel5l61pS2ToTFH-FfNLmFyTNv0aWxz5fZXQWGkI1Y7sDdlABpecSMKdzsnaXYuDG0dk9cjfIM1kZOMUJDjr/w640-h426/Time%20is%20up%20with%20Elisa.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amoruso tells this story of love, hopes, and tribulations with sweeping cinematography, dream-like sequences, and a hip, mesmerizing soundtrack that includes songs by young artists such as Billie Elish and Kučka.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A continuation of Vivien and Roy’s romance, Amoruso’s 2022 <a href="https://amzn.to/45mnqVB">“Game of Love” </a>takes the couple to Sicily, the land of Roy’s origins. After the death of his grandmother, Roy has to settle the estate, which includes an old farmhouse that he inherited. Upon arriving, Vivien meets a young woman, Anna, who crashes her motorcycle outside the family home where the couple is staying. When Vivien offers to help Anna, the two strike up a friendship and end up spending a lot of time together over the next few days. There is an awkwardness between Anna and Roy. Vivien picks up on it after she notices the two have matching tattoos. She presses Roy for answers but he denies knowing her. So, she goes directly to Anna who reveals the history between them. When Vivien realizes that Roy has been lying to her, she is furious. He is on the brink of losing her. He does some serious soul-searching and finds the answers that he’d been looking for all along.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONQ_VsQnPvt6VEOQsWBtDWLHcdbI5SV6EPrDYxWM153cHrB9FbqnkDeIyN1V4VyS4davhI5pGhEv8MIf2SZxdgKAQ73wREonCwv0s0Jitxj2d-3y3bhgaTEa35f31KCxL-wykkDB7VWkITg25IiIIiaprvTVw9P7TiUhU4B18yyjX_Q_Q7VYDEtM3AjY0/s1284/good-mothers-1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1284" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONQ_VsQnPvt6VEOQsWBtDWLHcdbI5SV6EPrDYxWM153cHrB9FbqnkDeIyN1V4VyS4davhI5pGhEv8MIf2SZxdgKAQ73wREonCwv0s0Jitxj2d-3y3bhgaTEa35f31KCxL-wykkDB7VWkITg25IiIIiaprvTVw9P7TiUhU4B18yyjX_Q_Q7VYDEtM3AjY0/w400-h266/good-mothers-1.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Amoruso’s latest directorial effort is three episodes in the acclaimed Disney+ series, <a href="https://www.hulu.com/series/144e4df5-1e31-4a87-ba66-399cad83666c">“The Good Mothers.” </a>Based on a true story about three women caught in the abusive clutches of ‘Ndranghe</span><span style="font-family: inherit;">with a female prosecutor.</span></div><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In an article penned for the website, televisual.com, Amoruso wrote, “The show is entirely based on Alex Perry’s book <a href="https://amzn.to/3Obs5Cz">‘The Good Mothers’</a>. Reading it, I was really moved by the true stories of these women: they were living a very oppressed life in Calabria under patriarchal rules.” <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before being offered the project, she was aware of the plight of one woman, Lea Garofalo, but didn’t know of the others or the female prosecutor that would help them break free of the mafia chains. Once she read the book, she felt drawn to the women and wanted to do her part in telling their stories. “These women had never been able to decide for themselves what to do with their lives, they couldn’t choose their husbands, and they became mothers when they were fifteen and seventeen years old, respectively. They didn’t have a perspective of what a different life might be. They had been living in a little town in a very narrow-minded society, ruled by criminals,” she stated. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All of Amoruso’s projects are currently available on their corresponding streaming platforms. Click in the titles for direct links. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p></div><div><i style="font-family: inherit;">-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the August 2023 issue of Fra Noi. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-87249880850051708732023-06-13T15:56:00.005-07:002023-08-09T10:31:12.576-07:00Old Soul With a Modern Eye<p><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigctbQ_eq82rURQYXSQQ2ubZVODWPcQFby36VcO5n8xHkDuqON8NPYww0App44Ah7l0SbdJIveCFvhpt5H0Yy-j_MOkCIHWj59yl3Qz_q0dYD_mz4gh1EQA6g4rIZBh0XwAew5q7-cqd3FvQ054oygWc5BjJRpxoYUEyfKLthGsa7c4WrHaKzWyIPtUg/s3000/Pietro%20Marcello.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="3000" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigctbQ_eq82rURQYXSQQ2ubZVODWPcQFby36VcO5n8xHkDuqON8NPYww0App44Ah7l0SbdJIveCFvhpt5H0Yy-j_MOkCIHWj59yl3Qz_q0dYD_mz4gh1EQA6g4rIZBh0XwAew5q7-cqd3FvQ054oygWc5BjJRpxoYUEyfKLthGsa7c4WrHaKzWyIPtUg/w400-h300/Pietro%20Marcello.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lincoln Center described Pietro Marcello as “quietly redefining contemporary Italian cinema.” While the filmmaker says that the neorealist masterpieces of <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/07/vittorio-de-sica-father-of-oscar-for.html">Vittorio De Sica</a> have moved him to tears, he has charted a dramatically different course while drawing deeply from those cinematic roots.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born in 1976 in Caserta, Italy, Marcello attended Naples’ renowned Academy of Fine Arts, where he studied painting. Finding himself drawn to storytelling, he launched the radio program “Il tempo dei Magliari” and began experimenting with documentaries. “Carta” and “Scampia” were among his first short films.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2004, he completed the documentary “Il cantiere,” which was awarded the top prize at the 11th edition of the Libero Bizzarri Film Festival, a celebration of cinema named after the late journalist and screenwriter.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsXGKcXNkS0FL_lCK_erih_IotXBOtiuQhCNTgSeGH1LoRrYjUyK0pLr-asms6uJlNS6JBCfoIFwJfpBtEnwzuYTNhDW9hfuJKYLDvuRid1w0-zX1IjHnGvPdz7r3N6JPBhkKTKM67M_4FJqCQpc7L52o7W3iJyg27jNREiDe3zlOW2DP3898EuIxtA/s768/1188571147593.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="430" data-original-width="768" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTsXGKcXNkS0FL_lCK_erih_IotXBOtiuQhCNTgSeGH1LoRrYjUyK0pLr-asms6uJlNS6JBCfoIFwJfpBtEnwzuYTNhDW9hfuJKYLDvuRid1w0-zX1IjHnGvPdz7r3N6JPBhkKTKM67M_4FJqCQpc7L52o7W3iJyg27jNREiDe3zlOW2DP3898EuIxtA/w400-h223/1188571147593.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Marcello took it to the next level in 2007 when the Venice Film Festival premiered his documentary “Il Passaggio della Linea” (Crossing the Line). The poetic journey across Italy, which reveals the decay of the once-vibrant routes and landscapes of the country’s long-distance express trains, established him as an up-and-coming auteur. Since then, his unique style has emerged in the visual symphonies that are his films. At times subtle and reflective and at others forceful and lively, they tell gripping tales with often explosive conclusions while following beautifully flawed characters trying to navigate life.<div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His 2009 docu-fiction <a href="https://amzn.to/42qqVsB">“La bocca del lupo” (The Mouth of the Wolf)</a> follows Enzo as he returns to Genoa after a lengthy absence to reunite with his love, Mary, a convict just released from prison. Upon Enzo’s return, he explores the urban streets, searching for familiar places from his past, only to discover an unrecognizable city. He finds solace in knowing that Mary waits for him at their quaint house in the ghetto, but even she has changed and is now in the grips of drug addiction. Marcello takes this complex, dark story and transforms it into a poetic tale filled with love, hope, and nostalgia.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMg_Qz_XT8FU6HIihlen_V5Wcr_ZRrCrMeI6T1RHffkqNUIXyfLb-lI5SiGoF0EOWfaEfo51zefV7NCkegL3Nhuk86z4RhY2-ck3g0ZJhxzpxFJZPDr-uqLHJ3lLYTkeqpDvXhmoL3ExZPnYF6O4WGZJwRdaGBQ00v4AQyfjPd4q-pgDqynE3n0KOFA/s1181/Mouth%20of%20the%20Wolf.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="1181" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMg_Qz_XT8FU6HIihlen_V5Wcr_ZRrCrMeI6T1RHffkqNUIXyfLb-lI5SiGoF0EOWfaEfo51zefV7NCkegL3Nhuk86z4RhY2-ck3g0ZJhxzpxFJZPDr-uqLHJ3lLYTkeqpDvXhmoL3ExZPnYF6O4WGZJwRdaGBQ00v4AQyfjPd4q-pgDqynE3n0KOFA/w400-h325/Mouth%20of%20the%20Wolf.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marcello’s 2011 film <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWqIj4XF0YU&t=168s">“The Silence of Pelesjan”</a> is a visually dynamic tribute to the esteemed Armenian filmmaker Artavazd Pelešjan. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival in the Orrizonti section and was later awarded a Nastro d’Argento by the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists for best documentary on cinema. Using his trademark technique of montages and simulated archival footage to showcase excerpts from Pelešjan’s works, Marcello paints a wondrous portrait of the mysterious director who lives a life of solitude. Known for his experimentation with distance editing, which involves extreme longshots and panoramic views of everything from cities to galaxies, Pelešjan’s films focus more on theme than plot. Marcello captured this concept perfectly in an imaginative, ethereal homage to an artist who created abstract film masterpieces.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJJGYyVBh7dEM5RnP9AtfCXUYF0gHGFCqaqbDazrvZo5DvPxKNPhWt-CZ_MaIQxB6HrPvLvOI1op51Vob_pxFdSO9V-LRSzzsvYA58LP9LJXZdJ_2BhanWzIsl5oSy6krB49xgJubERBPvcqUam4OqQozQvGN7-WsyP5hALJvgRhdwMqk5RIPKZ6KlA/s4500/Lost%20and%20Beautiful.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJJGYyVBh7dEM5RnP9AtfCXUYF0gHGFCqaqbDazrvZo5DvPxKNPhWt-CZ_MaIQxB6HrPvLvOI1op51Vob_pxFdSO9V-LRSzzsvYA58LP9LJXZdJ_2BhanWzIsl5oSy6krB49xgJubERBPvcqUam4OqQozQvGN7-WsyP5hALJvgRhdwMqk5RIPKZ6KlA/w400-h266/Lost%20and%20Beautiful.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The drama <a href="https://amzn.to/3Lt4CeJ">“Lost and Beautiful,” </a>which was released in 2015 to worldwide acclaim, takes the viewer on a roller coaster ride of emotions, achieving a mystical ambiance by shooting a heartfelt story on expired 16 mm film stock. Tommaso, a revered shepherd, volunteers to stand guard at Caserta’s abandoned Royal Palace of Carditello during a tumultuous time of mafia clashes. While there, he suffers a heart attack and dies. Before he goes, he begs the commedia dell’arte character Pulcinella to rescue a buffalo calf from the palace. After agreeing to grant the dying man’s wish, Pulcinella and the calf, named Sarchiapone, embark on a fantastical adventure north. Through the narration of actor Elio Germano, we see the world through Sarchiapone’s eyes as he ponders the cruelty of humankind and the slaughterhouse that awaits him. The heart-rending journey and tear-jerking end make for unforgettable cinema. </div><div><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marcello’s next film came in 2019 with the international art-house favorite <a href="https://amzn.to/3LryuIB">“Martin Eden.” </a>Starring <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-complex-characters-of-luca-marinelli.html">Luca Marinelli</a> in the title role, the movie was adapted from Jack London’s 1909 novel about an unskilled laborer following his dream of becoming a writer. Marcello changed the setting to Southern Italy.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y0s_iPOizDOkz5azFPphFXevupRCz3zQfiM47CbKf2g7eY9x9i4XlJSN4Hm1NbfsTGhM4JKRR8mWK27LO35vy_B8TyBMPEmygRaXHLtjCFEPzLGyx-2z13Zuwfk6qHfJUt2BAkHDQeMwI-6n2gmeJfoOg-dY3RG9JjEk1as2OFEJM1M-7ZDoP09G5g/s2500/MartinEden2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1554" data-original-width="2500" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6y0s_iPOizDOkz5azFPphFXevupRCz3zQfiM47CbKf2g7eY9x9i4XlJSN4Hm1NbfsTGhM4JKRR8mWK27LO35vy_B8TyBMPEmygRaXHLtjCFEPzLGyx-2z13Zuwfk6qHfJUt2BAkHDQeMwI-6n2gmeJfoOg-dY3RG9JjEk1as2OFEJM1M-7ZDoP09G5g/w400-h248/MartinEden2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>When Martin meets Elena, the well-educated daughter of a wealthy industrial family, he falls in love and hopes that fulfilling his dream will help him rise to the social status of Elena’s family. Determined to win her hand in marriage, he pursues an education that was traditionally unattainable for someone of his social class. That’s when he strikes up a friendship with a left-wing intellectual, who leads him down a different path to a life-changing cultural awakening.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The moral of the story is that second chances are possible for those who live everyday life rather than pursue a privileged education, making the story timeless and the life lessons relevant today. It was an important story for Marcello to tell, being from Southern Italy and following in the footsteps of literary giants like <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2019/12/permanent-exhibit-at-romes-national.html">Carlo Levi </a>and <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-timeless-vision-of-pier-paolo.html">Pier Paolo Pasolini</a>, who themselves walked a very different path from the North American counterparts who influenced London. Marcello, who also wrote the film, was awarded a David di Donatello for best-adapted screenplay.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Check out this clip of Pietro Marcello talking with us about "Martin Eden"...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8uNq0CSyczQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="8uNq0CSyczQ"></iframe></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Directed by Marcello, <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/03/interview-director-francesco-munzi-of.html">Francesco Munzi</a> and <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2018/09/martin-scorsese-backs-alice-rohrwachers.html">Alice Rohrwacher</a>, 2021’s <a href="https://amzn.to/44oyL7J">“Futura”</a> is a collective effort geared toward the country’s youth. The film consists of interviews filmed during an odyssey across Italy to understand the concerns, dreams, expectations, and fears of Italian teenagers. When asked what they want out of life, the teenagers shed light on the new generation but also prove that, regardless of age, ethnicity or gender, people are people, and we all want the same things: a good job, a loving family and freedom. The nearly two-hour-long film made its way through film festivals throughout the world, presenting an authentic glimpse into Italy’s future.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdyGwmLSFQBKrAZYaviqaiyaYA_5MG0eg-Jxp4krf8xE0VEcSyxbfD7uXjJu4L-fS2n02IW1YToVXSsZgybuK_8tV9ub6bbA5pXoFXCq-cKhh2UlfQ22KoBkI9WJAZYPFJ_jf456IGH2cscc0D7fWvkMnsaPE-C4qBZZJjlmvimmYBZ1lO1R8VWhDEw/s1639/Scarlet.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1639" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEdyGwmLSFQBKrAZYaviqaiyaYA_5MG0eg-Jxp4krf8xE0VEcSyxbfD7uXjJu4L-fS2n02IW1YToVXSsZgybuK_8tV9ub6bbA5pXoFXCq-cKhh2UlfQ22KoBkI9WJAZYPFJ_jf456IGH2cscc0D7fWvkMnsaPE-C4qBZZJjlmvimmYBZ1lO1R8VWhDEw/w400-h263/Scarlet.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Marcello’s latest project, <a href="https://www.filmlinc.org/films/scarlet/">“L’envol” (Scarlet)</a>, just opened at Lincoln Center. Shot in France, it is based on the 1923 novel by Russian author Alexander Grin. The film opens with a soldier returning from World War I to his home in a rural village. He learns that his wife died while he was away, leaving him to raise his baby daughter, Juliette. Despite the challenges the two face, Juliette grows into a beautiful, free spirit with a zest for music and singing. One day, she meets an old sorceress who offers a prediction, and shortly after, Juliette meets a mysterious young man and is overcome by love. Like Marcello’s other films, “L’envol” contains scenes that mimic archival footage, lending the film contrasting elements of folklore and realism. He captures the timelessness of a story written a century ago while making characters and situations relatable in our contemporary world.</div><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marcello is also bringing his attributes as an old soul with a modern eye to bear on his next project, “I promessi sposi” (The Betrothed). A film adaptation of Alessandro Manzoni’s 1827 historical novel, it will explore the conflicts between church and state in Northern Italy under Spanish rule in the 1620s.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Most of the aforementioned films are available online. Click on the titles for direct links to stream them. </span><span face="Arial, sans-serif">"Scarlet" is playing at Lincoln Center through June 22.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span><a href="https://www.filmlinc.org/films/scarlet/">Click here</a><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> for details. Follow Marcello’s adventures in filmmaking on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/avventurosae/">@avventurosae</a>.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the July 2023 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></span></p></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-61560875674967470022023-06-01T14:37:00.008-07:002023-08-09T10:34:09.613-07:00Comedy Classic Mariangela Melato<p><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69GfWfPclSufDLacXXe4M_NTnYEhrdRP85tlYSD3Wac9TF7ozWmOi5kOIUvZtGg1Eh1PF5XJqgeHG78E24MMW87i4hwCYRUx-EsT8Lo2VcfhE57LIUPmAWR9xg025pGmmN_Rmz7pvP17tmw3EtKd6FumEPtAJtyyXFjKo-J1VzFppS8g-ZMFj98v94A/s816/Mariangela_Melato_1972.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="614" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj69GfWfPclSufDLacXXe4M_NTnYEhrdRP85tlYSD3Wac9TF7ozWmOi5kOIUvZtGg1Eh1PF5XJqgeHG78E24MMW87i4hwCYRUx-EsT8Lo2VcfhE57LIUPmAWR9xg025pGmmN_Rmz7pvP17tmw3EtKd6FumEPtAJtyyXFjKo-J1VzFppS8g-ZMFj98v94A/w301-h400/Mariangela_Melato_1972.jpg" width="301" /></a></div>One of Italy’s most adored comedy actresses, she is best known for her doomed love affairs in <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2016/04/last-film-in-series-dedicated-to-lina.html">Lina Wertmüller</a>’s 1970s films on social class and politics.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Mariangela Melato was born in Milan in 1941 to a Milanese mother and a German father who emigrated to Italy from Nazi Germany. When she was a teenager, she studied acting under Esperia Sperani, a fellow Milanese who rose to fame during the silent film era.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Melato began her acting career with small parts in television and film, but her breakout role came in Wertmüller’s 1972 <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee6-WonaiD0">“The Seduction of Mimi.” </a>The story of a Sicilian worker cursed with bad timing, Mimi (<a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2020/06/actor-giancarlo-giannini-gets-his-star.html">Giancarlo Giannini</a>) is forced to relocate to Torino. When he sees Fiorella (Melato) selling sweaters for a street vendor, it’s love at first sight. Before long, Fiorella becomes Mimi’s vivacious and talkative mistress and gives birth to their son.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Meanwhile, Mimi finds trouble at every turn and is transferred back to Sicily, where his wife is waiting for him along with a different set of problems. He gets into trouble and ends up serving time for a murder he didn’t commit. Upon his release, he is met with three women and three children, all fighting over him, forcing him to choose between them. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">At first, producers were concerned about casting Giannini and Melato in the lead roles because they were relatively unknown to Italian audiences. But the two had such strong chemistry, Wertmüller also cast them in her 1973 follow-up.