Open Roads 2011: Il mio domani – My Tomorrow (Marina Spada – 2011)

It’s amazing that a year has just passed and it’s already June and time for Lincoln Center’s excellent series: Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2012. I attended last year and enjoyed the fresh lineup; I reviewed a few. Director Marina Spada during Q&A session The Walter Reade Theater was fully packed with eager audience that… Continue reading Open Roads 2011: Il mio domani – My Tomorrow (Marina Spada – 2011)

Open Roads 2011: Fughe e approdi – Return to the Aeolian Islands (Giovanna Taviani – 2010)

Quick, what comes to your mind when you think about the word “island?” It’s not a coincidence the word swings between two opposing associations: on the positive end, it offers exotic escape, away from it all repose, while on the negative – a sense of forced seclusion, and disconnectedness from rest of the world. The… Continue reading Open Roads 2011: Fughe e approdi – Return to the Aeolian Islands (Giovanna Taviani – 2010)

Cosa voglio di più – Come Undone (Silvio Soldini – 2010)

If you think what made Neorealism successful; a genuine blend of non-professional actors, shots on location, themes of social hardships and “objectively” journalistic camera – served to post-war Italian audiences that must have said “yea this is exactly what we’ve gone through!” and then went on garnering a worldwide admiration. Then, when you think of… Continue reading Cosa voglio di più – Come Undone (Silvio Soldini – 2010)

The Award – Il premio (Ermanno Olmi – 2009)

This short film is part of “Per Fiducia” (“Through Trust”), an ambitious project that unites three award-winning directors Ermanno Olmi, Gabriele Salvatores, and Paolo Sorrentino in cooperation with Intessa Sanpaolo – to answer a simple, yet timely question: Can movies, as mirrors to reality, change it and give hope, especially in dark moments? The answer… Continue reading The Award – Il premio (Ermanno Olmi – 2009)

Remember Me My Love – Ricordati di me (Gabriele Muccino – 2003)

Is Italian cinema dead? Not by a long shot. Yes, current Italian filmmakers have been facing this incredible challenge of reinventing Italian cinema in the face of its grand history. No matter how you slice it, it could definitely be tough surpassing the Fellinis or the De Sicas of the world. Yet, different times with… Continue reading Remember Me My Love – Ricordati di me (Gabriele Muccino – 2003)