A vibrant community celebrating the prominent achievements of Italian cinema — from Neorealism to the present.
Five years after his masterpiece, Miracolo a Milano – Miracle in Milan (1951), director Vittorio De Sica with screenwriter Cesare Zavattini, return to a familiar neorealist theme – social troubles of a young couple, played by unprofessional actors, facing a housing problem during Italy’s economic boom.
Stories about the common man emphasizing social issues, scenes shot in actual locations, and the use of non-professional actors – are the key ingredients of the Neorealist film movement in postwar Italy, which this film is one of its prominent expressions.
Right from the opening scene where you see the village women all veiled in black waiting patiently outside the mine for their husbands who refuse to come up to avoid the mine closing – you see direct similarities with another Neorealism harbinger – Visconti’s 1948 La terra trema (The Earth Trembles). Both films offer a great view into the Italian neorealism genre marked by social and economic hardships, use of non-professional actors and scenes shot on location vs. the studio.
With 2015 coming upon us, I figured there is nothing like rewinding the clock back to this 1963 quaint cinematic gem to usher in the New Year.
We hosted a live conversation (in English) with Luca Vullo, a versatile filmmaker who has made several documentaries, short films, music videos and commercials, winners of prizes at international festivals. Luca shared insights about his latest documentary “The Voice of the Body” – a joyful and instructive perspective on the peculiar code of Italian hand gestures.
In this post, I am not going to discuss a particular film but share with you a very special project I came across the other day.
New magistrate arrives, and old one departs.
In this film Giuseppe Piccioni returns to familiar themes of alienation and the decline of modern family structures, the resulting need for companionship and our value system that wraps it all in good and bad labels. The film's 3 protagonists: Giulia, Guido and their swimming pool.