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Described as an anti-Fascist drama, <a href="https://amzn.to/45ESX5U">“Love and Anarchy”</a> is the story of a freckle-faced farmer named Tunin (Giannini) who plans to assassinate Benito Mussolini to avenge the death of his friend, who himself was killed while attempting to murder the dictator. On his way to commit the deed, he makes a pit stop at a notorious Roman brothel. There, he meets the anarchist prostitute Salomè (Melato). She is all too happy to assist him as she seeks to avenge the murder of her former boyfriend, who was beaten to death by Mussolini’s police. They go to the Roman countryside with another prostitute to strategize. Tunin and Salomè fall in love, and on the day they plan to carry out the assassination, the two women decide not to wake him in an attempt to protect him. When he realizes he overslept, he flies into a rage, which Mussolini’s police overhear and then take him into custody. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWfCxNIW_XcfmDigr97V0FmC_JXn61sf3NaYYKlFefUilLvgsAnByP_S6AcVyVjzpVh67UIXJg-Qf4yxBRA9NDBmaPENQ629DqyKirvMsm7gYRTbxkr8yfaai6BHNqmlldHLfJBNYoxqIyakBp_U9n65Myrf6JSW57IJNaHhSZO_3xHgH0QUCdn1ZBA/s1920/Swept%20Away.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1920" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlWfCxNIW_XcfmDigr97V0FmC_JXn61sf3NaYYKlFefUilLvgsAnByP_S6AcVyVjzpVh67UIXJg-Qf4yxBRA9NDBmaPENQ629DqyKirvMsm7gYRTbxkr8yfaai6BHNqmlldHLfJBNYoxqIyakBp_U9n65Myrf6JSW57IJNaHhSZO_3xHgH0QUCdn1ZBA/w400-h225/Swept%20Away.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://amzn.to/3qjtMWm">“Swept Away”</a> from 1974 was the most successful of the three Wertmüller films in which the two co-starred. In it, Melato played Raffaella, a pretentious upper-class Milanese woman yachting with her friends, and Giannini played Gennarino, a Sicilian crew worker on the yacht. Fueled by the differences in their political beliefs, the two butt heads. When a raft carrying the two away from the yacht breaks down and they’re stranded on a remote island, turmoil turns to love, but things change after they are rescued and brought back to reality.<o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">In Ruiz’s 2015 documentary, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnlPbgHM5uA">“Lina Wertmüller: Behind the White Glasses,”</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Melato talks about her special bond with Wertmüller. “I undeniably owe a lot to Lina for having insisted on using me in a time when nobody knew who I was, and even after meeting me, nobody cared to work with me,” she said. “She was very stubborn but good to us and believed in our potential, mine and Giancarlo Giannini’s when no director wanted us. And I owe her for giving me female roles different from those in other Italian movies.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">In 1976, Melato won a Golden Globe for her role opposite <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-life-and-art-of-marcello-mastroianni.html">Marcello Mastroianni</a> in Elio Petri’s political thriller “Todo modo,” and in the early 1980s, she appeared in two American films, <a href="https://amzn.to/42i9hXd">“Flash Gordon”</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS0Z16oqvBQ">“So Fine.” </a>She continued work in Italian cinema throughout the ’80s, teaming up again with Wertmüller in the 1986 comedy <a href="https://amzn.to/43i6ZJb">“Summer Night With Greek Profile, Almond Eyes and Scent of Basil.”</a> In the ’90s, she worked predominantly in television until her death in 2013 at the age of 71 from pancreatic cancer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif">Melato remains a beloved personality in Italy and an inspiration to aspiring actresses. Most of the aforementioned films are available online. Click on the titles for direct links.<o:p></o:p></span></p>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-65201215664548953242023-05-02T18:59:00.004-07:002023-08-09T10:36:49.051-07:00The Many Faces of Isabella Rossellini<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzfkk6H65nYoJ2t8giwjIy2eiorKxftN1ZBwowH_tiDGgDLjXFJ19O9-h8Ztg4-jd2Pd-6yRY_X7OzQrU7ioyy0DpwclSHuqMoniKCRi3-vpr2-hiltmjS0Ya6y3Zpx4CG92hBum0wndrYLzbslLauQmJELPJCvA9Oo9VgdgojMmIBuMaoT1HTyRwAg/s800/Isabella_Rossellini_Cannes_2015.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="565" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuzfkk6H65nYoJ2t8giwjIy2eiorKxftN1ZBwowH_tiDGgDLjXFJ19O9-h8Ztg4-jd2Pd-6yRY_X7OzQrU7ioyy0DpwclSHuqMoniKCRi3-vpr2-hiltmjS0Ya6y3Zpx4CG92hBum0wndrYLzbslLauQmJELPJCvA9Oo9VgdgojMmIBuMaoT1HTyRwAg/w283-h400/Isabella_Rossellini_Cannes_2015.jpg" width="283" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Photo by Georges Biard</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The daughter of two cinema icons, she’s led an extraordinary life as a model, actress, voice-over artist, writer, director, and now an organic farmer.<p></p><p>Isabella Rossellini was born in 1952 to Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman and Italian director <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/01/la-galleria-moitre-torino-presenta.html">Roberto Rossellini</a>. She has a twin sister named after her mother and an older brother, Robertino Ingmar, whom she often joins in retrospectives celebrating their legendary parents. </p><p>When she talks about her childhood, she does so with a wistful nostalgia. She fondly recalls time spent with them while acknowledging their long absences when their demanding careers required them to travel, leaving her and her siblings at home. </p><p>In the 1996 documentary <a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/687855/the-hollywood-collection-ingrid-bergman-remembered">“The Hollywood Collection: Ingrid Bergman Remembered,”</a> Rossellini describes herself as a ball of energy. Her parents often had to tell her to quiet down because they were reading or working on a film project. When they’d leave, she enjoyed having the run of the house.</p><p>Sadly, her parents didn’t live to ripe old age. Her father suffered a fatal heart attack in 1977 at age 71. Bergman bravely battled breast cancer for several years before succumbing in 1982 at age 67. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PMIaQNXfN5aj9nqTvE0z5nG53nkbNQmBWdUyk2S27fMyw9HsFeSTJaosQW-pDqoxUHr5BAQY4xfrwZuYn5ca6YkmuN0sX5-VA7T415WurdWBDv-CauIzCoYDI2ZKeG37E9UNmyuR1N76YmiCpX-luOGLiElrlpVW2QZLGrcvT2BhHIYrdBoxQrYzSQ/s980/Isabella_e_Isotta_Rossellini_-_Sardegna_-_Anni_1960.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="646" data-original-width="980" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PMIaQNXfN5aj9nqTvE0z5nG53nkbNQmBWdUyk2S27fMyw9HsFeSTJaosQW-pDqoxUHr5BAQY4xfrwZuYn5ca6YkmuN0sX5-VA7T415WurdWBDv-CauIzCoYDI2ZKeG37E9UNmyuR1N76YmiCpX-luOGLiElrlpVW2QZLGrcvT2BhHIYrdBoxQrYzSQ/w400-h263/Isabella_e_Isotta_Rossellini_-_Sardegna_-_Anni_1960.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(32, 33, 34); color: #202122; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Isabella and her sister in Sardinia during the 1960s</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Rossellini has referred to her lineage as both a blessing and a burden. While being the daughter of two film luminaries opened doors for her in the industry, it also made her the target of mean-spirited criticism. When her acting was negatively compared to her mother’s, it hurt her feelings, but it also toughened her up, making her the strong, resilient woman she is today. Those judgments seemingly never caused resentment. She always speaks lovingly of her parents in documentaries and interviews honoring their legacies. <p></p><p>Rossellini’s first feature film role came in Vincent Minelli’s 1976 <a href="https://amzn.to/3VxN8Ti">“A Matter of Time,”</a> in which she appeared with Bergman and Liza Minelli. Shortly thereafter, she met Martin Scorsese while she was working for a variety show in Italy. She was assigned to interview him about his new release, the 1977 film <a href="https://amzn.to/3Lqa6a8">“New York, New York.”</a> She admitted to not having seen the film, and he offered to arrange a private screening. The two hit it off, and they were married in 1979. </p><p>When Bergman’s health took a turn for the worse, Rossellini traveled to her mother’s home in London to be with her at the end of her life. But the time away from New York put a strain on her marriage. Reeling from her mother’s death, Rossellini felt the need to be free, and she and Scorsese divorced in 1982. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJhM-5_HTLnnqYztJuFtn7qZ-4annV2pY5UmBdqAeGgbBx4sUx3rHK8ApSuSgsFS88XxHXGou4PlpqlWS7FeOMcgslCObTGxe558VI8BKuXmMJIammQ1mjhbjW7eXSoxNvGNYcW6afSl1xBJPMUK4cmqA4BQcYTSLLQ21YLffRfNkvM-JZxSvVUx8FA/s551/Isabella_Rossellini_David_Lynch_Cannes.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="551" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHJhM-5_HTLnnqYztJuFtn7qZ-4annV2pY5UmBdqAeGgbBx4sUx3rHK8ApSuSgsFS88XxHXGou4PlpqlWS7FeOMcgslCObTGxe558VI8BKuXmMJIammQ1mjhbjW7eXSoxNvGNYcW6afSl1xBJPMUK4cmqA4BQcYTSLLQ21YLffRfNkvM-JZxSvVUx8FA/w400-h400/Isabella_Rossellini_David_Lynch_Cannes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Photo by Georges Biard</span></td></tr></tbody></table>The mid-’80s to the mid-’90s were busy years for Rossellini, involving a dizzyingly varied array of films. She was involved in a romantic relationship with American director David Lynch when he cast her in the 1986 neo-noir thriller <a href="https://amzn.to/3LKOfvr">“Blue Velvet.”</a> That role set the stage for a string of appearances in popular films, including Joel Schumacher’s romantic comedy <a href="https://amzn.to/3NrWGgy">“Cousins”</a> (1989), Lynch’s darkly comic crime drama “Wild at Heart” (1990), Robert Zemeckis’ comic fantasy/horror flick <a href="https://amzn.to/3VsA9Sx">“Death Becomes Her” </a>(1992) and Campbell Scott and <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2021/07/stanley-tucci-searching-for-italy.html">Stanley Tucci’s</a> heartfelt period piece <a href="https://amzn.to/42ki4bA">“Big Night”</a> (1996).<p></p><p><a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/687855/the-hollywood-collection-ingrid-bergman-remembered">“The Hollywood Collection: Ingrid Bergman Remembered” </a>was the first of several high-profile projects celebrating the life of Bergman and the elder Rossellini that would call on their children's participation. The story is told through recordings of Bergman as well as commentaries by Rossellini and Bergman’s other daughter, Pia Lindstrom. Bergman’s and Rossellini’s voices are so stunningly similar that at times it’s a challenge to keep track of who’s talking.</p><p>In 2005, Rossellini paid tribute to her father at the George Eastman House in Rochester, New York. There, she presented a short film that she wrote about her father and his contribution to Italian cinema. Directed by Guy Maddin, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04ePcY2t_M0">“My Dad Is 100 Years Old” </a>features a cast of characters who played important roles in her father's life and career. Among them were <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2020/06/federico-fellini-look-into-to-life-and.html">Federico Fellini</a>, Charlie Chaplin, and Alfred Hitchcock. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBmo9hBQwVbCoGOPo3GM7mOLUufZaLHGys3b33stgL0Y2-Mzy_-WN4Fctkf0mnaUtS_IejA9c-ujbJwruInBHrUNy6Sl-7fpJPBuKS3IbBRtMPLL8A6Z3w7C-Ig9K6GrToac52a5451-qSylokfq-iQO2ks06W8Nk95CSwvNxmF17bvUbVk18s8Bu5g/s1600/IsabellaandJim%20GEH.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="1600" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNBmo9hBQwVbCoGOPo3GM7mOLUufZaLHGys3b33stgL0Y2-Mzy_-WN4Fctkf0mnaUtS_IejA9c-ujbJwruInBHrUNy6Sl-7fpJPBuKS3IbBRtMPLL8A6Z3w7C-Ig9K6GrToac52a5451-qSylokfq-iQO2ks06W8Nk95CSwvNxmF17bvUbVk18s8Bu5g/w640-h428/IsabellaandJim%20GEH.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>During a Q&A session after the screening, Rossellini said that part of the reason she made the film was to express the complexity of having a father who was a genius. She portrayed him as a large belly that wiggled as her father spoke. There was no face, only a chest and stomach. The choice to represent her father in such a way sparked public criticism from her sister. However, Isabella defended her choice, saying that when she was a child, she rested her head on her father's belly, and that thought still gave her a sense of comfort. She also found it funny and wanted to add an element of comedy to the film. </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGifk5iupOv8rvZkIrh0BbA4uhq5r4IzxAGiz_WrMEAJ1Qa3cmthIrGEgMz4UOv3ZWYn2TnAi0XTNQ-WlqPXt9fZFKoiUxtWeeDR2uZXq8l9FtcO73VrZyqBn31jtC2vfkwLEXbWNNLRzlTU6GhU1pS0pH_e0uFdFd2TfOVc7wT-erIR3_bdKCfM-INQ/s2542/IMG_4876.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2542" data-original-width="1748" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGifk5iupOv8rvZkIrh0BbA4uhq5r4IzxAGiz_WrMEAJ1Qa3cmthIrGEgMz4UOv3ZWYn2TnAi0XTNQ-WlqPXt9fZFKoiUxtWeeDR2uZXq8l9FtcO73VrZyqBn31jtC2vfkwLEXbWNNLRzlTU6GhU1pS0pH_e0uFdFd2TfOVc7wT-erIR3_bdKCfM-INQ/w275-h400/IMG_4876.JPG" width="275" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Rossellini and Antonio Monda, Rome 2015</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>In 2015, she took part in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfNn6RKLd_Y">“Ingrid Bergman: In Her Own Words”</a> at Rome’s annual film festival. Directed by Swedish filmmaker Stig Björkman, the documentary is based on Bergman’s home movies, diary entries, and letters to her friends. It features her four children talking about their memories of their mother. The documentary is currently available to stream on many platforms, with an <a href="https://www.criterionchannel.com/videos/ingrid-bergman-in-her-own-words">extended version </a>on the Criterion Channel featuring <a href="https://www.criterionchannel.com/videos/ingrid-and-isabella-rossellini">interviews</a> with Rossellini and her siblings. In one heartfelt clip, the siblings discuss their longing to have known Bergman better and to have had a relationship with her as mature adults.<p></p><p>In her 50s, while continuing her prolific acting career with diverse roles on both stage and screen, Rossellini decided to pursue a lifelong fascination with and affection for animals. After earning a master’s degree in animal behavior and conservation, she wrote and starred in productions that examined the lives and behaviors of animals. They include “Link Link Circus,” which delves into animal cognition, and <a href="https://amzn.to/421hm3m">“Green Porno,”</a> an offbeat and educational look at animal reproduction. The latter series aired on the Sundance Channel and was later adapted for the stage, with Rossellini performing the key roles. </p><p>In recent years, she has added voice-over work to her impressive array of credentials, offering standout performances as the Bat Queen in the Disney animated series <a href="https://disneynow.com/shows/the-owl-house">“The Owl House”</a> and as Nana Connie in the Oscar-nominated stop-action feature <a href="https://www.paramountplus.com/movies/video/Bqpeds4EKgBBCO2Zw_Jt8gZBkQ5VcUiF/">“Marcel the Shell With Shoes On.”</a> Her resume has blossomed over the decades to include six writer credits, seven director credits, and more than 100 roles in films and TV series.</p><p>These days, she is enjoying her life as a grandmother and proprietor of <a href="https://www.mamafarm.us">Mama Farm</a>, a 28-acre farm on Long Island that also serves as a bed-and-breakfast and setting for special events. According to its website, Mama Farm aims to be “the piazza for our community, where knowledge and inspiration can be shared, with a common goal of preserving and celebrating the heritage of our environment and Mother Nature, the mama on whom we all depend.” </p><p>Even with the demands of running a farm, Rossellini has continued her film career. In the spirit of a true Renaissance woman, she’s working as much as ever. She has several new projects in production, including the upcoming “La chimera” by Italian director <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2018/09/martin-scorsese-backs-alice-rohrwachers.html">Alice Rohrwacher</a> and “Silent Life: The Story of the Lady in Black,” a film about the mysterious woman who claimed to be Rudolph Valentino’s last love. Both are slated for release this year. </p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/isabellarossellini/">Click here</a> to follow Rossellini's adventures on Instagram. Most of the aforementioned films are available online. Click on the titles for direct links. </p><p><i>- Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the May 2023 issue of Fra Noi magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></p><div><br /></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-34642934710135792792023-04-03T06:09:00.003-07:002023-07-24T14:57:39.253-07:00The Vibrant Colors of Ancient Greek and Roman Sculpture <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79ZHgQR6xixtn42FNIY9jzyIC95B5CJmDYMb3plVPHtxGT-Ed-I6Xz_axUd-ZUUv7sThADsOzLk1NShvoPUkVGIBIK9TUSX_HQ80mb90gN61zISBvSt6QN8M95PIm8M8C9ATXfzHs-9WEfRGPoxZUrRcM7hA8el4HlfPVntd26ltfI11aiBAwvHOg6w/s2385/Phrasikleia.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2385" data-original-width="2137" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh79ZHgQR6xixtn42FNIY9jzyIC95B5CJmDYMb3plVPHtxGT-Ed-I6Xz_axUd-ZUUv7sThADsOzLk1NShvoPUkVGIBIK9TUSX_HQ80mb90gN61zISBvSt6QN8M95PIm8M8C9ATXfzHs-9WEfRGPoxZUrRcM7hA8el4HlfPVntd26ltfI11aiBAwvHOg6w/w359-h400/Phrasikleia.JPG" width="359" /></a></div>I recently attended a symposium on the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s stunning exhibit – Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color. The speakers, presentations, and history discussed made the symposium so captivating. Then seeing the works up close really completed the whole experience.<p></p><p>The exhibit featured reconstructions of ancient sculptures painted in vibrant colors as they were created 2,000+ years ago. Although sculptures created during the Renaissance were monochromatic and true to how we see them today, it’s important to keep in mind when walking through a museum browsing ancient sculptures the diversity of their appearances in antiquity. According to an essay published by the MET, “Greek and Roman sculpture was originally richly embellished with colorful painting, gilding, silvering, and inlay. Such polychromy, which was integral to the meaning and immediacy of such works, survives today only in fragmentary condition.” </p><p>Through modern technology, scientists can collect traces of the actual color from ancient sculptures and use that in reconstructions. The results are stunning. Not only were there reconstructions of marble sculptures in the MET exhibit but also bronzes. Imagine seeing the Riace bronzes in all of their original splendor. The exhibit featured how scientists believe the bronzes appeared in antiquity. The details in their eyes and expressions struck me the most. The warriors come to life when presented with those details.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55tkeA1UuPzEIQopcgIKPAwjs3E7JYVgyr3NgbK3GXip25AhRBPZQCybCwf3d4RiWV3_k7bPNdVgSEFN3x44AQr_kRwqhJRgwtbClsmrPbaEGIcMzW9R1Zy_n-FwLQiQrfDqiz-_4CCAOjvM0otzAVhlqrOmngdPWwfszzOFLtvGpzFSqFW0Xd5Wbsg/s4032/Bronzes%20landscape.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh55tkeA1UuPzEIQopcgIKPAwjs3E7JYVgyr3NgbK3GXip25AhRBPZQCybCwf3d4RiWV3_k7bPNdVgSEFN3x44AQr_kRwqhJRgwtbClsmrPbaEGIcMzW9R1Zy_n-FwLQiQrfDqiz-_4CCAOjvM0otzAVhlqrOmngdPWwfszzOFLtvGpzFSqFW0Xd5Wbsg/w640-h480/Bronzes%20landscape.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Reconstruction of the bronze statue Terme Boxer from the Quirinal in Rome</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Though the exhibition has ended, the MET has an impressive online collection. If you’re interested in ancient art and sculpture, I highly recommend visiting the online galleries. <a href=" https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search?department=13&searchField=All&showOnly=highlights&sortBy=relevance&pageSize=0">Click here</a> to check out the MET’s online works. Click below to watch a video by Smart History on the exhibit.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/kNidOhCKwSA" width="320" youtube-src-id="kNidOhCKwSA"></iframe></div><br /><p><i>- Jeannine Guilyard</i></p><div><br /></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-83805526481687049572023-03-02T05:54:00.001-08:002023-03-02T05:58:21.941-08:00Sabrina Impacciatore Living the Dream<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozuxDP5Q9oWXMF4lUT4-aFfcZ0Z7MgdB7mwmkEVPrjeeZbCH7sXis6XKL75gyrIAO1w9aiGWqTtMzFcz7ZcFEZvpIdaD9QjOOS0bYgbgIda-LaIjAweqAaS4Pnm9AMB0p80cb7W5nPK3JAmKSKWfO3Rn9YcC77SNwQ-2Lk-44ycYK1s-B_xPjAKq-_w/s2500/Chi%20m'ha%20visto.