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THE 2011 ATLANTA ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL

The Italian Film Festival is back for the fourth time in Atlanta, bigger and better than ever. In partnership with Georgia State University, eight outstanding Italian films will be presented at the Rialto Center for the Arts from March 29th through April 4th. A new selection dedicated to Italian documentaries and an award-winning presentation of short films titled "Life is Too Short" will join the feature film presentations. Enjoy also our Signature Opening Party and much more, stay tuned and mark your calendars. Don't miss this opportunity to enjoy some comedy, some romance and a little bit of drama, all in true Italian style!

March 29th - April 4th, 2011
Rialto Theatre – Center for the Arts

All information and film titles soon available at www.cinemaitaly.com

In celebrating our alliance with Georgia State University all screenings will be free and open to the public. Seating will be assigned on a first come first served basis, make sure you are there on time!A fruitful collaboration between Claudio di Persia and Georgia State University made possible for the third year this amazing event of Italian cinematographic art and culture. The momentum has been there, pushed by Richard Keitley's and Leslie Gordon’s positive outlook, concise presentation without pump, and patronage.

Essential the choice of the movies by Di Persia, given that this is a selection of hundreds of pictures produced last year, although, if Ciancia had the magic stick, would have matched four comedies to four dramas. Regardless, showing eight different pictures is, nonetheless, a reliable report of Italy's current mood, which is definitively turning French - and that is, quite existentialist. It is not up to us establishing the reasons of such stalwart tendency to self-analysis, but short of Verdone's opening comedy, every other picture featured represented Italy's preoccupations, somberly revisiting the eternal question of the meaning of life, displaying questions of sexual self-identity (in Italy?), and connection to others, or loss of it. It presented an oppressing society with its chaos, callousness, blind politicians, drugs and crass resolutions.

This image of Italy is in sharp contrast with the Italy that we, tourists and visitors (all emigrants, willing or not, are too part of such category) depict in our imagination when we imagine ourselves walking through the streets of Roma, looking up at the Sistine Chapel's frescos of Michelangelo, eating at a family-run Osteria, gasping at the stunning view of Positano, or wandering by the spectacular countryside of Tuscany. This new Italy is the Italy that Italians see. Regardless, what we saw at the 2010 Film Festival is the Italy that the directors and writers feel in their hearts, and describe as reality. We offer no conclusions to their tone, only that paradoxically, we (those of us who are clubbed by this battered and tattered American economy) may be the conveyors of optimism.

Optimists or not, we certainly look forward to the 2011 Film Festival, and we want to thank Claudio Di Persia and Richard Keitley for so generously and unselfishly enlightening and entertaining us! Bravi!

THE DIRECTOR'S REVIEW
After a grand opening night with Fellini’s La Dolce Vita with an audience of about 600 in attendance, a larger public attendance was expected at the ensuing Italian Film Festival – was Fellini such a scare?

Great the selection of works by Claudio Di Persia, invaluable the contribution of Richard Keitley and Georgia State University. Enthusiastic the response of the public although both the opportunity of a free portal into the most recent Italian cinematographic production and experiencing the Rialto itself, went largely underused. Producing and event like this one takes enormous commitment, effort and significant monetary contributions from the sponsors. I just wonder where was last week the large Italophile community that comes to Ciancia on a regular basis and demands more cultural events? For the lucky ones who came to pay tribute to such a lavish effort, it was an opportunity to see masterworks without the effort, cost and aggravation of traveling abroad. With six diverse movies, viewers were able to check the pulse of the Italian culture, which has been reflecting upon its own social evolution, social problems and existentialist issues of self-identity and purpose. Infallibly, all artistic endeavors are the litmus paper of a culture, and Italian cinematography is second to none. The films presented - all low-budget works, without props and special effects - were social analyses, some light, some profound, other stunning in their conclusions. They portray an Italian culture, which has not lost its sense of humor – in my modest view, this is a sign of good health and positive disposition. The Festival is a reality and it is certainly bound to be bigger and better next year. Here are in brief my reviews of the works shown this year:on a scale of from one to ten, I attached on the tail of each review my personal vote.

LA DOLCE VITA
Fellini is no piece of cake to digest, and La Dolce Vita is no exception. For three hours we follow the wanderings of Marcello Rubini, a journalist who has aspirations and, allegedly, has talent as a writer, and does everything but squander his talent by chasing ephemeral pleasures with the whereabouts of Rome's elite social scene, with its load of rich and famous and continuous “viavai” of actors and actresses. While Marcello conducts himself as a consumed playboy, he is held back by the lame domesticity of his girlfriend, whose pleads and jealous love he ignores; Marcello is cynically attracted “like a hyena” by the misfortune of the struggling society whose members have fallen in disgrace… The appearance of Sylvia (Anita Ekberg) young and voluptuous, is a hint to a sensuality and simplicity which is fleeting and short-lived, as much as it is inconclusive and hard to catch.
The story is almost painfully slow. This is a deliberate move, though it comes from an era in which the attention-span of the general viewers was over 2 hours. 
Sorry modern viewers: we understand why some of you left earlier.

