Italian Cinema Today

She was born into a family of filmmakers, grew up in the paradise of the Mediterranean and could have been a movie star. Instead, she chose to make meaningful documentaries on social issues, human rights and the legacy of cinema. If that wasn’t enough, she started a film festival in that paradise to give voice to other filmmakers, journalists and activists who share her vision. Giovanna Taviani is the daughter of the legendary director, Vittorio Taviani and niece of Paolo Taviani, who are known as the filmmaking duo, the Taviani Brothers. Born in 1969, she had an early interest in literature and cinema, and today is considered a scholar of those subjects, having authored several essays. Among the topics of those essays were novelist Luigi Pirandello, the films of neorealism and the cinema of Luchino Visconti. When she was a teenager, she had a role in her father's 1984 film, Kaos but instead of pursuing acting as a career, opted for a life behind the camera as a director. ...

Last week, "Milionari" opened in theaters across Italy. Inspired by one of the Camorra's most  notorious Neapolitan crime bosses, the film is an action-packed, emotionally-charged drama, which offers a glimpse into the life of an infamous gangster and the trauma one woman endured as she stood by the man she loved. I talked with actress Valentina Lodovini about her role portraying that fascinating woman, Rosaria. Our interview was done in Italian, so both versions are included. Tell me about your character. Rosaria is a woman, not a criminal. She has nothing to do with the business or power of the Camorra. She has just fallen in love with a man who is a criminal. My character, otherwise, is just one aspect of organized crime. We call this the Omertà, which describes a person who does not complain about the injustices that lie before him or her. It is someone that prefers not to know and not to ask questions.    Raccontami ...

In a scene from  Cesare Deve Morire They say that everyone has a story and actor Salvatore Striano is no exception. Born in 1972 in Napoli's notoriously rough neighborhood of Spagnoli, Striano comes from a hard-working family. The third of four children, Striano lost his way during his teenage years, but rebounded like no other, and today he is considered one of Italy’s most talented character actors. Striano describes his family as “gente semplice” – simple people. His father left for work at 5:30 in the morning and worked well into the evenings. His mother sold clothes at sidewalk stands. At the age of 9, his toddler sister came down with a serious illness and was hospitalized for several months. Striano’s mother did not leave her side. With a father that worked all day and a mother at the bedside of her daughter, there was little to no supervision during that period for Salvatore and his siblings. That’s when things started to go wrong and his so-called street life began...