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1548" data-original-width="2500" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozuxDP5Q9oWXMF4lUT4-aFfcZ0Z7MgdB7mwmkEVPrjeeZbCH7sXis6XKL75gyrIAO1w9aiGWqTtMzFcz7ZcFEZvpIdaD9QjOOS0bYgbgIda-LaIjAweqAaS4Pnm9AMB0p80cb7W5nPK3JAmKSKWfO3Rn9YcC77SNwQ-2Lk-44ycYK1s-B_xPjAKq-_w/w400-h248/Chi%20m'ha%20visto.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Whether she’s playing a devoted mother, a biblical figure or a tough but kind hotel manager, Sabrina Impacciatore escapes into the lives and minds of her characters so completely that she often believes she has become them.<p></p><p>Impacciatore had wanted to be an actor since she was just 4 years old, but she grew up insecure about her looks and abilities so she pursued a degree in marketing and advertising instead. Unable to shake her childhood dream, she took up acting as a hobby, which led her to write for television. When she presented one of her scripts, she was asked to audition for it. Setting aside her fears, she gave it a shot, landing that role and many others to follow. Her sense of humor made her a natural for TV comedies.</p><p>Legendary director <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2016/01/ettore-scola-1931-2016.html">Ettore Scola</a> cast her in her first feature film, opposite Gérard Depardieu, in the 2000 drama “Concorrenza sleale” (Unfair Competition). Her emotionally charged breakout performance came a year later as Livia in Gabriele Muccino’s international blockbuster “L’ultimo bacio” (The Last Kiss). In a 2010 interview with Fra Noi, she described it as “the movie that changed my life.”</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuNb2EUU_kKpCZN2AngRnARfhVd-1D0--chv3Vtjn8PizCOcshkmIM8QN-HIK29yyFq6CAMZYpxzFA--j2f5aYe-Cn09gJXJPcYQxYBWDNU_OV41JMO6n-BGUqzkieD05XHMVOWyKD_1lZGfLai3ePpwpGXmDyr1npZ9-KyOdqIc6ipYYHl_2NZgZdQ/s640/PassionOTChrist_240Pyxurz.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFuNb2EUU_kKpCZN2AngRnARfhVd-1D0--chv3Vtjn8PizCOcshkmIM8QN-HIK29yyFq6CAMZYpxzFA--j2f5aYe-Cn09gJXJPcYQxYBWDNU_OV41JMO6n-BGUqzkieD05XHMVOWyKD_1lZGfLai3ePpwpGXmDyr1npZ9-KyOdqIc6ipYYHl_2NZgZdQ/w400-h300/PassionOTChrist_240Pyxurz.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>In 2004, Mel Gibson cast her as Veronica in his controversial film <a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/550864/the-passion-of-the-christ?start=true&utm_source=google-feed&tracking=google-feed">“The Passion of the Christ.”</a> It was such an intense experience for Impacciatore, she felt as though she had, in fact, become her character. “On the set, there was this incredible atmosphere. Instead of acting, I felt like I was living the experience. I believed that (Jim Caviezel) was Jesus Christ, and I was Veronica,” she explained in our <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/7-days-women-our-interview-with-actress.html">2010 interview.</a> “I know that sounds crazy. However, when I saw my scenes, I realized that I was indeed living an experience, not just acting.”<p></p><p>After those two high-profile films, she continued to work steadily in Italy, earning a reputation as one of the country’s most talented character actors. In 2010, she reprised her role of Livia in “Baciami ancora” (Kiss Me Again), Muccino’s sequel to “L’ultimo bacio.” In 2018, the two teamed up again for the acclaimed ensemble comedy “A casa tutti bene” (There Is No Place Like Home), which was a worldwide success.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhUInlKlUC4RI3I_ZnB56o77Fii-XJnaBdgq-Jl2hefvZfTT1RnOG7RyKMp05RFjxMOhuiLKqxjDlaTU3bskqC3kUVJnB0UiSdH8GkIifMIG_iGgDaDj8Ymew4xnNVDrvqTth0_-q1dCH4CSIgGn6UhhdxC2M1hA73C8kmlAC8Zq4Id7pC4pPfw4Meg/s2500/A%20casa%20tutti%20bene.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhUInlKlUC4RI3I_ZnB56o77Fii-XJnaBdgq-Jl2hefvZfTT1RnOG7RyKMp05RFjxMOhuiLKqxjDlaTU3bskqC3kUVJnB0UiSdH8GkIifMIG_iGgDaDj8Ymew4xnNVDrvqTth0_-q1dCH4CSIgGn6UhhdxC2M1hA73C8kmlAC8Zq4Id7pC4pPfw4Meg/w640-h426/A%20casa%20tutti%20bene.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On the set of "A casa tutti bene"</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Three years later, she appeared in Fabio Mollo’s Amazon Original <a href="https://amzn.to/3EO9V65">“Anni da cane” (Dog Years)</a>, a coming-of-age story about a teenager who measures her age in dog years, believing that she will die soon. The delusion was triggered by a car crash that injured her and killed her father, after which she adopted a stray dog that was hurt in the accident. Impacciatore plays the girl’s mother, an accountant who treads lightly between being an authority figure and sympathizing with her daughter’s trauma.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Atc7j4mugAuI5oXWfAaWlevJ49M3hZM3tOkuW4M8ge8MLws6wmZ8_fcTD4-rf5NV3Ht1YpA9keAOxrQ2_MZ0U-m-F44--8z4Au_9xeTnvpdNIvT4LXhc10XvsE9rRpIlbBjVAcl3xwnio5fZcqjItXjR3twI4vdhdRSu6spFp8I9O2AJg7MzWR0Ewg/s1250/Sabrina-Impacciatore.png.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="1250" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Atc7j4mugAuI5oXWfAaWlevJ49M3hZM3tOkuW4M8ge8MLws6wmZ8_fcTD4-rf5NV3Ht1YpA9keAOxrQ2_MZ0U-m-F44--8z4Au_9xeTnvpdNIvT4LXhc10XvsE9rRpIlbBjVAcl3xwnio5fZcqjItXjR3twI4vdhdRSu6spFp8I9O2AJg7MzWR0Ewg/w400-h365/Sabrina-Impacciatore.png.webp" width="400" /></a></div>Impacciatore has received rave reviews for her latest role as Valentina, a strict hotel manager in the second season of the hit HBO series <a href="https://amzn.to/3ZwhhmK">“White Lotus.”</a> Valentina walks around with a chip on her shoulder but occasionally reveals her softer side, feeding stray kittens during her lunch break and protecting her female employees from their flirty male co-workers. <p></p><p>During the series, a few comments are made about <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/02/classic-monica-vitti.html">Monica Vitti</a> in reference to other characters. Ironically, Impacciatore embodies the qualities that made Vitti so versatile, sliding effortlessly from comedy to drama and back. Impacciatore takes that talent to another level, often accomplishing the feat in a single scene.</p><p>“My dream is to spend my entire life being an actress, and my dream is to become one of the best Italian actresses ever,” she told me. “I don’t care about money or being recognized or being popular. That is all secondary. To me, what is important and what gives me joy and happiness is to simply play a character.”</p><p>She is indeed living her dream. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/sabrinaimpacciatore/">Click here</a> to follow her adventures on Instagram. The second season of “White Lotus” is available to stream on several platforms, including <a href="https://tv.youtube.com/welcome/?utm_source=onebox&utm_servlet=prod&zipcode=14626">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.hulu.com/series/f4dc44cd-6627-46ea-8ba8-3c4f4e8a02d3">Hulu</a> and <a href="https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/details/The-White-Lotus-Arrivederci/2222924?cmp=OrganicSearch~Vudu~GoogleWatch">Vudu</a>. Several of the aforementioned films are available through Amazon. Click on the titles for direct links.</p><p><i>- Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the March 2023 issue of Fra Noi magazine. <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/7-days-women-our-interview-with-actress.html">Click here </a>to subscribe.</i></p><p><br /></p>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-73059818231853847502023-02-05T19:16:00.010-08:002023-08-09T10:38:52.117-07:00Toni Servillo: Master of His Craft<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOb2DlTnohc12tWJMDsh72ngAoQJ6PRkwRSE5kxJd51slzZfzqPpOXcLRrd37sMuD2g6amtMn1WDTatS-z5L5FHqv-kf1-hcNSQnAcE_aL6Uvoi30Omrb1FNto3NFn8QCudiaDh5RAHERn5tDdPAruHFEY7R470bPtliNAeDF3s5yOgDCX6FFyytDGQw/s2500/1489414786101.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOb2DlTnohc12tWJMDsh72ngAoQJ6PRkwRSE5kxJd51slzZfzqPpOXcLRrd37sMuD2g6amtMn1WDTatS-z5L5FHqv-kf1-hcNSQnAcE_aL6Uvoi30Omrb1FNto3NFn8QCudiaDh5RAHERn5tDdPAruHFEY7R470bPtliNAeDF3s5yOgDCX6FFyytDGQw/w400-h266/1489414786101.jpg" width="400" /></a></div></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span>Named by Vogue Italy as the most versatile performer in the history of Italian cinema, Toni Servillo has earned a reputation as a masterful character actor who hauntingly transforms himself into dark, troubled protagonists indifferent to the dubious methods they employ to get what they want.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born in 1958 in Afragola, a town in the province of Naples, Servillo began his acting career on stage during the 1970s, founding Teatro Studio in Caserta and participating in a number of productions in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Influenced by Eduardo De Filippo, he interpreted several of the legendary actor and playwright’s roles and writings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Servillo made his feature film debut in Mario Martone’s 1992 “Morte di un matematico napoletano” (Death of a Neapolitan Mathematician) and appeared in Martone’s follow-up projects: the 1993 “Rasoi,” the 1997 “I vesuviani” (The Vesuvians) and the 1998 “Teatro di guerra” (Rehearsals for War).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">He was tapped by <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2021/08/echoes-of-italian-cinema-past-in-work.html">Paolo Sorrentino</a> to play a starring role in the director’s 2001 debut film “L’uomo in più” (One Man Up). The film made its North American debut at the first edition of the Tribeca Film Festival and went on to enjoy huge success. Set in the 1980s, it tracks the parallel lives of two men with the same name, Antonio Pisapia. One is a top soccer player, portrayed by Andrea Renzi, and the other a successful pop singer, played by Servillo. Both men experience the heights of success and the depths of failure. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That collaboration between Servillo and Sorrentino was the first of many, yielding some of the most impactful films of contemporary Italian cinema.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4RXhpLxWWbT81BpPwNsEpLTOcRkc5beSmjBXhs_MOgOrEEbxiJlMTr4Vw4vmZ0cmf34QaLk_w5f_k0RU7R14NtpV9rB6sjJm5jlgaYH6K4JzoZ3aZZEh7H-gSqSucQQOKipGGLcoIF4x-bFbgo0K3Yvwznl84-uZwOFzYyoSOcYvGvMq6MoTNyjVWQ/s500/Consequences%20of%20Love.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="500" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK4RXhpLxWWbT81BpPwNsEpLTOcRkc5beSmjBXhs_MOgOrEEbxiJlMTr4Vw4vmZ0cmf34QaLk_w5f_k0RU7R14NtpV9rB6sjJm5jlgaYH6K4JzoZ3aZZEh7H-gSqSucQQOKipGGLcoIF4x-bFbgo0K3Yvwznl84-uZwOFzYyoSOcYvGvMq6MoTNyjVWQ/w400-h304/Consequences%20of%20Love.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The pair joined forces in Sorrentino’s next film, the romantic psychological thriller “Le conseguenze dell’amore” (The Consequences of Love). Starring alongside Olivia Magnani, the granddaughter of <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/06/anna-magnani-unconventional-cinema.html">Anna Magnani</a>, Servillo plays a former mafia accountant living in solitude. His performance earned him his first David di Donatello Award.</span><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In a <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2017/03/from-vaults-my-interview-with-paolo.html">2005 interview</a> with Fra Noi, Sorrentino talked briefly about the qualities that set Servillo apart from the rest. “He is a very powerful actor. He is different from other Italian actors,” Sorrentino explained. “He’s very expressive. Usually, Italian actors are minimalists. He is more extreme.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Servillo’s international breakout year came in 2008 with roles in two films that were highly successful outside of Italy. In Matteo Garrone’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3RPh0c1">“Gomorra,”</a> he played the vicious mob boss Franco, and in Sorrentino’s “Il Divo,” he portrayed former Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti. Andreotti was known for his round-shouldered, slow gate and inner strength. Servillo perfectly captured those traits in an award-winning performance. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfGy7R0z1LRQBHhz-Tnz6R39DeSsuSBwWyNt5tChvZ6D5mZzaUe3D1WMR16LNmUgjIBQi0u4dIBBWkDhYVDYsKgt0-R5HmOabguoA6LC0V6g-mCn6b6SRY6aWcM_AM8vIiAyMQBXx0Vw2gDfuGPi7hrh-Z77nV_hpi17VdNuDdRoNFLKj_2x_UvPNJQ/s2000/Long%20Live%20Freedom.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1289" data-original-width="2000" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisfGy7R0z1LRQBHhz-Tnz6R39DeSsuSBwWyNt5tChvZ6D5mZzaUe3D1WMR16LNmUgjIBQi0u4dIBBWkDhYVDYsKgt0-R5HmOabguoA6LC0V6g-mCn6b6SRY6aWcM_AM8vIiAyMQBXx0Vw2gDfuGPi7hrh-Z77nV_hpi17VdNuDdRoNFLKj_2x_UvPNJQ/w400-h258/Long%20Live%20Freedom.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">After another intensely dramatic portrayal in <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/06/interview-with-icon-marco-bellocchio.html">Marco Bellocchio’s</a> 2012 “Bella addormentata” (Dormant Beauty), Servillo switched gears for <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2021/10/the-complex-politics-of-roberto-andos.html">Roberto Andò’s </a>2013 political comedy “Viva la libertà” (Long Live Freedom). When a politician disappears after polls show him behind in an upcoming election, his aide, played by Valerio Mastandrea, replaces him with his bipolar twin brother.<span style="color: red;"> </span>Servillo deftly portrays both brothers, showing a real talent for comic timing.</span></div><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Further displaying his diversity as an actor, he does an iconic turn as Jep Gambardella, an aging journalist questioning his choices and the meaning of life, in Sorrentino’s Academy Award-winning 2013 film <a href="https://amzn.to/3gvnWNc">“La grande bellezza” (The Great Beauty)</a>. Servillo was deeply expressive in his thought-provoking portrayal of a writer fed up with the shallow people in his circle and the void he feels in his life. In the course of the film, he looks inward, recalling a lost love and what might have been.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HMUS18B2dKpfRXTrmG5XPHyKsNxxfhd8MynmrYYn2gguEVxGOiklmufNE9kUVv_3K4ZKI-7_dvBK4rYpYoJru_D4kgnYVSlRAeaQOwpIYjOYA-5tOdIVHTwisxCTfPbjWVLiWsMwfBw4UkNSjW_yciBNjGMKjBXhEcCgXGueZmdbZARagQF0ts53-w/s800/Great%20Beauty.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HMUS18B2dKpfRXTrmG5XPHyKsNxxfhd8MynmrYYn2gguEVxGOiklmufNE9kUVv_3K4ZKI-7_dvBK4rYpYoJru_D4kgnYVSlRAeaQOwpIYjOYA-5tOdIVHTwisxCTfPbjWVLiWsMwfBw4UkNSjW_yciBNjGMKjBXhEcCgXGueZmdbZARagQF0ts53-w/w640-h426/Great%20Beauty.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>Andò once again cast Servillo in his 2016 political thriller <a href="https://amzn.to/3RzdjXw">“Le confessioni” (The Confessions)</a>, which weaves money, power, and politics into a scathing indictment of how capitalism corrupts, allowing the powerful few to worsen the lives of the vulnerable for their own gain. At the heart of the story is a mysterious monk, played by Servillo, who sheds light on the corruption behind a suspicious death.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL0Vv-19U4PMoeNHsyFX7E8lmorb2rCv4LlJ_Zzh_j8lFEeeLUlY0aoWgD-ho4n9jj3ay9TkhTIZceMeaoutG06R2H6Wbn0UNhhfYYzKGuImzkochD5Zh3_fPS6cORIn17nyRq40biFMME15bBKRdlmRdZ5NHMoZ6otRk4WYK4bC-FDioCOF01wigCDQ/s2500/Confessions.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL0Vv-19U4PMoeNHsyFX7E8lmorb2rCv4LlJ_Zzh_j8lFEeeLUlY0aoWgD-ho4n9jj3ay9TkhTIZceMeaoutG06R2H6Wbn0UNhhfYYzKGuImzkochD5Zh3_fPS6cORIn17nyRq40biFMME15bBKRdlmRdZ5NHMoZ6otRk4WYK4bC-FDioCOF01wigCDQ/w400-h266/Confessions.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In an interview with Fra Noi, Andò talked about why he and Servillo work so well together. “We are the same age. We come from theater, so I can relate well to him. He is always the first actor I think of for a story,” he explained. “He always brings something new to cinema. Toni is particular, in particular for this kind of story. In my movies that are concerning secrets and identity, double identity, he's perfect to tell this kind of story. He has this face in which you can also read something that is unsaid.”</span></div><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A lesser-known project is Claudio Poli’s compelling 2018 documentary <a href="https://amzn.to/3VmvVL8">“Hitler Versus Picasso and the Others.” </a>As the narrator, Servillo reads passages from books while helping to tie together the strands of the so-called “Nazi obsession with art,” which led to wide-scale looting and the eventual recovery of hundreds of thousands of works.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In Francesco Amato’s 2017 </span><a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/599262/let-yourself-go?start=true&utm_source=google-feed&tracking=google-feed" style="font-family: inherit;">“Lasciate andare” (Let Yourself Go)</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, Servillo stars as Elia, a penny-pinching psychoanalyst who lives on the same floor as his ex-wife, Giovanna, with whom he is still in love. The film gave Servillo another opportunity to flex his comic muscles. After a brief illness, Elia is urged by his doctor to take up a physical activity to shed a few pounds. Enter Claudia, an energetic personal trainer who ropes Elia into becoming a part of her life. Servillo’s comic timing is a joy to watch as he wrestles with the new drama that has disrupted his dull routine.</span></p></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2020, Servillo starred alongside Dustin Hoffman in Donato Carrisi’s horror movie <a href="https://amzn.to/3DEfNht">“L’uomo del labirinto” (Into the Labyrinth)</a>. In it, Servillo plays the demonic Bruno Genko, who relentlessly terrorizes a young woman, with Hoffman playing the doctor dedicated to defeating him. Servillo delivers another spectacular performance, this time as a cool, calculating bad guy who operates without a shred of remorse.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFimWQlw8t3XU0-IDz4hgwID3KHhYaYR7gaGXaB3vYkdhOkSvZHA6FZbgzSbwVouhbcxg3mPQEGM2feG2bPmya2sNTnebUOJZKXcdE8aEoKhQl7OJ1zdRE8_6SueQ_miAx-9K6LGR_yPuEn_PE0Xt5Tzb4AqdU6taoepbPlnrJoi97sSM9NYLl9RXKQ/s732/Into%20the%20Labyrinth.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="732" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHFimWQlw8t3XU0-IDz4hgwID3KHhYaYR7gaGXaB3vYkdhOkSvZHA6FZbgzSbwVouhbcxg3mPQEGM2feG2bPmya2sNTnebUOJZKXcdE8aEoKhQl7OJ1zdRE8_6SueQ_miAx-9K6LGR_yPuEn_PE0Xt5Tzb4AqdU6taoepbPlnrJoi97sSM9NYLl9RXKQ/w640-h426/Into%20the%20Labyrinth.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>Paolo Sorrentino looked back on his own life in the Oscar-nominated 2021 film <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2022/01/movie-review-paolo-sorrentinos-hand-of.html">“The Hand of God” (È stata la mano di Dio)</a>, delving into the joys and heartbreaks that shaped the man and filmmaker he is today. Servillo is outstanding as the director’s fun-loving but damaged father. When confronted with a long-term affair he’s been having with another woman, Servillo effortlessly shifts gears from jokester to tormented soul, revealing the inner demons that caused his character to lead a secret life.</span></div><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Kic39fm4jLSGqYHJifetWLfh0x2d0zdE8Eqyy0Yv-bNmkXhc8CCYeyp0Y-dn8LiYIBSxCJdMDR_4YsFyrJboZcaVs0u4zZBh2jGu5wqjdaDlgiKkASgjDJ_MWtnP4_EqpDAtMLF4a9rCgOkeimolEWsJgZG7p_bO4hfoX9bZ726nuNvQ0PRYE-gBlw/s3000/King%20of%20Laughter.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2000" data-original-width="3000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Kic39fm4jLSGqYHJifetWLfh0x2d0zdE8Eqyy0Yv-bNmkXhc8CCYeyp0Y-dn8LiYIBSxCJdMDR_4YsFyrJboZcaVs0u4zZBh2jGu5wqjdaDlgiKkASgjDJ_MWtnP4_EqpDAtMLF4a9rCgOkeimolEWsJgZG7p_bO4hfoX9bZ726nuNvQ0PRYE-gBlw/w400-h266/King%20of%20Laughter.