Italian Cinema Today

The Film Society of Lincoln Center's "Film Comment Selects Series" kicked off tonight and will run through February 24. The series will close with Marco Bellocchio's 2014 mystery, "Blood of My Blood" (Sangue del mio sangue).    It's been described as dark, troubling and enigmatic- one of the strangest and most haunting films in Marco Bellocchio's long and illustrious career.  S et between two very different time periods, there are echoes of a vampire film with interlocking narratives. The film opens with a bearded man arriving at a monastery to find a nun hanging from the ceiling from her feet. Federico Mai (Filippo Timi) has come to save his deceased brother's soul after he committed suicide and therefore cannot be buried in consecrated ground unless his lover, Sister Benedetta (Alba Rohrwacher), confesses to their sin. Benedetta faces trials by water and fire- and questioning by the apostolic hierarchy. We are then proje...

The cinematic world of Italian maestro Marco Bellocchio is one that encompasses a multitude of layers. His films speak about complex topics, including political movements, Italian history, and family relations. They do so in a way that combines the artistry of filmmaking with music and dialogue rendering his films iconic works that document the history and generations of his country. He communicates the messages of his films in a universal style that translates clearly to international audiences. The Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York recently honored the distinguished career of Bellocchio in a retrospective that included 18 of the director's films. The works spanned from the very beginning of his career right up until today, demonstrating his ability to evolve with the changing times, while maintaining his signature elements of rebellion, psychoanalysis, mystery, and fascination. On the occasion of the retrospective, a press conference was held at the Italian Cultural Ins...