A prophetic, harsh and deliberate attack to populism in TV and journalism – think about it, made 50 years ago – coupled by an equally strong strike on the vainness of the Italian decadent nobility, whose luxury and affluence results in great boredom and futility, La Dolce Vita (a quite ironical title) is a early portrait of an nation in disband, with its intellectual class undergoing a rather deep and depressing existentialist impasse. I did not mention the depiction of female sexual liberation with its attack on the institution of marriage and its catholic-bourgeois nature – small wonder that Fellini was excommunicated by the Pope for it, an incident that looks like a victory today.
While the general population – intended as proletariat (in modern terms: the not-haves), becomes a mere forgotten background, Rome is depicted as a changing environment, a sea of concrete and stark dormitories without trees, without social and urban quality. The hustle and bustle is reserved to famous people who can afford to hang out on the cafés of Via Veneto. Too many the literary references and later ripple effects to mention, from Shakespeare (Much ado about nothing) to Stanley Kubrick’s definite reference to Fellini depiction of the modern city for his masterwork “A Clockwork Orange”. This is definitively one giant movie.
As Paola, the adolescent waitress from the seaside restaurant in Fregene, yells for Marcello's attention from across an estuary, the words they exchange are lost in the wind, drowned out by the crash of the waves. And as Marcello signals his inability to understand what she is saying, he impersonates a generation who has lost touch with reality and people. Marcello shrugs and turns to join the partygoers as they move away from the coastline. 
Fellini does not need anyone’s vote.

DALLA VITA IN POI
On a Cirano De Bergerac role, Katia, a witted young lady on a wheelchair, seemingly unabashed by her disadvantage, becomes the love-counselor of her girlfriend Rosalba, helping her to write letters to her boyfriend, Danilo, who is in prison for murder. As time goes by, the emotions and poetic leaps crafted for Rosalba, become her own feelings, and so do Danilo’s replies. Katia is transfixed by this man and his confined condition. When Rosalba falls out of love Danilo, Katia decides to meet him and, in the cold environment of the prison parlor, she reveals her identity, falls in love with Danilo, and eventually he follows suit. Not without struggle, the two get married and are granted a brief meeting outside of prison.
Played by Cristiana Capotondi, a young actress who’s simple beauty is as pure and transparent as it is breathtaking, this movie revolves around the notion of captive love, strong love that we want to preserve and corral. The confined condition of Danilo provides the perfect environment for a co-dependence that becomes self-evident the moment he has a chance to escape his captivity –quickly, he realizes that as an outlaw he would lose Katia and so chooses to surrender to his guard. It also serious hint that love may develop in confined circumstances, or that may need confinement in order to develop. This is another time in which Italian cinematography, with-out props and special effects, elicits sympathy for a universal human condition.  On a scale 1 to 10, I gave it a full 8.

EX
Based on the movie’s premise: “love’s passion lasts two years and soon enough we are all bound to be ex’es”, this s a bemusing comedy with innumerable circumstances or laughter and wit. Soon one realizes that in farce an author can candidly say things that may never be told in the context of a drama, things like, for example, that marriage is “the most disgraceful thing that may never happen to you” – not my words. All too evident, the burlesque tone affects all the characters of the movie, where nothing is taken too seriously, not even the threats of a stoker, an ex, to a punished surgeon who lacks the slightest shred of a macho – but will get his revenge.
The alternating characters and switching episodes expose the common condition of the man who has very little to lose and can therefore shed the politeness borne of fear common to “polite” behavior. With no shortage of hilarious impoliteness and embarrassing moments, the movie digs deeper into the human incapacity to distinguish between real, long-lasting love from the pleads of infatuation and fleeting passions. 
This is the renown role of Pulcinella, Pierrot and Petrushka – all famous clowns of European pantomime theatre – which in the movie are portrayed by a judge who, on the professional side, bestows wisdom to divorcing couples, while on the private side, is having a tough time at home with a woman he finds too stifling. 
Mind that the status of Pulcinella is “sometimes master and sometimes servant” – a plot that, in alleged dominance as in submission, becomes clearer as the movie comes to its conclusions. In the end, all Pierrots – that is to say, all losers – are not fools but an avatar of anyone who struggle, sometimes tragically but often successfully. The movie demonstrates how easy is to associate to the condition of lonely fellow-sufferer. The true conclusion is more in the hands of the public than the actors. Score-wise, given the light-comedic nature of this work, I initially went for a 7, eventually upgrading it to an 8, due to its deeper alternate reading.