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In his latest international release, <a href="https://amzn.to/3Y4KFzX">"Qui rido io” (The King of Laughter)</a>, Servillo reunites with Martone in a film dedicated to one of their artistic influences, Neapolitan theater actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta. In an interview with France24 during the Cannes Film Festival, where the film premiered, Servillo described it as “the story of a particular era in which Naples was a capital of culture, not only Italy but Europe, and Scarpetta was a hero of this city.”</span></div><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Most of the aforementioned films are available online. Click on the titles for links to stream them. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the February 2023 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></span></p></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-82066271213333225502023-01-05T08:38:00.011-08:002023-01-05T09:58:28.175-08:00In the Shadow of a Volcano<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlfbt4bDE53MWpDOgrrqCQvJ21KfbCY_NcYje2LJKdakmb6uRPtFxfit7-LtgpfSqjgXXmaygIjXhMwrF_DlckpNkJK01bv24Tljm9EtPucPXf-v9zHDNWMTue9hFtAMnTBjwThZW1SBai6s4LsrYilGKZtnn26IpdUq75U3bHlMK2ucLIBYZAK0soA/s1600/IMG-20160223-WA0008.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZlfbt4bDE53MWpDOgrrqCQvJ21KfbCY_NcYje2LJKdakmb6uRPtFxfit7-LtgpfSqjgXXmaygIjXhMwrF_DlckpNkJK01bv24Tljm9EtPucPXf-v9zHDNWMTue9hFtAMnTBjwThZW1SBai6s4LsrYilGKZtnn26IpdUq75U3bHlMK2ucLIBYZAK0soA/w400-h300/IMG-20160223-WA0008.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>An encounter with a legendary director at Italy’s film restoration powerhouse set her on a course for a life in cinema. <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born in 1979 in Torino, home to the National Museum of Cinema, Gaia Russo Frattasi’s first love was theater. She pursued this passion at the University of Torino. After graduating with a degree in theater history, she discovered L’Ipotesi Cinema, a series of workshops featuring industry professionals and hosted by Italy’s film restoration powerhouse Cineteca Bologna. After attending a workshop taught by veteran director Ermanno Olmi, she decided to change her focus from theater to cinema. Shortly thereafter, she made the documentary “Miriam – Variazioni” about a popular Torino nightclub act. The short film premiered at the 2005 Torino Film Festival and was awarded Best Film or Video.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Russo Frattasi has honed her craft over the years, making numerous videos and documentaries with her production company, Moby Film. A few years ago, while accompanying her friend on a research assignment at a weather station on Stromboli, an island dominated by an active volcano, she met her future protagonist, Carolina. The elementary school teacher was selling ceramic art made by her students to raise money for her association, "Scuola in mezzo al mare" (School in the Middle of the Sea). In particular, they needed to buy a satellite dish for remote learning. The story struck the young filmmaker, and that’s when her next project began. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFzNO6O_-VIWadKumT7BBblhVAoNi7-8-z5OUQrSF8-WakAxsOBGcMB_JU-NQ7xgNrpFAvGUizeVi6k2x4AnVTfwDqacQHz73FP-37D_27t7n9nR6Pb5kSZrs_dFfLH5zXoo91uIcGo3ifjmf3oDgROBDsOJW43_vLJ3lezWA9Mnbb-_RdKrHFhvCXw/s2601/School%20in%20the%20middle%20of%20the%20sea%20wide.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1866" data-original-width="2601" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDFzNO6O_-VIWadKumT7BBblhVAoNi7-8-z5OUQrSF8-WakAxsOBGcMB_JU-NQ7xgNrpFAvGUizeVi6k2x4AnVTfwDqacQHz73FP-37D_27t7n9nR6Pb5kSZrs_dFfLH5zXoo91uIcGo3ifjmf3oDgROBDsOJW43_vLJ3lezWA9Mnbb-_RdKrHFhvCXw/w400-h288/School%20in%20the%20middle%20of%20the%20sea%20wide.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The resulting 2019 documentary, “Scuola in mezzo al mare,” is an enchanting and insightful film that follows Carolina in her quest to provide a comprehensive learning experience for the children of Stromboli while keeping their parents from pursuing education off the island. The documentary features long, uninterrupted shots of life as it plays out, with candid conversations among parents about the benefits of raising their children on the island versus the downsides of growing up in extreme isolation.</span><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Before doing the actual shooting, I was on the island several times alone with my camera to interview the inhabitants and understand how their life worked, from education, to services, to the relationship with nature, to depopulation,” Russo Frattasi explains in an interview with Fra Noi.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After securing funding for the film, she put together a small crew. She chose two women — cinematographer Sabina Bologna and sound engineer Sonia Portuguese — because she felt an all-female crew would be more sensitive to the people’s plight. Her goal was to spotlight the challenges of operating an education system in the shadow of a volcano that erupts about 20 times a day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The film documents the harsh weather changes on the island and their impact on its residents. “Despite the paradisiac summer facade, every winter the community experiences loneliness and isolation. The school often remains closed, and the island inexorably depopulates,” Russo Frattasi explains. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Watch a few clips from our interview...</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/44SophjOsFA" width="320" youtube-src-id="44SophjOsFA"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The documentary sheds light on the lack of services many Italian territories face due to the massive movement toward large urban centers. Russo Frattasi’s message is that we need to foster a deep relationship with nature and to rediscover ourselves as integral to the ecosystem in which we are immersed. “Nature is not to be seen as an obstacle, but with us as guests,” she says. “We need to ask ourselves if, and how, a life is possible outside the big city.”</span></p></span></div><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The film concludes with a touching and dramatic scene of the students making their way up Mount Stromboli to explore the terrain. They talk among themselves about their fears of living so close to an active volcano, standing over it in amazement as it begins to rumble. Russo Frattasi says that shooting the scene was as incredible as watching it. “We reached the top around sunset time. There was a lot of wind. We almost couldn't keep the camera still on the tripod. The ash rose copiously, and we had to clean the lenses all the time. Shooting while the volcano erupts is an indescribable emotion.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3GHf5lz">Click here</a> to watch "Scuola in mezzo al mare" with English subtitles on Amazon. To watch more of Russo Frattasi’s work, visit her Vimeo channel at <a href="http://vimeo.com/gaiarussofrattasi">vimeo.com/gaiarussofrattasi</a>.</span><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><i>- Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the January, 2023 edition of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></p></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-87820969140711454722022-11-24T13:29:00.005-08:002022-12-28T20:52:16.523-08:00The Complex Characters of Luca Marinelli<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi62fiS2zff7q--hbh2nZfixKkiMq7wYCShIugoWUsmbBJwVScZO43TVwJOduByNEzHcI-gIY6PJJWecNAneZh7tFzzyb4sGs0E8-3-Bb5vh521l1k4ObC78WVOKqmj4khSrgGvxyzejyE1ykJU1XWMpMNvdgm8_6XnsPYwS38dcgg1wcvVOLk-HxUA/s2709/Luca_Marinelli_after_the_European_Shooting_Stars_Award_Ceremony.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2032" data-original-width="2709" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdi62fiS2zff7q--hbh2nZfixKkiMq7wYCShIugoWUsmbBJwVScZO43TVwJOduByNEzHcI-gIY6PJJWecNAneZh7tFzzyb4sGs0E8-3-Bb5vh521l1k4ObC78WVOKqmj4khSrgGvxyzejyE1ykJU1XWMpMNvdgm8_6XnsPYwS38dcgg1wcvVOLk-HxUA/w400-h300/Luca_Marinelli_after_the_European_Shooting_Stars_Award_Ceremony.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Siebbi <br /><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">His intense dramatic performances have earned him a spot as one of contemporary Italian cinema’s top leading men.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born in 1984, Luca Marinelli was no stranger to cinema when he enrolled in the Rome drama school Silvio d’Amico National Academy of Dramatic Art. His father, Eugenio Marinelli, is an actor and noted voiceover artist, having interpreted the likes of John Goodman, Gene Wilder and Ving Rhames for Italian audiences.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marinelli graduated from film school in 2009 and hit the ground running as a lead actor. His breakout role was his very first in a feature film, Saverio Costanzo’s 2010 drama “La solitudine dei numeri primi” (The Solitude of Prime Numbers). Three years later, he was named a Shooting Star at the 2013 Berlin International Film Festival for his role in <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/01/paolo-virzis-latest-film-hits-american.html">Paolo Virzì’s</a> “Tutti i santi giorni” (Every Blessed Day). That same year, he had a small role as the tormented Andrea in <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2017/03/from-vaults-my-interview-with-paolo.html">Paolo Sorrentino’s</a> Academy Award-winning <a href="https://amzn.to/3gvnWNc">“La grande bellezza”</a> (The Great Beauty). He has also appeared in productions on this side of the Atlantic, including FX’s 2015 “Trust” and Netflix’s 2020 “The Old Guard.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBBc9Fh8jUUVVUInZPv0avXzskAuLGvmW1o-4ppBQPsNKbu_s8St7E32pBU9T34ukn8o4v9qEjVe2fuSgiGwsOy11Z9Kf4UvyVk-v2GRiaiXGpaDvuVWK1dZdRMUbJ_wtYVvX_2HHmAwNz-ykf7obWSetCEIh6GCmp-C0Yef5xk-oRwdRQ9fHN0g_SA/s2000/They%20Call%20Me%20Jeeg.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1375" data-original-width="2000" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoBBc9Fh8jUUVVUInZPv0avXzskAuLGvmW1o-4ppBQPsNKbu_s8St7E32pBU9T34ukn8o4v9qEjVe2fuSgiGwsOy11Z9Kf4UvyVk-v2GRiaiXGpaDvuVWK1dZdRMUbJ_wtYVvX_2HHmAwNz-ykf7obWSetCEIh6GCmp-C0Yef5xk-oRwdRQ9fHN0g_SA/w400-h275/They%20Call%20Me%20Jeeg.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2016, he was awarded a Nastro d’Argento and David di Donatello for best supporting actor for his role in <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2016/06/the-power-of-change-conversation-with.html">Gabriele Mainetti</a>’s action-packed thriller <a href="https://amzn.to/3DV3mPi">“Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot”</a> (They Call Me Jeeg Robot). A classic tale of good guys versus bad guys, the film starts with a chase through the streets of Rome that leads to the banks of the Tiber River, where thief Enzo Ceccotti (<a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2018/01/claudio-santamaria-cinematic-chameleon.html">Claudio Santamaria</a>) jumps into the water to hide from the police. While submerged, he is exposed to radioactive materials that give him superhuman strength leading to his decision to change his life and start doing good. Marinelli plays Fabio Cannizzaro, nicknamed “The Gypsy,” a detestable gangster who longs for notoriety. Envious of the fame Enzo has achieved, he does everything in his power to destroy him, setting the stage for an amazing brawl and chill-inducing finale.</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfij8syJTctNly8EDJ2xL8-fqb134Bq1Cdp-y6pK8cYKUOEKL2iNxrWZ-HbGh0kiXVtr1mrnk66-F9EN7p6wnCSIH7Pc3RKcb14yxH8fhCwGZBgaYZeZcq7sOAezRkr1nRsH1jQNPjpoQW0LTEzkf2I81OHanfY1fCKSbzBMUmM57Hia3wwXcGfVXpg/s2500/Let%20Yourself%20Go.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfij8syJTctNly8EDJ2xL8-fqb134Bq1Cdp-y6pK8cYKUOEKL2iNxrWZ-HbGh0kiXVtr1mrnk66-F9EN7p6wnCSIH7Pc3RKcb14yxH8fhCwGZBgaYZeZcq7sOAezRkr1nRsH1jQNPjpoQW0LTEzkf2I81OHanfY1fCKSbzBMUmM57Hia3wwXcGfVXpg/w400-h266/Let%20Yourself%20Go.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 2017, Marinelli teamed up with <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2013/12/neapolitan-filmmakers-toni-servillo-and.html">Toni Servillo</a> for Francesco Amato’s comedy <a href="https://amzn.to/3fmXHHJ">“Lasciati andare” </a>(Let Yourself Go!). The film opens with Marinelli’s character, Ettore, hiding stolen jewels in a field when suddenly the police close in on him. Next unfolds the story of Elia (Servillo), a stingy psychoanalyst whose health is on the decline. After being advised by his doctor to join a gym, he meets an energetic personal trainer and inadvertently becomes involved in her drama. Ettore resurfaces as her love interest, forcing Elia at gunpoint to hypnotize him to help him recall where he buried the jewels. Marinelli is hilarious in his unhinged but touching portrayal of an innocent kid gone bad due to traumatic events in his childhood.</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYS9onjlJOF5VE74mFt2ryEvcuBj1-EcUHLWsiFvJAzZA1ebQXgQGBWdAeHXDJHAyqtrNGUgsykl3vmNVVFptPtRHk_WQm7Rj0ziFfLVd7mjTpe61fDczTf1w9vYqoUuI0S5P9u-r-p4UMw21ZgO_d4nuQdsiLSYE4o13h_YguxZ6NDQmDd72d2W2jQ/s2500/Ricordi2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1666" data-original-width="2500" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYS9onjlJOF5VE74mFt2ryEvcuBj1-EcUHLWsiFvJAzZA1ebQXgQGBWdAeHXDJHAyqtrNGUgsykl3vmNVVFptPtRHk_WQm7Rj0ziFfLVd7mjTpe61fDczTf1w9vYqoUuI0S5P9u-r-p4UMw21ZgO_d4nuQdsiLSYE4o13h_YguxZ6NDQmDd72d2W2jQ/w400-h266/Ricordi2.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Two years later, he played another tortured soul in Valerio Mieli’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3DTaADy">“Ricordi?”</a> (Remember?). The film follows a nameless couple played by Marinelli and Linda Caridi who recall the ups and downs of their relationship. Marinelli’s character is haunted by events that happened during his childhood and adolescence, so he has a darker view of the world, whereas Caridi’s character is more joyful and lighthearted. The film’s stunning cinematography and mystical locations, like Bomarzo’s famous <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CjSyu8cOZpM/">Park of the Monsters</a>, sets the stage for a dreamy journey through the past and present. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marinelli received international praise for his performance in the title role of </span><a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2019/11/interview-director-pietro-marcello-on.html" style="font-family: inherit;">Pietro Marcello’s</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> 2019 </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3UGEW1V" style="font-family: inherit;">“Martin Eden.”</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Adapted from the novel by Jack London, the movie tracks an unskilled laborer who falls in love with Elena, the daughter of a wealthy industrialist. To overcome feeling inferior in Elena’s upper-class world, he pursues his dreams of becoming a writer, hoping it will help him rise above his humble origins. The steps he takes to achieving his goals change his perspective, and he experiences a political awakening. The film premiered at the 76th Venice International Film Festival, where Marinelli was awarded the Volpi Cup for best actor.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hGL0tCsOMgK65NA1r2PZwJrDsa1zNDm5rfg9x9bxNQSoNwiy01ZDQFfK-sXhgHwds9iMImEMifavoQdmKfIzdpJ1plt_xuK3xS8LRrf2ST88CCRyxJKT-CnWAyZG5u1kr2hKaXc3ioTgafnJ0mOJxpVxTMsxJ2WkuGAu-ikd3agdpF3pX5qqYUl3Ow/s2362/Martin%20Eden.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1531" data-original-width="2362" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_hGL0tCsOMgK65NA1r2PZwJrDsa1zNDm5rfg9x9bxNQSoNwiy01ZDQFfK-sXhgHwds9iMImEMifavoQdmKfIzdpJ1plt_xuK3xS8LRrf2ST88CCRyxJKT-CnWAyZG5u1kr2hKaXc3ioTgafnJ0mOJxpVxTMsxJ2WkuGAu-ikd3agdpF3pX5qqYUl3Ow/w640-h414/Martin%20Eden.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p>Marinelli’s latest film, “Le otto montagne” (The Eight Mountains), was released this year and is currently on the international film festival circuit. All of the aforementioned films are available to stream on Amazon. Click on the titles for direct links.</span><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the December, 2022 edition of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></span></p></div></div></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-26694068612437442652022-10-12T17:17:00.006-07:002022-10-12T17:20:16.123-07:00Is there an exorcist in the house?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALKA3TiDAQ5pIt5bXpXUP0LsHF_cptg_CC72u0O5m5t1OoLcnVTeXpWV9AYmIgYQXKwNk_1krtE56YobVw7xjIN6NL0Ik7FADhIj5Sqq3AD_LqTR3zyKOvicPxLIvTqm2eSE-foLcNGdt1YMHscDdmZxHX7j3vtwVMJIw8gEeegTmAL3NTWp9PRjqRw/s1280/1483960848225.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1280" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjALKA3TiDAQ5pIt5bXpXUP0LsHF_cptg_CC72u0O5m5t1OoLcnVTeXpWV9AYmIgYQXKwNk_1krtE56YobVw7xjIN6NL0Ik7FADhIj5Sqq3AD_LqTR3zyKOvicPxLIvTqm2eSE-foLcNGdt1YMHscDdmZxHX7j3vtwVMJIw8gEeegTmAL3NTWp9PRjqRw/w400-h250/1483960848225.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Awarded the Golden Lion in the Orizzonti section of the 73rd Venice Film Festival, Federica Di Giacomo’s 2016 “Liberami” (Deliver Us) has become one of the most talked about documentaries of recent years.<p></p><p>It is a film about the practice of exorcism that explores the contrasts between ancient traditions and modern challenges. Di Giacomo tells the story with a hint of comedy, but that lightheartedness is overshadowed by the profound suffering of people desperately searching for answers.</p><p>Her third feature film after having made several shorts, “Liberami” put Di Giacomo on the map. After its award-winning debut in Venice, it went on to garner accolades around the world.</p><p>The Catholic Church has long trained exorcist priests to respond to the phenomenon of demonic possession. One of them is Fr. Cataldo, whom the film follows along with those who attend his masses in search of a cure for their inner demons.</p><p>The film opens with a woman sitting on a chair in a chapel as Fr. Cataldo anoints her with holy water. He then puts his hand on her head and prays. The woman immediately begins to scream obscenities in the voice of Satan. “Leave me alone. She’s mine now. Leave me alone,” she yells.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEs91rS4HW-EtBpx0CMFdUA05NAwKl6UVW5VFctntRJ2x8Ku47W_1N6CUerinJYNwmwJ8q7fFtCnrdV3oE7OBoXzABl9J5y-OMD7SZzbjPcfap_4HwYpOkjpd2rDM-eFnN6AKxqftVn-nfXRVr0gvqtny_Xvh2n7Gk_mLVZa4XFJs0gtgc3AC2eXwsQ/s1280/1469785949021.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="1280" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFEs91rS4HW-EtBpx0CMFdUA05NAwKl6UVW5VFctntRJ2x8Ku47W_1N6CUerinJYNwmwJ8q7fFtCnrdV3oE7OBoXzABl9J5y-OMD7SZzbjPcfap_4HwYpOkjpd2rDM-eFnN6AKxqftVn-nfXRVr0gvqtny_Xvh2n7Gk_mLVZa4XFJs0gtgc3AC2eXwsQ/w400-h223/1469785949021.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Father Cataldo then visits a church in Palermo, where a long line of people wait to see him. Many are turned away and will have to come back the next day. When they get their chance to speak with him, they talk to him like they would to a psychologist rather than a priest. They blame their misfortunes on Satan. In some cases, Fr. Cataldo agrees. In the case of one depressed housewife, he tells her that her problem is more likely psychological than spiritual. He asks a man convinced his bad luck is spiritual, “Did you try to live in the grace of God at least when you could?” The man replies, “I try, Father, but it’s hard.”<p></p><p>Later, the priest visits a woman with a nagging cough. He sits with her and her family. The woman is fidgeting and clearly uneasy. As he starts to pray with them, the woman becomes more uneasy. As he puts his hand on her head, she begins to lose control. The family members gather around her and try to keep her still. She falls to the floor, and he anoints her with holy water. She weeps, they all say a Hail Mary and she appears to be healed.