Italian Cinema Today

The big news coming out of Basilicata this week is that a whopping 10 films shot in the region are among the possibile nominees for the prestigious David di Donatello award, Italy's equivalent to the Oscar. The list will be finalized in April, but these films are under consideration to make the ballot.  In the category Best Italian Film ... Set in the 1950's to the present day,   A diecimilalire   i s a story of immigration, specifically of an 11-year-old boy who flees his small town in Basilicata to join his brother in Rome. He begins this new life by working at a local coffee shop while attending school. Fast forward 15 years, he is married and enjoying Italy's post-war economic boom. However, that economic growth did not trickle down the Italian peninsula to his parents in the south. Through a series of unfortunate events, he returns to Basilicata at the bedside of his dying father. Now back in his hometown, he is faced with all the childhood memories he left beh...

The people of Basilicata, Lucani, possess many admirable qualities like strength, integrity, and creativity. However, the quality I admire most is their sense of humor. For years, their region has been the subject of unfounded criticism. In one recent article, a Rome-based foreign journalist described the region as “dying mountain towns.” Since Matera was named the 2019 European Capital of Culture just over a year ago, travel agencies worldwide have designed tours, bringing thousands upon thousands to see the Sassi of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Throughout the years, Hollywood and Cinecittà have transformed this so-called dying region into movie sets for films like "The Passion of the Christ," "Ben Hur," and Edoardo Leo’s award-winning "Noi e La Giulia."   Matera The Lucani have thick skin and usually laugh off empty criticism. However, they have been facing a serious issue for the past couple of years.  A 2014 report released by th...