HAPPY FAMILY
La citazione iniziale di Groucho Marx “Preferisco leggere o vedere un film piuttosto che vivere… nella vita non c’è una trama!” anticipa l’atteggiamento di uno sceneggiatore che preferisce scrivere una storia d’amore invece che interagire con gli altri, vivere, innamorarsi. La sua paura di vivere assume presto un carattere universale che rappresenta le paure di tutti – la paura di essere se stessi, di essere ovvi, banali, scontati – paure peraltro sottolineate dal commento di apertura.
Deliziosa commedia che parla della paura di essere felici, di cambiare la nostra vita per qualcos’altro che non conosciamo, "Happy Family" è un quadretto della famiglia moderna, con il suo caos, le sue piccole anarchie e isterie, la sua perfetta imperfezione, una narrazione dell’aspetto casuale ed incidentale della vita odierna, e pertanto del raccontarla, dell’inventarsi una storia che la rappresenti. E’ l’autore stesso, identificato dal protagonista-narratore, Ezio, che sul finire del copione “confessa” di essere stato ispirato da personaggi reali. Incrocia i destini di due famiglie culturalmente molto diverse attraverso un banale incidente stradale. Semmai il cinema impegnato può essere de-intellettualizzato, come del resto vi e’ riuscito Woody Allen con “Interiors”, Gabriele Salvatores vi e’ riuscito con un senso dell’umore che solo la maturità artistica può recare.

Dopo Fellini, guardare alla vita con un sorriso e con tolleranza alla “stranezza” ed imprevedibilità’ degli altri, all’ironia del destino, non può far certo male. La vita e’ un teatro e, alla fine, la felicità e qualcosa che noi stessi ci neghiamo. Eccellente il cast di attori. Questo e’ assolutamente un film da non perdere! In my opinion, this is, hands-down, the undisputed winner of the 2011 Italian Film Festival. I gave it a full 10 cum laude, and I will probably buy a copy of it.

DIECI INVERNI
A ten-year long adventure of a boy and a girl, chasing each other between Venice and London, through ups and downs and several attempted relationships with others, after dealing with the numerous curved-balls that life reserves to its most enduring ones, they discover love through a long-winded friendship. An European romantic notion – that of the “unreachable nature of the object of our desire – this plot starts in Venice, eventually going full circle, to where it all begun, echoing therefore movies like Anonimo Veneziano. The protagonists, in spite of too many misses and near crashes to mention, manage to never lose contact with each other. Is it love or friendship? The movie portrays women seemingly wishing to turn into friendship passions which are unclear to their heart, whereas men know from the get go how they feel about someone – I could not agree more, since they control the game and men, in reality, are but in a sitting room, waiting for them to make up their complicated minds. This is a lesson for those wh believe that love has clear rules, and follows a straight line. Surprise, surprise!

GENITORI E FIGLI
Lo scontro fra il mondo degli adulti e quello dei giovani non e’ una novità – anche se sembra che la vita moderna tenda ad estremizzarlo, acuendone le divergenze. Attraverso lo sguardo disincantato dell’adolescente Nina si dipana l’ennesimo ritratto della famiglia disfunzionale urbana moderna. Quando una mattina, reduce da una furibonda lite con il figlio Gigio, Alberto, il suo professore d’italiano - assegna alla classe un tema dal titolo "Genitori e Figli: istruzioni per l'uso", Nina decide di rivelare i problemi della sua famiglia. Ne seguono i ritratti di personaggi disconnessi dai i loro partners e dai loro figli, come delle rette sghembe che viaggiano su piani diversi e che, se si incrociano, lo fanno solo per scontrarsi. Persino la misteriosa madre di Gianni, padre di Nina, che ricompare dopo vent’anni di silenzio, non ha alcun punto di contatto con i suoi figli, sebbene impianta in poche battute un genuino rapporto di scambio con Nina – tipico di due generazioni che non s’intendono con la generazione di mezzo. Gianni e Alberto, il più critici fra i personaggi del film, malgrado i loro sforzi, e il loro amore per i figli, non riescono a far breccia sulla barriera comunicativa che li divide dalla nuova generazione. A loro non rimane che parlarsi addosso.

Nel frattempo Nina ha modo di raccontare di se, della pressione posta dalle sue compagne di scuola a diventare adulta troppo presto, a perdere la verginità, a fare come i grandi. Il saggio di Nina, anche se la sua lettura e’ un’occasione imperdonabile mancata dal regista, rivela ai lettori segreti sulla insospettata riuscita e sul forte carattere ereditato dal loro stesso figlio, malgrado i continui fraintendimenti. La commedia rimane leggera, senza alcuna indagine sulle possibili cause di questo dissidio generazionale. Per questo le do appena un 6.

DICIOTTO ANNI DOPO
Mislabeled as a comedy, this dark drama of doom and misfortune portrays two brothers, Genziano and Mirko, forced to travel through Italy in a classically restored Morgan convertible, allegedly to deliver their father's ashes to his hometown in Calabria. The two brothers have not spoken in 18 years, since a mysterious accident involving their sister. Genziano, a rather conceited and stiff character, is a successful businessman, while Mirko is the more human of the two, a struggling-class person, working in their father's auto shop. Through their trip, they are supposed to rejoin and learn how to communicate. In actuality, their past has created a large disparity between the two, with thick resentment and broken communication patterns that make you wonder what an irrational palimpsest the modern family is. It is a depressing portrait after all, that leaves the spectator mystified and bewildered by the untamed forces of the human psyche. Can one improve the past? Stop the buck here? I gave it a 6, for no clever conclusions are drawn from its thick content.