</p><p>Fr. Cataldo then holds a public mass for these people, and during his exhortation to Satan to leave them alone, a boy breaks into an outburst and the priest speaks directly to the demon within. “Go away Satan.” The boy then screams uncontrollably. Father Cataldo responds, “Be quiet. It’s God ordering you to leave.” The yelling continues. “Get the cross,” says the priest. A cross is held over the boy while Fr. Cataldo continues to drive the devil away. The outburst spreads, and some are forced to retreat to a designated room where they are all trying to regain their composure. At times, it’s difficult to watch. Whatever is causing these people to lose control, they are undoubtedly suffering very much.</p><p>During an interview at Toronto’s Hot Docs festival, where Di Giacomo presented the film in 2017, she commented on the atmosphere of the film. It seems to capture “Sicily of another era,” she said, and yet the subject of exorcism is quite relevant today. “The phenomenon is really contemporary. The film is about the future more than the past. This is a growing phenomenon, and it is something that is becoming bigger.” </p><p>“Deliver Us” is available on several streaming platforms including <a href="https://tubitv.com/movies/464219/deliver-us?start=true&utm_source=google-feed&tracking=google-feed">Tubi</a>, Apple TV, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJY-giSFeaY">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://amzn.to/3g3OgwZ">Amazon Prime Video via Freevee</a>, <a href="https://www.vudu.com/content/account/login?type=sign_in&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.vudu.com%2Fcontent%2Fmovies%2Fplay%2F899073%2FADVERT_CONTENT%23externalFlow%2FAvodSigninSignup">Vudu</a> and Google Play Movies & TV. Di Giacomo’s latest film, “Il palazzo” (Unfinished), had its North American premiere earlier this year at Lincoln Center’s annual series <a href="https://www.filmlinc.org/daily/announcing-the-lineup-for-the-21st-open-roads-new-italian-cinema-taking-place-june-9-15/">Open Roads: New Italian Cinema</a>. We’ll keep you posted on its stateside distribution.</p><p><i>-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the November 2022 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></p>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-75838168430730282362022-09-18T21:53:00.001-07:002023-08-09T10:39:30.843-07:00Sword-and-Sandal Siren Wandisa Guida<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOup96mD0uRGxRWFGkGnsPRLNPb8dk4TLfF4-ANIF9JK59RYbe9l4jEbcg8ADizBXKDHCpaKsnc6x8izWS3OgIiGiR_NLT9rVG_zywWNcVQbhxA64e0cqwS1GGtcaoa_487zv7-ymS9gNBr0ErrUrnRvT9q0C2exbwWS81oGlMduYz0RkhfckF0RmN9w/s1382/guida8.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="786" data-original-width="1382" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOup96mD0uRGxRWFGkGnsPRLNPb8dk4TLfF4-ANIF9JK59RYbe9l4jEbcg8ADizBXKDHCpaKsnc6x8izWS3OgIiGiR_NLT9rVG_zywWNcVQbhxA64e0cqwS1GGtcaoa_487zv7-ymS9gNBr0ErrUrnRvT9q0C2exbwWS81oGlMduYz0RkhfckF0RmN9w/w400-h228/guida8.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Whether cast as a princess or a pauper, she managed to bring ancient Rome to life with her sophistication and goddess-like looks.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born in Puglia in 1935, Wandisa Guida entered the Miss Italia beauty pageant when she was 19 years old, winning the title of Miss Cinema. That victory led her to enroll in Rome’s film school, Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia, and a short but successful acting career followed.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Guida was a leading lady in several sword-and-sandal epics, a subgenre of Italian adventure films from the early 1960s that were predominately set in Greco-Roman antiquity. Guida’s ability to imbue her characters with grace, sophistication, and courage greatly contributed to the subgenre’s popularity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her breakout role came in Mario Costa’s 1962 <a href="https://amzn.to/3z1EPWc">“The Gladiator of Rome.”</a> Boasting sumptuous sets and lavish costumes, the film is set during the tumultuous final days of Roman Emperor Caracalla’s chaotic rule. The international cast includes Guida as Princess Nisa and Gordon Scott as Marcus, who is charged by Nisa’s lover with keeping her alive to carry on her family’s bloodline.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Nisa is abducted and sold into slavery, Marcus stays by her side. On the way to their destination, they witness an accident that sends a carriage into a lake. Marcus escapes his chains and dives into the water to save the occupants from drowning. One of them is the future emperor, Macrinus, who swears to never forget the slave who saved his life. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marcus’ heroism and ox-like strength earn him a coveted position as a Roman gladiator, and both he and Nisa are spared a lifetime in shackles. Trouble always manages to catch up with the pair, however, and before long they’re on the run again. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Nisa is taken prisoner by forces allied with the emperor, Marcus enlists the help of his fellow gladiators and other countrymen to rescue her. He and some of his comrades are captured during the ensuing battle. Sentenced to death, they hang on crosses, awaiting their fate, as the fight rages on. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Enter Macrinus to save the day. Having become emperor following the murder of Caracalla, he appears on the scene, putting an end to the armed conflict and snatching Marcus from the brink of death, just as Marcus had once rescued him from drowning.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNlxqqGrOGFYOaPqJ6I-_HpJAbOiqUA_uUCRsJEYmVvhGyBXJ7_xUz8448m_0WjH1FQ0IJmKV7OxpFQrGHyFtAKJMfHX-RqOMinI924WnwdB3TtYe7e00nhf3AH2Ix6rEwyC7hsUz_dXLJoweVCKIOvHMT4wXslUt3IXEcQNFcACvdm-DKjeCxTxIYA/s2354/Guida.Giants%20of%20Rome.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1794" data-original-width="2354" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcNlxqqGrOGFYOaPqJ6I-_HpJAbOiqUA_uUCRsJEYmVvhGyBXJ7_xUz8448m_0WjH1FQ0IJmKV7OxpFQrGHyFtAKJMfHX-RqOMinI924WnwdB3TtYe7e00nhf3AH2Ix6rEwyC7hsUz_dXLJoweVCKIOvHMT4wXslUt3IXEcQNFcACvdm-DKjeCxTxIYA/w400-h305/Guida.Giants%20of%20Rome.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Guida teamed up two years later with director Antonio Margheriti for <a href="https://amzn.to/3ArAaNZ">“Giants of Rome.”</a> Set during the Gallic Wars of 58-50 B.C., the film recounts a battle waged on behalf of Roman Emperor Julius Caesar that led to the defeat of the Druids. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Starring Richard Harrison and Ettore Manni as well as Guida, the film follows celebrated military leader Marcus Claudius Marcellus, who is ordered by Caesar to unravel a mystery, the solution to which would lead to the demise of the enemy. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Along the way, Claudius meets several characters who help him get the job done, including Lydia (Guida), who was taken prisoner by the Druids. She is rescued by Claudius, and the two fall in love. Due to the danger of the mission, Claudius sends Lydia away before engaging in a dramatic confrontation with the Druids. In the end, he completes his mission and is reunited with his love. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ArAaNZ">“Giants of Rome”</a> has all the elements of a typical sword-and-sandal film, including epic battlefield scenes, muscular heroes, and a beautiful heroine. As with most of the entries in this subgenre, liberties were taken with the actual course of human events. The most obvious is the presence of celebrated military leader Marcus Claudius Marcellus. Though he did in fact exist, the real Marcellus died in battle while fighting the Carthaginians 150 years earlier, rendering him unable to participate in the movie’s fictionalized storyline.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The sword-and-sandal films were made during the heyday of icons like Fellini, Visconti, Pasolini, Antonioni, Rosi, and Wertmüller<span style="color: red;">.</span> They competed for screen time with legendary commedia all’italiana characters portrayed by Sordi, Tognazzi, Gassman, and Manfredi. Although they are not considered golden-age classics like the films of the aforementioned artists, they were very popular during their time. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Several sword-and-sandal films are available to stream on Amazon, including <a href="https://amzn.to/3z1EPWc">“The Gladiator of Rome” </a>and <a href="https://amzn.to/3ArAaNZ">“Giants of Rome.”</a> Click on the titles to stream them.</span></p>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-33315437537469154732022-09-05T05:59:00.004-07:002023-08-09T10:40:20.315-07:00Marco Spagnoli: Documenting Cinema History<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGRVaghcK6FZ2uFtpOEqaMe_EDyXzxK4UqzWwQ6WjM4BHU5LGzNFErMu3S9nvAMEuUapD3_ySHFgET00_tQPG47SNVVowSsGmR4E1Qgr0d0LCRolGeHlZ9hu_xI08Lu0lsU9BN4MOcY94-_A7m9A2hrZ-1M1RYlAWkrew-N92vfbmc6nkom9ik-BBSg/s5306/Marco%20Spagnoli.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3836" data-original-width="5306" height="289" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkGRVaghcK6FZ2uFtpOEqaMe_EDyXzxK4UqzWwQ6WjM4BHU5LGzNFErMu3S9nvAMEuUapD3_ySHFgET00_tQPG47SNVVowSsGmR4E1Qgr0d0LCRolGeHlZ9hu_xI08Lu0lsU9BN4MOcY94-_A7m9A2hrZ-1M1RYlAWkrew-N92vfbmc6nkom9ik-BBSg/w400-h289/Marco%20Spagnoli.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>With a gift for melding disparate clips into compelling documentaries, he has captured the spirit of Italian cinema from the 1930s to the present.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marco Spagnoli is one of Italy’s most prolific film journalists, having made numerous documentaries on the country’s beloved film icons and reporting in-depth about cinema for a variety of publications.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Among his most compelling works is the 2011 documentary <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovyK1gAOAo4&t=3572s">“Hollywood Invasion,”</a> which zooms in on Italian and European cinema during the “Dolce Vita” decades from 1950-80. Utilizing NBC newsreels to tell his story, Spagnoli offers an extraordinary take on this period in cinematic history.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The film features rare clips of Hollywood stars like Gregory Peck, Marlon Brando and Marilyn Monroe roaming about Italy in the 1950s, as well as tantalizing behind-the-scenes glimpses of several American productions.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqUehCZCnBQ5woJBF2ZnOHNefsaFYUUnOKh1lcUHu1vOfu3Ikw4YU8NHafMQR6RpuAYT3uANdmySW4sQUofWyK6ztXO9WJWKXy96873oS0skFZH4pi763Z8Owxq4Wc2h053idkf31GDsF1VK9lUkXO5mm3c8k9akmGZst8Nqbp6vPeTDASVOCyYQRpg/s2853/Hollywood%20Invasion.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="2853" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaqUehCZCnBQ5woJBF2ZnOHNefsaFYUUnOKh1lcUHu1vOfu3Ikw4YU8NHafMQR6RpuAYT3uANdmySW4sQUofWyK6ztXO9WJWKXy96873oS0skFZH4pi763Z8Owxq4Wc2h053idkf31GDsF1VK9lUkXO5mm3c8k9akmGZst8Nqbp6vPeTDASVOCyYQRpg/w400-h315/Hollywood%20Invasion.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Marilyn Monroe in a scene from <span style="text-align: left;">“Hollywood Invasion” </span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">You’ll have a front-row seat to the creation of iconic moments like the chariot races in William Wyler’s 1959 epic “Ben Hur,” and you’ll listen in as </span><a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2013/04/sophia-loren.html" style="font-family: inherit;">Sophia Loren</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and Anthony Perkins talk and joke on the set of Anatole Litvak’s 1963 </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeT_Zphvfsw/" style="font-family: inherit;">“Five Miles to Midnight.” </a><p></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In another segment, Bryant Gumbel and actor Peter Ustinov offer revealing commentary on the set of the star-studded 1977 miniseries “Jesus of Nazareth,” which is currently available on NBC’s streaming platform, Peacock.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Also featured is a rare interview with 20th Century Fox founder Darryl Zanuck while on location in Europe. He talks about his departure from the company to become an independent producer and his many films shot on the continent. Among them is Joseph Mankiewicz’s 1963 “Cleopatra,” which was shot on the shores of the Mediterranean in Cabo di Gata. At one point in the film, Mankowitz and Elizabeth Taylor offer their take on the mixed reviews the film received upon its release.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7rX0UqPEgZhsxLzZK7kh8FW0RV5z6ROm-Czu47N2rBeqGQl8u4B-s2ag6_wSVl1dFDRQL70--yOP-InqDGRu9V4XieT9D2kClXj1g0oNnRYdUN7cY-zzsgcmmYUSTO6PwxmvZL_8MtspvxOZQRm7YCIw02xXzQXja0gFPyTUfWx1TlxCyc2JnuWC3w/s1278/Kennedy.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="1278" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw7rX0UqPEgZhsxLzZK7kh8FW0RV5z6ROm-Czu47N2rBeqGQl8u4B-s2ag6_wSVl1dFDRQL70--yOP-InqDGRu9V4XieT9D2kClXj1g0oNnRYdUN7cY-zzsgcmmYUSTO6PwxmvZL_8MtspvxOZQRm7YCIw02xXzQXja0gFPyTUfWx1TlxCyc2JnuWC3w/w400-h216/Kennedy.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><p style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; font-size: 13px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">President Kennedy in Naples, 1963</p><div><br /></div></td></tr></tbody></table>In a patch of the film that briefly veers away from cinema an,l.,d into the cultural revolution that was sweeping America and Europe, raw footage of President John F. Kennedy’s visit to Naples in July of 1963, just four months before he was assassinated, is featured in its entirety. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">That cultural shift paved the way for a new genre of Italian cinema heavily influenced by America: the Spaghetti Western. To address its emergence, Spagnoli offers interviews with <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/02/cinema-saved-my-life-portrait-of.html">Claudia Cardinale</a> and Bridgette Bardot while they were on location shooting “The Legend of Frenchie King,” a 1971 Western comedy that was co-produced by the French, Spanish, Italians and British.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In a short but key interview about his 1976 American-made phenomenon “King Kong,” prolific producer <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-extraordinary-career-and-legacy-of.html">Dino De Laurentiis</a> talks about the end of the La Dolce Vita way of life and cinema in Italy. He addresses the political and economic crash of the ’70s, when even <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2020/06/federico-fellini-look-into-to-life-and.html">Federico Fellini</a> was making films on a shoestring budget. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XhzMECN_uC7nphCNzgXFdwAwNTf3Xa2go4dC3WjFhup5hB0hR2c9jZmIbzn12el3HQj2PHPgXjQY_VtYw9Ee6Rydo-LQsZelwkTWpBlr98xsdjriLT-bWAu68owAZvfwOTRT5r7BhSzfGZPygJ6AKLeLlaNZFgOpfiEePksH0C5bGnC5r5aK_EnfdQ/s4631/E0T18C.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3525" data-original-width="4631" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XhzMECN_uC7nphCNzgXFdwAwNTf3Xa2go4dC3WjFhup5hB0hR2c9jZmIbzn12el3HQj2PHPgXjQY_VtYw9Ee6Rydo-LQsZelwkTWpBlr98xsdjriLT-bWAu68owAZvfwOTRT5r7BhSzfGZPygJ6AKLeLlaNZFgOpfiEePksH0C5bGnC5r5aK_EnfdQ/w400-h305/E0T18C.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On the set of <span style="text-align: left;">“Il Casanova di Federico Fellini” </span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">Spagnoli then shows stunning clips of the making of Fellini’s 1976 “Il Casanova di Federico Fellini” (Fellini’s Casanova) at Cinecittà. The passage features interviews with Donald Sutherland and Sandra Allen, the Chicago-born woman noted in the Guinness World Records as the tallest woman in the world. She had a part in the film as one of Casanova’s love interests.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Hollywood Invasion” is an impressive accomplishment. Spagnoli breathes new life into these once-forgotten clips, bringing them together to tell the story of Hollywood’s impact on European cinema during a bygone era when the two continents joined forces to make classic films that have stood the test of time.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In his 2014 “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TagSlx7USKg">Sophia racconta la Loren</a>,” Loren tells the story of her life in a compilation of interviews spanning seven decades. Again, Spagnoli takes a wealth of disparate clips and organizes them into a compelling story. The documentary also features remarks by the great <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/07/vittorio-de-sica-father-of-oscar-for.html">Vittorio De Sica</a> and addresses two of their early collaborations, including “Two Women,” for which Loren won an Academy Award.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I spent a year with Sophia Loren without ever meeting her, a year between the Centro Sperimentale, the archives of the Istituto Luce and Rai Teche looking at all the footage relating to Loren and her extraordinary life and career,” Spagnola is quoted as saying on the Cinecittà website. He notes that the documentary is not a film on Sophia Loren, but on the perception of her in the Italian media from the early ’50s, when she appeared on the scene, to the present day, as the icon she’s become.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Spagnoli documented the life of another Italian icon in 2014. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWihsQDiOvw">“Anna Magnani a Hollywood”</a> is told from the point of view of her son, Luca, and is narrated by her granddaughter, Olivia.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmgHrk6fgBVGKybWVtAlEtyt_OBDWTJkO7307ApJIO_vK9iguvgo9pBrgWGO07jEiEnP-pX9LXP1GON2RV001rtnvvlbFYBbcsbbhqL390hiAocaLfIfIvSIKd5HDo5LfDlWA2PNzU2ipTsYP1Uf5CGrOrLo0MqAmTX38yTyMorSNCaruG6Upc28-xA/s958/Anna.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="958" data-original-width="948" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjmgHrk6fgBVGKybWVtAlEtyt_OBDWTJkO7307ApJIO_vK9iguvgo9pBrgWGO07jEiEnP-pX9LXP1GON2RV001rtnvvlbFYBbcsbbhqL390hiAocaLfIfIvSIKd5HDo5LfDlWA2PNzU2ipTsYP1Uf5CGrOrLo0MqAmTX38yTyMorSNCaruG6Upc28-xA/w396-h400/Anna.png" width="396" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Anna Magani and Tennessee Williams</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">Spagnoli begins the documentary by spotlighting <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/06/anna-magnani-unconventional-cinema.html">Magnani’s</a> collaboration with Tennessee Williams on Sidney Lumet’s 1960 “The Fugitive Kind” and delves into Hollywood’s fascination with her. Magnani’s son gives rare personal insights into many of her idiosyncrasies, for example, explaining why she always arrived in America by ship due to her fear of flying.</span><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The film shows footage of the departure of the ocean liner Andrea Doria from Naples in April 1953, when Magnani set sail to present <a href="https://amzn.to/3AAE4nA">Luchino Visconti’s “Bellissima”</a> at the Trans-Lux 60th Street theater in New York. On her first overseas trip, she met Bette Davis, and the two became lifelong friends. Magnani talked about how much she loved the energy of New York and the people she met, but how she was too overwhelmed by the city to consider living there.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Inspired by Kenneth Anger’s book “Hollywood Babilonia,” Spagnoli’s 2017<a href="https://amzn.to/3M7ipGd"> “Cinecittà Babilonia” </a>recounts the story of the early days of Italian cinema during the ’30s and ’40s in the shadow of Fascism. