Italian Cinema Today

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 ...

"I think cinema has a huge power, in that it can describe many things and awaken much in us.”   Those words come from Valentina Lodovini, one of the brightest stars in Italian cinema today. Valentina Lodovini was born in 1977 in Umbertide, a small commune in Umbria .   She spent her childhood growing up in San Sepolcro in Arezzo .   Since she was a little girl, she always had dreams of acting, but didn’t pursue them until she graduated from college and went on her first audition.   Since then, she’s done more than a dozen a films and is earning respect as one of the most sought after leading ladies in Italian cinema. Lodovini has had a very successful career on the big screen.   Her first role was in a film with some of the biggest names in the business.   Ovunque sei was directed by Michele Placido in 2004 and stars Stefano Accorsi and Barbora Bobulova. Despite her success in film, Lodovini continues to go back and forth between television, st...