Italian Cinema Today

With the news of another refugee child found dead today in the waters of the Mediterranean, humanitarian efforts are needed and appreciated more than ever. One movement that is contributing to children throughout the world, especially those affected by the Syrian War, is Every Child is My Child , an association that began shortly after the bombing of a children’s hospital in Aleppo. The association is run by a group of Italian celebrities, which include Anna Foglietta, Edoardo Leo, Veronica De Laurentiis, Marco Bonini, Paola Cortellesi, Valerio Mastandrea and many others. The goal is to bring attention to the plight of children not only in Syria but across the world as they have become refugees and try to integrate into the culture of different countries. Actors Andrea Bosca and Anna Foglietta participated in a press conference to talk about the movement at the Casa del Cinema in Rome. There, I asked them about the latest mission of Every Child is My Child . Foglietta explaine...

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...

Federica Foglia posing for a selfie with child refugees Immigration is a very hot topic across the globe right now. Whether the headline is about young Syrians escaping their war-torn homeland to seek refuge in Europe and build new lives for their families- or the boatloads of North African refugees populating the shores of southern Italy and Lampedusa- or leaders of the United States looking to build a wall at the border of Mexico, it seems that immigration is affecting just about everyone these days. Indie filmmaker, Federica Foglia, took her own story of immigration and turned it into a film that was selected for the Short Cuts Program of the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. Foglia is an Italian who immigrated to Canada. The process of assimilating was not an easy task. So she delve into her love of art and film to set some roots and feel at home. That experience inspired her to make the short film, Exit/Entrance about a young artist who w...