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The documentary begins with Benito Mussolini laying the first brick of Cinecittà on Jan. 29, 1936. The studios were built after a fire broke out at the Cines studios where, until that point, all of Italy’s films were made. The neighborhood along Via Tuscolana was chosen because it is easily reached from the city center, yet located in a quiet residential neighborhood on the outskirts of Rome. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46q7_q20pLqtg4wM04G3dIvhBshJPI4NqxD212z02KDBF4YQQMXCFCcnWGPDw13bi858GdCFoYxpiUlwAf4_LaaMynXh1dRB-7_PXmUuQOfiZiGcJyoaTfwFysVUB6H71i5jrUjSd8Dz5nvNU_GoCesNpOPsLnWy1LCIHiZeMpRhOUs5OaT-6V6Y-Jg/s2500/Cinecitta%20Babolonia.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1406" data-original-width="2500" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi46q7_q20pLqtg4wM04G3dIvhBshJPI4NqxD212z02KDBF4YQQMXCFCcnWGPDw13bi858GdCFoYxpiUlwAf4_LaaMynXh1dRB-7_PXmUuQOfiZiGcJyoaTfwFysVUB6H71i5jrUjSd8Dz5nvNU_GoCesNpOPsLnWy1LCIHiZeMpRhOUs5OaT-6V6Y-Jg/w400-h225/Cinecitta%20Babolonia.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Marco Spagnoli directing "</span><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Cinecittà</span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Babilonia"</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cinecittà opened its doors on April 28, 1937. From that point until 1943, when the war broke out, 279 films were made there. Executives had high hopes that the appeal of the era’s megastars, like </span><a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2021/12/amedeo-nazzari-once-and-future-idol.html" style="font-family: inherit;">Amedeo Nazzari</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> and </span><a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2021/11/alida-valli-timeless-talent.html" style="font-family: inherit;">Alida Valli</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">, would reach beyond Italy’s borders.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The story is told with a combination of historical footage, film clips, recent interviews and dramatizations. “Cinecittà Babilonia” takes us inside Rome’s iconic film school, Centro Sperimentale, which is located across the street from Cinecittà. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Among the film’s countless informational gems, <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2021/12/in-conversation-with-enrico-vanzina.html">Enrico Vanzina</a>, the son of legendary director Steno, tells the captivating story of how his father came up with the term <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2016/03/part-one-of-my-visual-adventure-through.html">“Telefono Bianchi”</a> (White Telephones) to describe an early genre of Italian cinema.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In another scene, directors <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/search?q=giuliano+montaldo">Giuliano Montaldo</a> and Carlo Lizzani discuss the transition from war propaganda films to the neorealism movement, which ties into the impact of Hollywood’s pre-code film era on Italy’s cinema.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These days, Spagnoli is busier than ever. In addition to his ongoing work as a print journalist, last year he directed “Spazio italiano” (Space Made in Italy), which traces Italian space exploration from Galileo to the present. His latest documentary, “La voce del padrone — Franco Battiato e ti vengo a cercare,” examines the influence of musician-poet-filmmaker <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2013/02/franco-battiato-sicilys-poet.html">Franco Battiato</a> on Italian culture. It premiered at the Taormina Film Festival in June.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">All of the aforementioned documentaries are available online. Click on the titles for direct links. For more information about Spagnoli’s projects, visit <a href="http://marcospagnoli.it">marcospagnoli.it</a>.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>- Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the September 2022 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></span></p></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-77939105802936409592022-07-12T23:39:00.007-07:002023-08-09T10:59:45.444-07:00Class Act Virna Lisi<p></p><div style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsu_Q0OBjyWqbXvUUfgONao5Z-wjleL86lSGn9Q_TS29jJAFLzpE8kE-wC60zZFzi9WqjuQ71Dv3X0Hk9ckXBvZG5YIshXH8ThM5d9J4eyldGHMXsB5Zc6_pGcXm8DkEmJw2RBHTKsPOaUhhDcnru2mk3T_FgxmbDQuGnqsut2JDbAJGjKgqTlSMejA/s1322/1118full-virna-lisi.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1322" data-original-width="1118" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtsu_Q0OBjyWqbXvUUfgONao5Z-wjleL86lSGn9Q_TS29jJAFLzpE8kE-wC60zZFzi9WqjuQ71Dv3X0Hk9ckXBvZG5YIshXH8ThM5d9J4eyldGHMXsB5Zc6_pGcXm8DkEmJw2RBHTKsPOaUhhDcnru2mk3T_FgxmbDQuGnqsut2JDbAJGjKgqTlSMejA/w339-h400/1118full-virna-lisi.jpg" width="339" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her beauty captured the attention of producers on two continents, but her talent kept her working through seven decades.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born Virna Pieralisi in Ancona on Nov. 8, 1936, Virna Lisi began acting as a teenager and was cast in her first starring role in the 1953 melodrama “...e Napoli canta!” (Napoli Sings). Although the role opened doors, most directors were not yet able to see beyond her striking beauty and therefore cast her in roles based more on her looks than her acting ability. One of those early parts was as an extra opposite <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2020/08/they-will-always-judge-you-whether-you.html">Alberto Sordi</a> in Antonio Pietrangeli’s 1956 <a href="https://amzn.to/3awYpju">“Lo scapolo” (The Bachelor)</a>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 1961, she starred in Francesco Maselli’s drama “La donna del giorno” (The Doll That Took the Town) as Liliana, a struggling model who makes up a story about being assaulted by three men. The film was released in the United States, where Hollywood executives saw her and believed they had discovered the European version of Marilyn Monroe. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lisi made her American debut a few years later opposite Jack Lemmon in Richard Quine’s 1965 comedy <a href="https://amzn.to/3wc7x3N">“How to Murder Your Wife.” </a> The film follows Stanley Ford (Lemmon), a successful Manhattan cartoonist and contented bachelor. After a night of partying, he wakes to realize that he has married an Italian woman who doesn’t speak English. The new Mrs. Ford (Lisi) is in love with Stanley and does her best to be a good wife by cooking, watching American movies to learn English, and showing her new husband constant affection. Feeling smothered, Stanley finds himself exhausted and out of sorts. At the same time, his comic strip is becoming very popular as he documents the woes of married life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5h8d9JLeAQiLCzU4da0N6sprcgc6JUXAObEDLmzC4v04wENRQ4Ph-gCxnYkMWGg_Bo9mun07oGjRDHaKVIPsvd72v7nv7Yw8t84pwy3tDQ4V834O84Yu0b0U1EB6Gp7Rnm-hvnWduzQc-H-yfk9OHQlwpUG-DKNwmvZZi2o-RbrWptfasmF0e0fBNKg/s388/How_to_Murder_Your_Wife_film_poster.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="256" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5h8d9JLeAQiLCzU4da0N6sprcgc6JUXAObEDLmzC4v04wENRQ4Ph-gCxnYkMWGg_Bo9mun07oGjRDHaKVIPsvd72v7nv7Yw8t84pwy3tDQ4V834O84Yu0b0U1EB6Gp7Rnm-hvnWduzQc-H-yfk9OHQlwpUG-DKNwmvZZi2o-RbrWptfasmF0e0fBNKg/w264-h400/How_to_Murder_Your_Wife_film_poster.jpg" width="264" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Missing his time as a bachelor, he comes up with a plan that would get rid of his wife and the chaos she has brought with her. He sets the plan in motion, foolishly detailing it in his comic strip. The illustrations receive national news coverage, but when Mrs. Ford sees them, she becomes heartbroken and leaves. When she can’t be reached for comment by the press, Stanley is accused of actually murdering her and goes on trial. In the end, he realizes that, despite the downsides of marriage, he truly misses her. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lisi played a more complex character that showcased her acting skills and impeccable comic timing in Norman Panama’s 1966 comedy </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3M3I6II" style="font-family: inherit;">“Not With My Wife, You Don’t!” </a><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sharing the screen with Tony Curtis and George C. Scott, she stars as Julie, an Italian war nurse who falls for two fighter pilots. The film begins with Julie and her husband, Tom Ferris (Curtis), bickering and taking each other for granted. Tom is an Air Force colonel determined to climb the ranks while Julie wants to start a family and travel less. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">A gathering of Air Force personnel triggers memories for Tom of the Korean War, when he first met Julie and “Tank” Martin (Scott), a fellow pilot with whom he was always in competition. Injured in a bar brawl that ensues when he and Tank are fighting over a girl, Tom is admitted to the military hospital, where he falls in love with the nurse, his future wife, Julie. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSEHiOdTsViekjozhvTiknBsth9hsqp1pCcPTj7ItzBIVuRO5Muqa3KiiRAo8V6V3jbQ_lpXZ5eRPd2MMU4vj4R57mBPfD1jFDavBe0zdToRK-378k1x7kPIym1zDlLhNkeSambn_dkJOylv7fs_iCZb17QoZdBBf_bOUNt3HtB5cfhWjQDeVrwYVhw/s350/Not_with_My_Wife,_You_Don't!_poster.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="231" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihSEHiOdTsViekjozhvTiknBsth9hsqp1pCcPTj7ItzBIVuRO5Muqa3KiiRAo8V6V3jbQ_lpXZ5eRPd2MMU4vj4R57mBPfD1jFDavBe0zdToRK-378k1x7kPIym1zDlLhNkeSambn_dkJOylv7fs_iCZb17QoZdBBf_bOUNt3HtB5cfhWjQDeVrwYVhw/w264-h400/Not_with_My_Wife,_You_Don't!_poster.jpg" width="264" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The smooth-talking Tank also meets and woos Julie, who backs away completely when she realizes she’s falling for both. When Tank’s plane is shot down in combat, Tom receives a notice that Tank was rescued by a naval ship and will only require a month of hospitalization. Relieved to hear it, Tom nevertheless burns the notice and tells Julie that Tank is presumed dead, paving the way for their courtship and marriage. Drama ensues when the truth finally comes out, but love prevails in the end. The perfectly cast film includes a strong supporting performance by Carroll O’Connor and a charming cameo by Bob Hope.<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lisi continued to work on Hollywood films through the ’60s. Her credits during that decade include “Assault on a Queen” (1966), in which she co-stars with Frank Sinatra, and “The Secret of Santa Vittoria” (1969), a WWII film shot on location in Italy. The latter co-stars Anthony Quinn and features several Italian actors, including <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/06/anna-magnani-unconventional-cinema.html">Anna Magnani</a> and Giancarlo Giannini, as well as master cinematographer <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/07/cinema-greats-giuseppe-rotunno-and.html">Giuseppe Rotunno</a>. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lisi’s film career slowed down considerably in the following decades as she opted to spend more time with her husband, Franco Pesci, whom she married in 1960, and their son, Corrado. Even though she lessened her workload, the projects she took on had great significance to her career, earning her several awards, including the David di Donatello, the Nastro d’Argento and France’s César.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8gl7sN63_DuV9RzC8IPEIp4Pcj6yNDxSF6pWK8XzDZ8jNrP_LetcPlFa9Yu4BQHAys-D0ihr3X36PWlpxgIaFpHiYD75uSdV9GdcpOfkbErjEd8b9e6IWGYeZ_eXgD2PYBhjz802kd3AFrPxUa5vY02uElFLYt_b7plKph-pnrF7vhQT_gARB_z0dw/s379/Va'_dove_ti_porta_il_cuore.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="262" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8gl7sN63_DuV9RzC8IPEIp4Pcj6yNDxSF6pWK8XzDZ8jNrP_LetcPlFa9Yu4BQHAys-D0ihr3X36PWlpxgIaFpHiYD75uSdV9GdcpOfkbErjEd8b9e6IWGYeZ_eXgD2PYBhjz802kd3AFrPxUa5vY02uElFLYt_b7plKph-pnrF7vhQT_gARB_z0dw/w276-h400/Va'_dove_ti_porta_il_cuore.jpg" width="276" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Her final projects were directed by <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/04/cristina-comencini-to-present-film-at.html">Cristina Comencini</a> and featured some of the most intense dramatic performances of her career. </span><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Adapted from Susanna Tamaro’s novel, Comencini’s 1997 drama <a href="https://amzn.to/3vueE8p">“Follow Your Heart”</a> is a sentimental story that takes place during two different time periods. The tale is told by Olga, a grandmother who writes journals recalling the past for her estranged granddaughter, whom she raised like her own child. <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/10/margherita-buy-no-signs-of-slowing-down.html">Margherita Buy</a> and Lisi are spectacular playing Olga during different time periods. The journal entries answer questions surrounding the death of the girl’s mother. “To make mistakes is natural, but to leave without understanding them takes away the meaning of life,” Lisi as Olga claims. It’s such a moving story, perfectly adapted by these actresses from different generations.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lisi’s last film, the 2014 comedy <a href="https://amzn.to/3vuLPsl">“Latin Lover,”</a> tells the tale of four half-sisters who are forced to face long-buried secrets 10 years after the death of their father, the famous actor Saverio (Francesco Scianna).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The ensemble cast includes Saverio’s Italian daughter, Susanna (Angela Finocchiaro); his French daughter, Stephanie (<a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/7-days-7-women-valeria-bruni-tedeschi.html">Valeria Bruni Tedeschi</a>); his Spanish daughter, Segunda (Candela Peña); and his Swedish daughter, Solveig (Pihla Viitala), who had little contact with him. There is also a possible fifth daughter, an American, Shelley (Nadeah Miranda), who is awaiting the results of a DNA test. None of the half-siblings got to experience a truly great father, but each mythologized and loved him in different ways during different periods in his triumphant career.</span></p><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZenx3YOP18DJoPONL_4xECuQwc2_e8EK7aGwtoNPX483zYWc0fWVabcL-_aeCY7fAHYiZb4LNW2JgmukOJhDM1j1vpKKPAt4N5EzAyDEJ46KLmbrK53RoydLvfeQ0N175vmIvuTyDLPrhUaQMCwjOuQicmGT6je_Ot9kJqn1E4UDa7DzENyoZ6MGYOQ/s2000/Latin%20Lover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1333" data-original-width="2000" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZenx3YOP18DJoPONL_4xECuQwc2_e8EK7aGwtoNPX483zYWc0fWVabcL-_aeCY7fAHYiZb4LNW2JgmukOJhDM1j1vpKKPAt4N5EzAyDEJ46KLmbrK53RoydLvfeQ0N175vmIvuTyDLPrhUaQMCwjOuQicmGT6je_Ot9kJqn1E4UDa7DzENyoZ6MGYOQ/w640-h426/Latin%20Lover.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>The film explores the consequences of infidelity and how the offspring of multiple marriages and affairs have to deal with the voids, resentments, and nontraditional family ties that result. Lisi is as beautiful and graceful as ever in the role of Saverio’s first wife, Rita, carrying each scene with the poise and elegance of a true class act. </span><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lisi succumbed to lung cancer in 2014. An article published by the website Gossip Fanpage at the time of her death stated, “Virna Lisi’s heart stopped the day her husband died.” The two had a love affair that lasted for 53 years. She passed away less than a year after his death in December of 2013. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Lisi was an extraordinary artist who remains highly regarded by audiences of all ages. Many of her films, including those in this article, are available online to stream. Click on the titles for direct links.</span><span face="Calibri, sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>- Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the July 2022 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></span></p></div></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-66279135820758379392022-06-19T08:50:00.002-07:002022-06-19T08:50:41.301-07:00Giuliano Montaldo: Transatlantic Legend<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOTxrX3V9ALq1N5MLZ1JVs13oJ_Xv_aEr67f_TYghxBeXNYsKZof3lh9eSh0jsr6xPJ9ycGVqL3T7cpJdzdqgCW-JqHhUeNCMcoRbPI3-nss7A2tYtYX4iyOpN-0JrtywwdMHsQ2fpsj3dFTKlkx76Rard5V0LTKh0ePUcfWXzWlFLRjFyLx5xPPZ4w/s4500/From.VeraGiuliano.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4500" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsOTxrX3V9ALq1N5MLZ1JVs13oJ_Xv_aEr67f_TYghxBeXNYsKZof3lh9eSh0jsr6xPJ9ycGVqL3T7cpJdzdqgCW-JqHhUeNCMcoRbPI3-nss7A2tYtYX4iyOpN-0JrtywwdMHsQ2fpsj3dFTKlkx76Rard5V0LTKh0ePUcfWXzWlFLRjFyLx5xPPZ4w/w477-h317/From.VeraGiuliano.jpg" width="477" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Vera & Giuliano”</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>“I knew <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2020/06/federico-fellini-look-into-to-life-and.html">Fellini</a>, <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2016/06/michelangelo-antonioni-master-of.html">Antonioni</a>, Pontecorvo. It was a period of good people, good writers and very good directors.” A pioneering director himself, Giuliano Montaldo is one of the last living greats from Italy’s cinematic Golden Age. At 92, he’s as active as ever, and the pandemic hasn’t slowed him down. Donning his mask, he was one of the first in line when Italy reopened its movie theaters.<p></p><p>Born in Genoa in 1930, Montaldo moved to Rome as a teenager to follow his dream of working in cinema. While attending film school, he was discovered by director Carlo Lizzani. Taking Montaldo under his wing, Lizzani cast him alongside <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/7-days-7-women-gina-lollobrigida.html">Gina Lollobrigida</a> in his 1951 war drama “Achtung! Banditi!” and then nurtured him as an assistant. Montaldo worked on a string of films with Lizzani, including his acclaimed 1952 murder mystery <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2020/07/sunday-streaming-suggestion-still.html">“Ai margini della metropoli” (At the Edge of the City)</a>, starring <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2020/06/fellini100-sweetness-and-genius-of.html">Giulietta Masina</a>. Montaldo then assisted director Gillo Pontecorvo while continuing to take acting parts during the ’50s, though he had his sights set on directing.</p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlG5xxnkQnbRF7zAwP98HldPP3MTtid19P1bnBM8U0hUUknWxdr9tp9FACOICXjTLp2tb3o-2Bl0Ha_qwbT8V46W92KZAxhSH4M7EABo1t6-m01AOaq9eF8dw7DpMH_7SYX3Te1TvtQJed2RSGPi0R3XQKSXjR5tgG5fRyAOAeOSo6cRJuoRWtiGHIw/s1938/Pigeon%20Shoot.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1938" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFlG5xxnkQnbRF7zAwP98HldPP3MTtid19P1bnBM8U0hUUknWxdr9tp9FACOICXjTLp2tb3o-2Bl0Ha_qwbT8V46W92KZAxhSH4M7EABo1t6-m01AOaq9eF8dw7DpMH_7SYX3Te1TvtQJed2RSGPi0R3XQKSXjR5tgG5fRyAOAeOSo6cRJuoRWtiGHIw/w400-h268/Pigeon%20Shoot.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Tiro al piccione”</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>In 1960, he made his directorial debut with “Tiro al piccione” (Pigeon Shoot), which recounts the plight of Italian partisans during World War II. It premiered at the 1961 Venice Film Festival to positive reviews and remains a favorite in Italy. Restored in 2019 by the Cineteca Nazionale, it was featured in the <a href="https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2019/venice-classics/tiro-al-piccione-pigeon-shoot">Venice Classics</a> program of the 76th edition of the festival.