Italian Cinema Today

There have been countless cinematic interpretations of the books of the Bible, but few have stood the test of time. One that qualifies as a classic is Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1964 “Il Vangolo secondo Matteo” (The Gospel According to St. Matthew). Considered by the Vatican to be among the best film adaptations of one of the Gospels, Pasolini’s 1964 film was shot in the regions of Calabria, Puglia and Basilicata. In an interview with RAI television while on location in Matera, Pasolini talked about the reasons for shooting there. “I chose two or three places in Basilicata. One is Barile, a town of Albanians. I needed a place for Bethlehem. Another location is Matera because it reminded me of Jerusalem,” he explained. Pasolini’s interpretation of St. Matthews’s Gospel is pure, with no added commentary. He said that he followed the Gospel word for word without adding a single syllable. He explained in the interview that his idea to make the film happened by coincidence. “In October of 19...

A new drama will premiere March 9 on Rai Uno. Written by Ivan Cotroneo and Monica Rametta, and directed by Cinzia TH Terrine,  Sisters is the story of Claire (Anna Valle), a brilliant lawyer who lives independently in Rome, unmarried without children. Despite not having a great relationship with her family, she decides to return to her hometown of Matera to shed light on the disappearance of her sister Elena and to be closer to her nieces and nephews. Cinzia is forced to face people and secrets related to her past, but this will lead to a new life that she never would have believed possible.  Other cast members include Loretta Goggi in the role of Antonia, the mother of Chiara and Elena. The male lead is Giorgio Marchesi and other actors include Alessio Vassallo and Irene Ferri. Matera-based actors Antonio Andrisani , Nando Irene    and Vito Nicoletti were also cast. The series was shot throughout Matera and shows beautiful views of the ancient Sassi. ...

Monica Bellucci as Mary Magdelene in "The Passion of the Christ" also filmed in Matera The 2019 European Capital of Culture for 2019 will again serve as the set for a Hollywood biblical epic. Shooting is scheduled to begin in November for the story of Mary Magdalene. Filming will take place in the ancient Sassi district of Matera and will last for 6-8 weeks. The project is still untitled, but has been described as a "biopic" about the story of Mary Magdalene, presenting "a human and authentic portrait of the most enigmatic figures in history." The American production director Garth Davis will direct Rooney Mara in the role of Mary Magdalene. Joaquin Phoenix will play the part of Jesus. If you live in the region, a casting call has been announced for male and female children, aged between eight and 13 years with a dark complexion and Mediterranean features. They also welcome children of African and Central American descent. They ask that children mus...

A fascinating new project is in the works to correspond with the 2019 European Capital of Culture's designated city- Matera. Three regional directors are creating a documentary film, which will be comprised of four vignettes related to Matera and its neighboring towns. Matera 15/19 is a labor of love for these three lucani filmmakers who take pride in their region and would like to show the amazing transformation this newfound culture hub has made since the days of Carlo Levi's 1945 portrait of poverty and desperation in his book Christ Stopped at Eboli . The book was later made into a movie by  Francesco Rosi and although the book and film brought much-needed attention to he plight of the people, it has been tough for the region to shake those images. Even today, leading tourist books often written by authors who never stepped foot in the region refer to Levi's portrayal, calling the region underdeveloped and poor. Basilicata's new generation of fil...

Cinema history is about to be made at the 73rd edition of the Venice FilmFestival coming up in September. The festival just announced the world premiere screening, in a special 40-minute preview, of “Jesus VR - The Story of Christ”, the first Virtual Reality feature-length film ever made. The 90-minute film covers all of Jesus’s life and death, from his baptism to the Last Supper to his crucifixion. Shot in Basilicata’s ancient Sassi district of Matera, the film will be released to the public in December on all major mobile and premium VR platforms. “I am beyond thrilled to be a part of this groundbreaking project. It’s as exciting a take on the story of Christ as I’ve ever seen and its production values will absolutely set a new benchmark for virtual reality,” said executive producer Enzo Sisti in a statement about the film. Sisti worked on Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ” , which was also filmed in Matera. “The viewers truly feel they are there with Jes...