Italian Cinema Today

Il terzo appuntamento romano della rassegna PIÈCE UNIQUE propone tre artiste con altrettanti dittici di auto-rappresentazione. In ogni coppia di frame è condensato il racconto di un peculiare eterno femminino, dove l’io narrante si identifica con l’io narrato, o ne veste i panni, per rivelare un qualche sé all’apparecchio fotografico. I due lavori di Elina Brotherus, sequenze della stessa scena, datano al periodo in cui l’artista - prima di spostare l’attenzione sul rapporto tra figura umana e paesaggio - lavorava con scarno stile documentaristico sull’esperienza relazionale soggettiva e sulla presenza/assenza dell’amore. La stringente referenza autobiografica plasma un’onesta allegoria, quasi in cerca di un antidoto figurato a un dato turbamento esistenziale. Il passo successivo è quello verso cui muove Daniela Perego. Nell’immergere se stessa nelle tensioni della metropoli contemporanea, l’artista si fa unità di misura emozionale dello spazio e crea un’esperi...

The Eternal City teamed up with Alberto Sordi’s foundation to mark one decade since his death with a number of commemorative initiatives. On February 16, a street in Rome's sprawling park, Villa Borghese, was dedicated to Sordi. His sister, Aurelia, attended the moving ceremony along with the mayor of Rome, Giovanni Alemanno.  A few days later at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, a concert of the "Grand Orchestra" by Gerardo Di Lella in collaboration with the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia conjured up memories of the maestro of Italian Comedy, who is known for his roles in classic films like “Un Americano a Roma,” “The White Sheik,” and “Mafioso.” One of the most talked about events of this commemoration is a major exhibition at the grand Vittoriano Monument Complex that will run through the end of March. The multimedia exhibition consists of over 200 photographs, documents and film projections, which show the neighborhoods where the actor lived and where h...

A Scene from Ron Howard's "Angels & Demons" As cardinals from around the world meet in Rome for a conclave to elect the next leader of the Roman Catholic Church, we revisit a movie of a similar topic. Although dark in nature, Ron Howard's 2009 thriller, "Angels & Demons" will transport you to Vatican City and take you through the spectacular sites and monuments of Rome. Adapted from the popular series by Dan Brown and costarring Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino , the film takes us on a scenic tour of the Eternal City and showcases art and historical details that even the keenest eye could have missed. The story follows the characters as they set out on the "Path of the Illuminati", to four symbolic destinations in Rome, each associated with one of the elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. They are also sites known for their blending of pagan symbolism and Christianity, something I never noticed in Rome until reading the book a...

Rome's contemporary art gallery, The Gallery Apart, has moved to its new location at Via Francesco Negri, 43. Dominik Lang's "Missing Parts" will be the first exhibition to be held at the new space. For more information, visit the gallery's website at www.thegalleryapart.it .

It's labeled a comedy but it's really a reflection on the human condition and spirit, and how events of the past affect how we deal with the present. Nanni Moretti's film "Habemus Papam" (WeHave a Pope) recently made its way to American shores. The story centers on a newly elected pope who really doesn't want the job. When Cardinal Melville is unexpectedly chosen by his peers to lead the Catholic Church, the enormous responsibility brings to the surface old disappointments and dreams that were never realized. Just as he is about to step onto the world's stage to address his followers, the Pope has a panic attack and literally gets out of dodge. A renowned psychiatrist, played by Nanni Moretti, is called in to assess the situation and consult with the pope. The film opens with archival footage of the Vatican's funeral for Pope John Paul II and then follows the cardinals into conclave as they ponder their choices for a new spiritual leader, optin...

Karin Andersen: Vigiliae Litoris Cura e testo Rebecca Delmenico L'inaugurazione è sabato 9 febbraio 2013 alle 18  presso Design Studio Associato a San Benedetto del Tronto (See below for English translation) Sabato 9 febbraio 2013 la Galleria Marconi, Design Studio Associato e Marche Centro d’Artepresentano Vigiliae Litoris mostra personale di Karin Andersen. La mostra sarà inaugurata alle ore 18.00 presso gli spazi di Design? Studio Associato in via D’Annunzio n°36 a San Benedetto del Tronto. L’evento è a cura di Rebecca Delmenico, autrice anche del testo critico. Vigiliae Litoris fa parte degli eventi che si affiancano all’Expò di arte contemporanea di Marche Centro d’Arte. La mostra sarà in parte realizzata all’interno degli spazi di Design? Studio Associato, e nei giorni dimartedì 5 e mercoledì 6 febbraio sarà possibile assistere a Karin Andersen che darà forma a una performance site specific di live painting. Per poter assistere alla ...

Born in Jonia, Sicily, Franco Battiato has earned widespread admiration in Italy by exploring and creating a mystic world of sounds and images. Battiato has worked in several genres of music and has released dozens of records throughout the years. His first major cinematic achievement brought him to New York in 2004. I had the pleasure of speaking with him while he was there presenting his film, " Perduto amore" (Lost Love), at Lincoln Center. With this film, he succeeded in blending his unique vision, storytelling and music to create a movie that moves quickly and captures both the traditions of Sicily and the excitement of big-city Milan seen and felt through Battiato’s main character.  According to Battiato, " The film, in three parts, recounts the life adventures of a young Sicilian. The hero, Ettore Corvaja, turns nine at the close of the famous music competition, the San Remo Festival, in 1955. His idyllic childhood, from the mid-fifties to the mid sixties,...