<p></p><p>“I made my debut at the Venice Film Festival and was received very well by the public, so I had enough courage to make another film, which had a very small budget but won two important prizes in Berlin,” Montaldo explained in a recent interview with me via Zoom. “Then, I made two American films: ‘Grand Slam,’ which we shot in Rio de Janeiro, and ‘The Untouchables’ (known stateside as ‘Machine Gun McCain’), with John Cassavetes. So when I returned to Italy, I was more robust, stronger and felt more determined.”</p><p>Montaldo’s two American films were made in the <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/05/the-anthology-film-archives-present.html">Poliziotteschi</a> tradition, a genre influenced by political cinema and crime novels as well as by French noir and American cop movies like “In the Heat of the Night” and “The French Connection.” Scored by <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/12/roma-film-festival-honors-composer_13.html">Ennio Morricone</a>, both of Montaldo’s entries in the genre are cult classics that remain popular today. </p><p>Watch this clip from our interview in which Montaldo talks about his 1969 film, "Machine Gun McCain"..</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xqS3lox4fhE" width="320" youtube-src-id="xqS3lox4fhE"></iframe></div><p>Described as gangster noir, “Grand Slam” features a diverse international cast that includes Robert Hoffmann, Klaus Kinski, Riccardo Cucciolla and Janet Leigh. It tells the story of a group of international thieves who have banded together to pull off a complex gem heist during Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. </p><p>The film opens on the New York City skyline as members of the group assemble to plan a robbery that has to be completed in 20 minutes, without a second to spare. When they arrive in Rio, they are greeted by Mary Ann (Leigh), whose job is to guard the gems at all costs. “Grand Slam” has all the elements of a classic heist film, from the planning and execution to the aftermath. Watching it, especially the New York scenes, is like stepping back in time. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOloLkqxCXBmxRESENEM7YNG2mmf2V_RysjFmekDJA7n72602emL5izwt3ncGpCqMNUIuqKG96iWaaG6Mpikj4em5b5u8Ok6MhP1ormTWfhacS-EI0wt4m8cz62LgJxzab9N4ZMKVlhvH2RJeJyFokSAI-0m8tiHP4VhJ06cBvHOcqgMSj1hzNX54aQQ/s1024/Cassavetes.webp" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1024" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOloLkqxCXBmxRESENEM7YNG2mmf2V_RysjFmekDJA7n72602emL5izwt3ncGpCqMNUIuqKG96iWaaG6Mpikj4em5b5u8Ok6MhP1ormTWfhacS-EI0wt4m8cz62LgJxzab9N4ZMKVlhvH2RJeJyFokSAI-0m8tiHP4VhJ06cBvHOcqgMSj1hzNX54aQQ/w400-h316/Cassavetes.webp" width="400" /></a></div>Montaldo’s masterful storytelling is spotlighted in <a href="https://amzn.to/3bdAsxx">“Machine Gun McCain.”</a> Loosely based on the novel “Candyleg” by Ovid Demaris, the film stars Peter Falk and Britt Ekland, in addition to Cassavetes, with a spectacular cameo by Gena Rowlands. <p></p><p>Charlie Adamo (Falk) and Hank McCain (Cassavetes) are the protagonists in parallel storylines of two low-level West Coast gangsters who think they can outsmart their New York mafia bosses. The recently appointed leader of West Coast operations, Adamo secretly gives McCain’s estranged son $25,000 to bail his father out of prison following 12 years of incarceration for armed robbery. Upon his release, McCain is informed that he has been chosen to plan a heist that requires breaking into a mob-run casino in Las Vegas. The prize is a safe containing $2 million. Realizing he’s been lied to when things go awry, McCain eliminates the middlemen and carries out the heist on his own, then tries to leave the country with the money. When the newly instated mob boss catches up with him, a chase ensues with dramatic, unexpected consequences.</p><p>Montaldo and cinematographer Erico Menczer certainly made the most of shooting on location in San Francisco and Las Vegas, capturing stunning footage of both cities in all of their late-’60s glory. Montaldo said he and Cassavetes both approached the project as directors, butting heads at first in what Montaldo described as “guerilla warfare” before making their peace and enjoying their collaboration.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTP-Fh3m0esp1HdDzkf6NzmtIDCNLknwXIj_z5bmzMIoH7IzPjeT3z-0G110ZAPrWyEvzj6mzciwyUTft6dy0u9ChnHdWvj5xKJEcfa4cl_BPK4XeYB5GXAAOAL0RpMvQx0yPmZxSff80uBRYmaPaJvdD7oeY_HYakySfhVrhnQDRzfcY6Hb7UPxDow/s725/Sacco%20and%20Vanzetti.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="725" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkTP-Fh3m0esp1HdDzkf6NzmtIDCNLknwXIj_z5bmzMIoH7IzPjeT3z-0G110ZAPrWyEvzj6mzciwyUTft6dy0u9ChnHdWvj5xKJEcfa4cl_BPK4XeYB5GXAAOAL0RpMvQx0yPmZxSff80uBRYmaPaJvdD7oeY_HYakySfhVrhnQDRzfcY6Hb7UPxDow/w400-h225/Sacco%20and%20Vanzetti.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Even though Montaldo’s crime films have earned a dedicated following, his 1971 masterpiece <a href="https://amzn.to/3zMiOva">“Sacco and Vanzetti”</a> will most likely be his lasting legacy. “I can't stand intolerance, so I made ‘Sacco and Vanzetti,’” Montaldo explains. “I heard about these two Italian characters, and I was struck. So I started studying. A good writer friend of mine knew a lot about them, and then together, we built the story, and I must say that it was really a tragic story.”<p></p><p>Montaldo’s film offers a detailed account of how the controversial 1920s trial of Nicola Sacco (Riccardo Cucciolla) and Bartolomeo Vanzetti (<a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2022/04/a-look-at-timeless-works-of-gian-maria.html">Gian Maria Volontè</a>) played out as well as the emotional toll it took on the men. In addition to the film serving as an educational tool here in the United States, it is regularly shown to students in Italy.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOPxxWuLJkmS5cqgoAqMumu9haueWY_Vz5TCX_GReAfCHxrkAZmAvBZ87J7OJCYMLqHYY4CU563tT0j8EzPn9b0OE3y3jUVMwAUTyXkeaHLvkn0x_QH1IgGFOEtk8jAV7YvV1Krb57WmUd3bqJEHjI9BPymUU5T-AtJgmFND-_4_YNy-5qdJcrxTTgQ/s2000/Directing%202012.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1350" data-original-width="2000" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDOPxxWuLJkmS5cqgoAqMumu9haueWY_Vz5TCX_GReAfCHxrkAZmAvBZ87J7OJCYMLqHYY4CU563tT0j8EzPn9b0OE3y3jUVMwAUTyXkeaHLvkn0x_QH1IgGFOEtk8jAV7YvV1Krb57WmUd3bqJEHjI9BPymUU5T-AtJgmFND-_4_YNy-5qdJcrxTTgQ/w400-h270/Directing%202012.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Montaldo directed the 2013 drama “L’industriale” (The Entrepreneur), starring <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2019/10/pierfrancesco-favino-on-his-portrayal.html">Pierfrancesco Favino</a>. And in 2017, he appeared in Francesco Bruni’s film “Tutto quello che vuoi” (Friends by Chance), playing a poet with memory loss who befriends a 22-year-old and guides him through some family troubles. “I have to be honest, I was a little depressed acting at my age, but it ended up going very well, and we had a lot of success with the film,” Montaldo recalls. The role earned him a David di Donatello Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role. <p></p><p>Montaldo’s personal life has been as rewarding as his career. His six-decades-long love story with Vera Pescarolo has captivated Italians and has been the subject of articles and talk show interviews. “When I met her, it was love at first sight, and now we’ve been together 61 years,” he proclaims. “Luckily, she is a film aficionado like me, but instead of being the wife of a director who goes away for months at a time, she has traveled with me. We’ve been all over the world together, and for this I am grateful. It is a great collaboration and therefore a great love.” </p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscbxgUUzXSpNxH01mtR4PITiszgz0q0pjsLyODHkKxGOqKUUonaHPlXUzVCtmE_2G--0qqfxC3hbeclIejbpbcZtzWXLf96fNwpdXAZPww3O40hmpg8ScZDg5bdXnQMZSyof0cf04ZZh-GHNL1ZDRKTouPpfTNgD_bLzsslQI2G7fY6fnia6SjPZXOA/s1080/Vera.Guiliano.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1080" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgscbxgUUzXSpNxH01mtR4PITiszgz0q0pjsLyODHkKxGOqKUUonaHPlXUzVCtmE_2G--0qqfxC3hbeclIejbpbcZtzWXLf96fNwpdXAZPww3O40hmpg8ScZDg5bdXnQMZSyof0cf04ZZh-GHNL1ZDRKTouPpfTNgD_bLzsslQI2G7fY6fnia6SjPZXOA/w400-h266/Vera.Guiliano.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">“Vera & Giuliano”</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Last year, documentary filmmaker <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2019/06/fabrizio-corallos-insightful.html">Fabrizio Corallo</a> made a film about them titled “Vera & Giuliano” that aired on Italian television on Valentine’s Day.<p></p><p><a href="https://amzn.to/3bdAsxx">“Machine Gun McCain”</a> and “Sacco and Vanzetti” are available to stream on Amazon. Click on their respective titles for direct links to stream them. “Grand Slam” is available on DVD.</p><div><i>- Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the June, 2022 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-14445905947808017232022-05-27T19:06:00.003-07:002022-05-27T19:06:49.869-07:00Cecilia Mangini: Italy’s First Female Documentarian<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsoDM-3NjLboL8e-4NuRaeBdGyVio9KOWw4Jk23Y6fPWLWsSS8fQNEeATWz-Pw1fzmGCnXaSWH6ZZNKXaTOnPj45e3mFRdM-VWOx410LtGOXO9PKFq5UcCDx2EuBEtv94uLiGkqXMSkwlgrQqiZ1wrIkRJz2No8QuK2H3COleQAgGmkrfsxfYenBJxA/s500/Cecilia%20Mangini%20Old%20Pic.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="500" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSsoDM-3NjLboL8e-4NuRaeBdGyVio9KOWw4Jk23Y6fPWLWsSS8fQNEeATWz-Pw1fzmGCnXaSWH6ZZNKXaTOnPj45e3mFRdM-VWOx410LtGOXO9PKFq5UcCDx2EuBEtv94uLiGkqXMSkwlgrQqiZ1wrIkRJz2No8QuK2H3COleQAgGmkrfsxfYenBJxA/w400-h304/Cecilia%20Mangini%20Old%20Pic.jpeg" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Italy’s first female documentary filmmaker, her films were gritty and unpolished, but they brought attention to the plights of marginalized people.</span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born in Mola di Bari on July 31, 1927, Cecilia Mangini relocated with her family to Florence </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">at the age of six, and then moved to Rome in 1952. There, she worked for a film club where she made personal and professional connections that would lay the foundation for the course of her life. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In the late 1950s, she partnered with <a href="http://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-timeless-vision-of-pier-paolo.html">Pier Paolo Pasolini </a>for a trio of short documentaries that spoke of the poor living in desolation in the shadow of the industrial revolution.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The 1958 film, “Ignoti alla città” (Kids in the slums of Rome), documents the children of poor families living on the outskirts of Rome as they spend their days getting into mischief and searching for items of value in garbage dumps. An outspoken advocate for the poor, Pasolini wanted to show the other side of Italy's stereotypical image of its 1960s post-war boom with a portrait of the harsh reality of young people in the forsaken countryside.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Two years later, Mangini returned to her birth region of Puglia for the docu-drama, “Stendalì suonano ancora” (They Still Play Stendalì). The 11-minute film perfectly depicts the quintessential “Old Country” with its elderly draped in black, stone houses and traditional hymns. A reenactment of the ancient rite of funeral lament that is no longer practiced, the film opens with the ringing of the town’s bells to announce a local has died. Women then gather around the open casket as they weep, wail and act out their grief with particular movements of the head and fluttering their hands while holding white handkerchiefs. The lament is sung by actress Lilla Brignone. The words express the emptiness the mourners feel, and their prayer for the deceased to look after and protect them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Watch </span>“Stendalì suonano ancora” <span style="font-family: inherit;">on YouTube..</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/vziV5npthaI" width="320" youtube-src-id="vziV5npthaI"></iframe></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Concluding the trio is “La canta delle marane,” a 1961 portrayal of youngsters frolicking in a river on a hot summer’s day. The film was inspired by Pasolini’s 1955 novel, “Ragazzi di vita” (Poor Boys). The “marane” of Rome are ditches and various small rivers that cross the city. The film takes place under the Mammolo Bridge on the banks of the Aniene river and captures the innocence of childhood as young boys run in and out of the water, splashing around.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I owe Pasolini a lot, both for the scripts and also because he was considered so dangerous — so frequenting him I was exposed to risks that were very useful to me,” she told the New York Times in a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/24/world/europe/cecilia-mangini.html?searchResultPosition=1">2020 interview</a>. Having gained notoriety during her collaborations with him, Mangini received funding to direct her first solo effort, the 1964 documentary, “Essere donne” (Being Women). The film is among the first cinematic documentations of women in Italy based on income, social standing, psychology and traditional ways of life.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Watch </span>“Essere donne” on YouTube... </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mk25pEfwcX4" width="320" youtube-src-id="mk25pEfwcX4"></iframe></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mangini was married to fellow filmmaker Lino Del Fra, who she met during her first job at the film club. The two collaborated on many projects. One of the most important was a film they were working on in 1965 about the war going on in North Vietnam. However, United States-led bombing campaign became so intense, the couple was ordered to leave. The documentary was considered a project that would remain unfinished. Then one day, half a century later, she discovered two boxes of negatives in her cupboard that consisted of photos and notes from that trip.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0op_EyDlouoCZSMPF-gBtLeWijy0fjQisdP_lYz05LhT2kIBlthrhk64a_Bic-pabGEQeEJJHO7XvJ9962dh7_udUeYNoQ1-4lopXnaiN5TU38VfOhLpIZDALEuUU0gMPsnzoA8CEXa15btQhdaBHRC9I1BP1maNUBji5EM_GJT0rELRDG-qRDkltw/s3810/Ce%CC%81cilia_Mangini_-_IFFR_2020.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3339" data-original-width="3810" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr0op_EyDlouoCZSMPF-gBtLeWijy0fjQisdP_lYz05LhT2kIBlthrhk64a_Bic-pabGEQeEJJHO7XvJ9962dh7_udUeYNoQ1-4lopXnaiN5TU38VfOhLpIZDALEuUU0gMPsnzoA8CEXa15btQhdaBHRC9I1BP1maNUBji5EM_GJT0rELRDG-qRDkltw/s320/Ce%CC%81cilia_Mangini_-_IFFR_2020.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">“I remember things through photographs, because I am losing my memory,” Mangini told the New York Times. “Sometimes I forget works, sometimes I forget dates, people’s names — you can’t remember everything.”<o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The photographs helped her remember “time, space, emotions. Everything.” She took those negatives and codirected a documentary about them titled, “Due Scatole Dimenticate” (Two Forgotten Boxes). She presented the film at the 2020 International Film Festival Rotterdam. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mangini passed away in 2021 at the age of 93. The Academy Museum in Los Angeles paid tribute to her in March with a screening of her films, including her last work, “Two Forgotten Boxes.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mangini’s documentaries are often featured in retrospectives of her work. Pasolini’s novel, “Ragazzi di vita,” was recently translated into English by Ann Goldstein, the translator of Elena Ferrante's novels, and is titled, <i>The Street Kids</i>. Follow the link below to purchase it on Amazon..</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" sandbox="allow-popups allow-scripts allow-modals allow-forms allow-same-origin" scrolling="no" src="//ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ss&ref=as_ss_li_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=jeannineguily-20&language=en_US&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=B079MGXRGF&asins=B079MGXRGF&linkId=86b58196a7fc714163a10659ec1232b9&show_border=true&link_opens_in_new_window=true" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-72321008782204397642022-04-09T11:34:00.003-07:002023-10-04T19:15:59.632-07:00Fernanda Negri Pouget: Silence is Golden<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtNOfKOkLIKBKqGiJWt2jYGY4oayx5h-CnaZPRorA1zKoAmVWKgS94UiCgXCZm8nKU7YeDl4REs5cB51uONuGMBSTt1Xy9YBswbis6fCxeBpWIAVYhEd5JJmrjS2zYG3OY89MWNQk7LP49II15SxB6aN5-FIDQ5z1aWoKSHfVKZJxDiBONdkmYam2LDw=s500" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="318" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhtNOfKOkLIKBKqGiJWt2jYGY4oayx5h-CnaZPRorA1zKoAmVWKgS94UiCgXCZm8nKU7YeDl4REs5cB51uONuGMBSTt1Xy9YBswbis6fCxeBpWIAVYhEd5JJmrjS2zYG3OY89MWNQk7LP49II15SxB6aN5-FIDQ5z1aWoKSHfVKZJxDiBONdkmYam2LDw=w255-h400" width="255" /></a></div>A silent film luminary, she shunned celebrity and stepped away from the spotlight entirely with the advent of audio.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Born in the Eternal City in 1889, Fernanda Negri Pouget was one of the first stars of Italian cinema. Her rise to fame was swift, and she went on to dominate Italy’s silent film era.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Negri Pouget studied the performing arts at Rome’s National Academy of Santa Cecilia, one of the oldest musical institutions in the world. She made her big-screen debut at the age of 17 in the 1906 short film “Il romanzo di un Pierrot,” which was produced by Rome’s leading production house, Alberini & Santoni. Three years later, she was chosen by prolific director Mario Caserini to star in his 1909 release “Beatrice Cenci.” The movie made her a star and was the first of many successful collaborations between the two.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In 1912, she relocated to Torino, where she joined the Ambrosio Film production company. There, she starred in a string of hits. Among them was Caserini’s 1913 “Dante e Beatrice” (The Life of Dante). Set in Florence during the 13th century, the story line follows the young Dante Alighieri (Oreste Grandi) as he meets and falls in love with Beatrice (Negri Pouget), the wistful daughter of a prominent banker. The two marry, and she eventually meets a tragic end. Overcome with grief, Dante seeks consolation in the arms of a courtesan and embarks on the path that will lead to the writing of the “Divine Comedy.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The film was released in Italy in February 1913 and in the United States the following April. In 2007, Cineteca di Bologna restored it as part of a project to recover and enhance the silent movies created by Torino production companies. It was later presented at the Cineteca di Bologna’s annual summer festival, Cinema Ritrovato, which features restored films.<span style="color: blue;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyVggzVXie-GzNvVydSQ6yPSnq9fZGJjv9Q7_33gHB-6_gFNohjCI1Qf7uV-rswNZFiBEtqpgt-yk6kcBmMF_5bi89vJOpFraBsdYaxC_i4qoT3dQ6MEHAoRPXy1Gog05XhrlALt3xSp6IcW3AW8HNq6lUpzGuUfeZlw76uejpJp3ycKL3DE2ukVcgUQ=s3000" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="2088" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgyVggzVXie-GzNvVydSQ6yPSnq9fZGJjv9Q7_33gHB-6_gFNohjCI1Qf7uV-rswNZFiBEtqpgt-yk6kcBmMF_5bi89vJOpFraBsdYaxC_i4qoT3dQ6MEHAoRPXy1Gog05XhrlALt3xSp6IcW3AW8HNq6lUpzGuUfeZlw76uejpJp3ycKL3DE2ukVcgUQ=w279-h400" width="279" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Also in 1913, Negri Pouget starred as Nidia in Caserini and Eleuterio Rodolfi’s “The Last Days of Pompeii.” The film’s action takes place right before the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D. Based on Edward Bulwer-Lytton’s 1834 novel, it is one of early Italian cinema’s epic achievements.