Italian Cinema Today

Gianfranco Rosi's acclaimed documentary "Fuocoammare" (Fire at Sea) will be released in the United States on October 21.  The film, which won the prestigious Golden Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, provides a poignant exploration of the European migrant crisis through the eyes of 12-year-old Samuele. Living on the island of Lampedusa, Samuele's daily life consists of school, slingshot shooting, and hunting. Despite his seemingly ordinary activities, he is surrounded by the sea and the harrowing stories of countless migrants who risk their lives to reach the island. Lampedusa has become a symbolic border of Europe, traversed by thousands of migrants over the past two decades in their quest for freedom. The documentary captures the stark contrast between Samuele's childhood innocence and the grave realities faced by those seeking refuge. The U.S. dates are as follows: New York Film Festival New York NY October 7 - October 8, 2016 Chicago Film Festival October 2...

This morning, the winners of the Nastri d’Argento for Best Documentary were announced. Among the winners is Antonietta De Lillo, a director I’ve admired for years. I first saw her work at the 2005 edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema, an annual film series held at Lincoln Center, which showcases contemporary Italian films. There, she presented “Il resto di niente”, a beautiful story about courage and determination set in the 17 th century, adapted from Enzo Striano’s novel. Her latest film, the documentary “Oggi, insieme domani” (OIDA or in English- Today Tomorrow Together) is a film which speaks to the complexities of love and relationships in this day and age, and the current social revolution happening in Italy- in particular with same-sex marriage. I asked De Lillo a few questions about the making of this film and the current situation of modern love in her country. Our interview was done in Italian, so both versions are included. What inspired you to create this proje...