</span><div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The film follows a large cast of characters behaving badly as they obsess over wealth, beauty and passion. Negri Pouget steals the show with her brilliant portrayal of a blind slave who falls in love with Glaucus (Ubaldo Stefani), a wealthy man who rescued her from an abusive master. Her sensitive performance is what sets this film apart from other early Italian blockbusters like “Dante’s Inferno” and “Cabiria.” It’s one for the record books and should be part of film school coursework for aspiring actresses.<span style="color: red;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a love story slowly emerges, Nidia’s tragic life tugs at the audience’s heartstrings. Her naivete gets her into trouble after she inadvertently ruins Glaucus by trusting one of his adversaries. In the end, she redeems herself with the ultimate act of sacrifice. The storyline and performances are so riveting, it’s easy to forget the impending cataclysm.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">If you’ve ever visited the vast ruins of Pompeii or have seen images of it, this film will bring that long lost world to life. From the populous streets and opulent baths to the luxurious costumes and detailed props, the elaborate, sumptuous sets paint a vivid portrait of a rich, cultured society.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyjWfRysdTvsXkYGlotwONvlggN2n1AhkIoTEMZoK4yoHsolo-NtwWjLNzWdBE4_au6cSuU3ECW9Rb9qRPoMGge8ea9oglFoO7T8CJ7wjUBrznn74il8oJyu78zRb3lU8p-0xwfbA6lzyzhAB3uov-aayG9q0RyKCrxn1X3t7lKAH9lh4FGCYsZPXIvQ=s1024" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="827" data-original-width="1024" height="323" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyjWfRysdTvsXkYGlotwONvlggN2n1AhkIoTEMZoK4yoHsolo-NtwWjLNzWdBE4_au6cSuU3ECW9Rb9qRPoMGge8ea9oglFoO7T8CJ7wjUBrznn74il8oJyu78zRb3lU8p-0xwfbA6lzyzhAB3uov-aayG9q0RyKCrxn1X3t7lKAH9lh4FGCYsZPXIvQ=w400-h323" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">Negri Pouget was as private as she was famous. She was married to French actor Armand Pouget, but no wedding date was ever made public. According to Italian director and critic Lucio D’Ambra, she stood out in that she “detached herself from the world of divas.” <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">She had no desire to live the life of a star and stepped away from the public eye entirely after the silent film era came to an end. Her last appearance was in Torello Rolli’s 1923 movie “La gola del lupo” (The Wolf’s Throat). She passed away in February 1955 at the age of 65.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Watch </span><a href="https://amzn.to/3rfXLvT" style="font-family: inherit;">“The Last Days of Pompeii”</a><span style="font-family: inherit;"> on Amazon. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the May, 2022 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="border: medium; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0in;"><o:p> </o:p></p></div>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-65660599827766087762022-04-03T09:31:00.005-07:002022-04-03T09:31:53.729-07:00 A Look at the Timeless Works of Gian Maria Volonté <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglv7D85yQ_kbt2pXvQh7dWmB1BkE18pDgRz7hTqEDiWzDghpggOHRZvdmrjOr36asdM0ZgP66aK9uyBir_w9qmQ0y4MKU6kWohPO8ghzz9htgBYQvHKEeUnsFaTnbpIVSRW5PY0XVd3yFnvWLhtiLNDfKAlCeFjF2uxH3nAHNZr8iEMejLfRTEglMPNA=s640" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="336" data-original-width="640" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEglv7D85yQ_kbt2pXvQh7dWmB1BkE18pDgRz7hTqEDiWzDghpggOHRZvdmrjOr36asdM0ZgP66aK9uyBir_w9qmQ0y4MKU6kWohPO8ghzz9htgBYQvHKEeUnsFaTnbpIVSRW5PY0XVd3yFnvWLhtiLNDfKAlCeFjF2uxH3nAHNZr8iEMejLfRTEglMPNA=w427-h224" width="427" /></a></div><br />An icon of 1970s Italian cinema, he poured himself heart and soul into every part he played.<p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of the most masterful actors of his generation, Gian Maria Volonté was born in Milan in 1933. He studied his craft at Rome’s National Dramatic Arts Academy. Upon graduating in 1957, </span>he found work right away in theater and television, quickly earning acclaim for his skilled and passionate performances<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;">In one of his early roles, he played Ramón Rojo under the stage name Johnny Wells opposite Clint Eastwood in <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/03/sergio-leone-recreating-american-cowboy.html">Sergio Leone’s</a> 1964 Spaghetti Western, <a href="https://amzn.to/36AsnRa">“A Fistful of Dollars.”</a> A year later, he played the role of a Native American in Leone’s follow up, <a href="https://amzn.to/3tscaH4">“A Few Dollars More.”</a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBhOEmDllU8qoYD6ZrmCHZ9qHPfI-PTl5IxTCrPLqmey2GlOJmsxNwhhB0xxxbdm-KdKo6fYnAH4ZCtLOXEEAHYLJOU3BY1GEKr4YrJFWlT_k1oK8dwIXYzVLQXavGXpTH4WHcQy_Rn7Kuul_2cJ4qMJFBzvwRb5GrosUH_wcHIx-R2-y1DGE8OA9S0Q=s1264" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="842" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBhOEmDllU8qoYD6ZrmCHZ9qHPfI-PTl5IxTCrPLqmey2GlOJmsxNwhhB0xxxbdm-KdKo6fYnAH4ZCtLOXEEAHYLJOU3BY1GEKr4YrJFWlT_k1oK8dwIXYzVLQXavGXpTH4WHcQy_Rn7Kuul_2cJ4qMJFBzvwRb5GrosUH_wcHIx-R2-y1DGE8OA9S0Q=w266-h400" width="266" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">His breakout role came in Elio Petri’s 1970 <a href="https://amzn.to/3gcI0jE">“Indagine su un cittadino al di sopra di ogni sospetto” (Investigation Of a Citizen Above Suspicion)</a>, a satirical film highlighting the corruption among officials in power. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">After a newly promoted unnamed police chief (Volonté) murders his mistress (Florinda Bolkan) and leaves his fingerprints everywhere, he returns with his colleagues to the scene of the crime to investigate. After leaving, he meets an equally crooked news reporter outside to whom he gives orders on how to report the crime, implicating her estranged husband. As the investigation continues and the evidence continues to point to the police chief, his colleagues make excuses for him proving his belief that because of his position of power, he is above suspicion. </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Volonté embraced the drama, irony and comedy of the story, giving an emotionally packed performance with a touch of humor brought out by the upbeat soundtrack composed by <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/12/roma-film-festival-honors-composer_13.html">Ennio Morricone</a>. The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film in 1971 and is considered today a masterpiece of Italo-Crime.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The following year, Volonté starred in Giuliano Montaldo’s 1971 “Sacco and Vanzetti,” an intense drama depicting the infamous trial of the 1920s. Montaldo’s interpretation of the tragic events is a realistic portrait of the prejudices and ridicule early Italian immigrants were forced to endure. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5wOaSBj-3smX9BLcBzJ4NOyrfx6nNiC05aKbRKVfZnIYNnjiJxY6L89oCic3dA1qBfk6PjXkqRRgKapdzxk-QsY0amc59Qgk3ot0n1xm0FHQGfWSYX5yF3CNbkP7uKifB0up7MDVQWvhudA6_77j8CvL5YuqhQkTuoDDl6hQKaLZLX5KCacblGR5E2g=s725" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="725" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj5wOaSBj-3smX9BLcBzJ4NOyrfx6nNiC05aKbRKVfZnIYNnjiJxY6L89oCic3dA1qBfk6PjXkqRRgKapdzxk-QsY0amc59Qgk3ot0n1xm0FHQGfWSYX5yF3CNbkP7uKifB0up7MDVQWvhudA6_77j8CvL5YuqhQkTuoDDl6hQKaLZLX5KCacblGR5E2g=w400-h225" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">The film follows Nicola Sacco (Riccardo Cucciolla) and Bartolomeo Vanzetti (Volonté) from the days and events that led up to their accusation of murder to the trial, sentencing and execution. Volonté was perfectly cast in the role of Vanzetti, a forceful man who spoke broken English but demonstrated a great deal of courage and grace. He was the more vocal of the two, the stronger one. He fought with everything he had against the injustice bestowed upon him and his comrade by the impartial prosecutor and judge. He and Sacco admitted to their anarchist associations and support of socialism but by no means did that make them guilty of murder, and throughout the seven-year ordeal, both men maintained their innocence. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There have been excellent documentaries made on this topic, including Peter Miller's 2015 <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/02/american-filmmaker-tells-story-of-sacco.html">"</a></span><a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/02/american-filmmaker-tells-story-of-sacco.html">Sacco and Vanzetti,"</a> <span style="font-family: inherit;">but Montaldo’s film offers a detailed account of how the controversial trial played out in the courtroom and the emotional toll it took on the men, Sacco in particular, while they were awaiting the appeals and ultimately, their execution.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3h2J6_DdgmYQvJuFJYOf-j6xncSOwvLJAmcR46ynR_0IIK2VM621Fguly-HgIcOi6bMfXmOHn4feU0fbrAxQhq8IcEVLDNDMsC91YLl-MxT_ozpNe9P4BEwSi5UnAFhfkFFXOrSb7CRuZa3szxlmQt_3g1xP7GcegveifBkjLSecNAcHL9kHEfnjXg=s1186" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="800" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiK3h2J6_DdgmYQvJuFJYOf-j6xncSOwvLJAmcR46ynR_0IIK2VM621Fguly-HgIcOi6bMfXmOHn4feU0fbrAxQhq8IcEVLDNDMsC91YLl-MxT_ozpNe9P4BEwSi5UnAFhfkFFXOrSb7CRuZa3szxlmQt_3g1xP7GcegveifBkjLSecNAcHL9kHEfnjXg=w270-h400" width="270" /></a></div>Rounding out a prolific decade, Volonté took the lead role in <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/01/mark-your-calendars-this-years-artist.html">Francesco Rosi’s</a> 1979 <a href="https://www.criterionchannel.com/search?q=christ+stopped+at+eboli">“Christ Stopped at Eboli.”</a> The film was adapted from the book by Carlo Levi, a Torino scholar who was exiled to the region of Basilicata in 1935 because of his anti-fascist beliefs.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The film begins with Levi, years after returning home, as a reminiscent moment turns into a flashback of his first day arriving in southern Italy. The </span>odyssey<span style="font-family: inherit;"> begins at the rail station in Eboli, a town located in Campania. <o:p></o:p></span>As the bus he takes into Basilicata approaches the fictional town of Gagliano, Levi is shocked and saddened to see the extreme poverty and desolation of the region. After spending an afternoon walking through his new home, the contrasts with the North are immediately apparent. They are not just differences in living conditions, but also in behavior and culture.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><o:p><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;">Levi eases the shock by exploring his new surroundings and talking with the inhabitants of the town. His affection for them grows, as does his appreciation for the plight of the peasants. Meanwhile he reads up on the centuries of battles that hardened their hearts and broke their spirits. “Truth is, I’ve always felt like I lived here,” he declares.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;">As he departs in the rain a year later, his new friends and their children follow on foot, reaching in through the open window to shake his hand and wish him well. This is the scene in which Volontè truly becomes Levi. It’s as if the actor himself became attached to the locals while shooting the film, fully experiencing Levi’s heartbreak in leaving them.</p><div><br /></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Volontè continued in television and film until his untimely death in 1994 from a heart attack. Click on the titles of the aforementioned films to stream them online through Amazon, YouTube and the Criterion Channel.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>-Written by Jeannine Guilyard for the April 2022 issue of Fra Noi Magazine. <a href="http://www.franoi.com">Click here</a> to subscribe.</i></span></p>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8557288806102720773.post-84388358250634161712022-03-20T16:04:00.017-07:002022-03-20T16:13:24.043-07:00Carlo Levi's Portrait of Anna Magnani<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiZSEnLQUxygg4PPldoIajODwLft9Wf58MmnfBqcPpQRYqnVF2MYyL6wtu8fnT6Dm5bZHBLh3GoTIYEj6inUMFuhsup9NCEzzRqys5h0FGw4u82qDjL2aQD4iWpVfYX-wo1Tdvob2xCz1bF6O0MS-3c3KQ-_hPRF5D62iKcH_kUbg8szS9TA1C_ZyJbg=s3088" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2355" data-original-width="3088" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjiZSEnLQUxygg4PPldoIajODwLft9Wf58MmnfBqcPpQRYqnVF2MYyL6wtu8fnT6Dm5bZHBLh3GoTIYEj6inUMFuhsup9NCEzzRqys5h0FGw4u82qDjL2aQD4iWpVfYX-wo1Tdvob2xCz1bF6O0MS-3c3KQ-_hPRF5D62iKcH_kUbg8szS9TA1C_ZyJbg=w400-h305" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-small;">Carlo Levi and Anna Magnani <br /><span style="background-color: white; caret-color: rgb(15, 20, 25); color: #0f1419; text-align: start; white-space: pre-wrap;">Fondazione Carlo Levi, Rome</span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">In my ongoing quest to learn more about 20th century artist and writer, <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2019/12/permanent-exhibit-at-romes-national.html">Carlo Levi</a>, I recently discovered one of his most celebrated masterpieces, <i>Ritratto di Anna Magnani</i><span> (Portrait of Anna Magnani), an </span><span>oil on canvas, </span><span>which was created in 1954. </span></span><p></p><p style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">His close friendship with <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/06/anna-magnani-unconventional-cinema.html">Anna Magnani </a>was news to me but what I found most fascinating about this portrait is the presence of Levi’s post-1935 style, his new pictorial approach referred to by art critics as the "wavy" brushstroke. He developed this style during his political exile in <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2021/06/a-word-on-contemporary-basilicata.html">Basilicata</a> in 1935 when he spent much of his time there creating stunning portraits of the contadini (peasants) he befriended, who served as the inspiration behind his infamous novel, <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3CUXxiB">Christ Stopped at Eboli</a></i>, which was later made into a movie by <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/01/mark-your-calendars-this-years-artist.html">Francesco Rosi</a>. It fascinates me because it's further proof how much of an impact that one year of exile in Basilicata had on him. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDQcH3jQy8s">Click here</a> to watch a clip from my documentary <a href="https://vimeo.com/user49574504/httpsvimeocomlucania">"Return to Lucania"</a> in which a mayor from the region talks about Levi's influence on the region. </span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSfRZz96_moxrrAJxsq4iCBA-pHZGhHWQAP0Ke7aKI6hg40gozNoqVaiLZdQQwbSZdfHn9ryb4PoW5Iqky9b9FafHDtD1txPQSMpRHwVP6wg45yAEzyyEROR7Lda18hGkOIbebnFX6nuKWFWyYWcm7W06F6u2XeEp7g0OclIwVuDOepD5myOWurBumjQ=s747" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="747" data-original-width="600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgSfRZz96_moxrrAJxsq4iCBA-pHZGhHWQAP0Ke7aKI6hg40gozNoqVaiLZdQQwbSZdfHn9ryb4PoW5Iqky9b9FafHDtD1txPQSMpRHwVP6wg45yAEzyyEROR7Lda18hGkOIbebnFX6nuKWFWyYWcm7W06F6u2XeEp7g0OclIwVuDOepD5myOWurBumjQ=w321-h400" width="321" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: left;">Carlo Levi. </span><i style="text-align: left;">Portrait of Anna Magnani</i><span style="text-align: left;">. 1954. <br />Fondazione Ragghianti<br /><br /></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">There is so much that I love about this painting. In my opinion, I don't think that it fits perfectly into any particular style of art. Perhaps there's a bit of idealization and naturalism with some abstract qualities, which perfectly suits Magnani because she wasn't able to be boxed into a category either. I also love the Roman landscape behind her. She was and still is the epitome of Roman, so it’s fitting that her background is the Eternal City. Quoted as saying, “Please don’t retouch my wrinkles. It took me so long to earn them,” she was a strong, unapologetic woman and this portrait captures that embodiment by making her image stand out so robustly from the background. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p><p style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">One of Magnani’s most famous American films is Sidney Lumet’s 1960 “The Fugitive Kind,” which was adapted from Tennessee Williams’ 1957 play “Orpheus Descending.” She stars opposite Marlon Brando and gives an epic performance. Although the film was made six years after the portrait was done, it reminds me of her character, Lady Torrance, and her fiery personality. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AguptuYeDRU">Click here</a> to watch a clip on YouTube.</span></p><p style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p>Levi thoroughly captured her intensity and spirit in this work. If you don’t know anything about her, you can look into her eyes and determine that she’s deep, not much into small talk, passionate and loves very hard. Despite a successful career, she had a tough personal life and died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 65. If you see her last film, <a href="https://amzn.to/333y71N ">“1870,"</a> which was released on Italian television on the day of her death in 1973, you will see how radiant and full of life she was right up until the very end. </span></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><o:p></o:p></p><p style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRmcP2F987o1j1azruok8kiCe_LoHzOgiFYfxKhVkd_dtQen-8MP32fxhyOCX-Mvk_NZA9X9rqmA6LP4CawlALSj_gvrACuQPvomJgCLf6C1xw5oOD3D5OBJLKjM13PG-uwVltbHC3Y5sZrdDcrlKF9Y5OJxHQIcoUKcDaPF1KQr1T2gWDsklhnG2J8Q=s400" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="400" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhRmcP2F987o1j1azruok8kiCe_LoHzOgiFYfxKhVkd_dtQen-8MP32fxhyOCX-Mvk_NZA9X9rqmA6LP4CawlALSj_gvrACuQPvomJgCLf6C1xw5oOD3D5OBJLKjM13PG-uwVltbHC3Y5sZrdDcrlKF9Y5OJxHQIcoUKcDaPF1KQr1T2gWDsklhnG2J8Q=w359-h357" width="359" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Magnani beside her portrait, Archivio Luce</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;">The portrait was recently on display at the Fondazione Ragghianti in Lucca, Italy as part of the exhibition, <a href="https://www.affaritaliani.it/culturaspettacoli/levi-e-ragghianti-un-amicizia-tra-pittura-politica-e-letteratura-776390.html ">“Un’amicizia tra pittura, politica e letteratura,” </a>dedicated to Levi and his friendships. The exhibition touched on Levi’s interest in cinema and his work as a screenwriter. He created a poster for the 1961 film <a href="https://www.criterionchannel.com/videos/accattone">“Accattone”</a> by <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-timeless-vision-of-pier-paolo.html">Pier Paolo Pasolini</a>, who also spent time in <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2015/12/interview-daniele-bracuto-president-of.html">Lucania</a>. Pasolini shot his 1964 <a href="https://amzn.to/3HUGCOK">“The Gospel According to St. Matthew"</a> there, so I can’t help but wonder if the two shared stories from their time spent in the region. <a href="https://italiancinemaarttoday.blogspot.com/2021/11/rare-interview-with-pasolini-on.html">Click here</a> to listen to a rare interview of Pasolini from the set of the film in Basilicata.</span><p></p><p style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The younger generations of Italians have a great appreciation for the legacies of the intellectuals and cultural giants who came before them, and these two icons, Carlo Levi and Anna Magnani are among the greats. </span></p><p style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Four of the aforementioned films are available on Amazon and Criterion Channel. Click on the titles to stream them.</span></p>Pyramid Arts and Literature Magazine: Italian Cinema and Art Todayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02405943463753656522noreply@blogger.com0