Italy

Following the steps of the painter Antonio Ligabue, the documentary discovers the works of many naif painters from the Bassa Padania who live along the banks of the river Po.Read More »

The story of three families living in three apartments in the same bourgeois condominium.Read More »

Alida Valli is one of the most famous and beloved actresses of the 20th-century, a true legend, and a national treasure. Mimmo Verdesca tells her the extraordinary life through the words of her letters and diaries, read by Giovanna Mezzogiorno, and exclusive testimonies of eminent protagonists of Italian and international cinema and theatre.

‘Alida’ is a gem for many reasons: and the director proves his ability as a storyteller. He takes you on a fascinating journey that allows you to get to know the artist and the woman as well. And the latter is a captivating discovery.Read More »

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A bizarre but heavy-handed giallo spoof whose overall effect is extremely uneven, it features a plethora of eccentric characters: inept detective, diminutive hero, a cross-eyed psycho and a dwarf (actually a man in drag!) for servants – plus a mad combo of relatives including a matriarch suffering from dementia, her cowboy of a second husband, her sex-crazed retard son who has to be frequently restrained via electro-shock therapy, another son who’s also a ‘little man’ (played by Bob Tonelli, one of the film’s own financiers!), etc. Both the hero and the detective overstate their masculinity – the former swaggers incessantly, while the latter is frequently caught with his pants down; the lovely and lively heroine is played by Francesca Marciano (an IMDb reviewer)Read More »

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Giorni di Gloria has been called “the first documentary on the Resistance” (Antonio Vitti) and “the most revolutionary film in existence” (Paolo Gobetti). I prefer the film’s own dedication:

«A tutti coloro che in Italia hanno sofferto e combattuto l´oppressione nazifascista è dedicato questo film di lotta partigiana e di rinascita nazionale»

“For all those in Italy who have suffered and fought Nazi oppression, this film is dedicated to the partisan struggle and national rebirth.”

The film is raw, brutal, humane, outraged and unflagging in its celebration of resistance in the service of political justice. The photography – credited to a dozen cinematographers, including Gianni Di Venanzo’s first film credit – is starkly beautiful.Read More »

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Following on from the successful television adaptation of Sandokan in 1976, a year later Kabir Bedi gave life to the big screen incarnation in this Sergio Sollima-directed film.Read More »

At the end of the XIX century in Russia, Prince Dimitri Necklivdov is called as a jury-man in a trial. The defendant is Katiuscia Maslova, accused of murdering a merchant in order to rob him. Dimitri recognizes Katiuscia: she was the girl he seduced many years before. Dimitri decides to save her.(imdb)Read More »

Official announce:
Young and beautiful Silvana (Ornella Muti) has reached an impasse in her life after the
death of her lover. She is approached by a friend of the deceased, Gabriele (Philippe
Noiret), who proposes to keep her in luxury at his manor house, as long as she will keep
him company and listen to his stories of past love affairs. Initially, Silvana is not attracted
to the older man, and only reluctantly, and in stages, accepts his strange offer. What
follows is a very different tale of seduction and awakening for Silvana, as Gabriele’s tales
impress themselves upon her, and even in a way enter her own life. As much of the film
rests on the verbal stories that Gabriele tell Silvana, a real understanding and
appreciation of the film is of course not possible (for me personally) without an English
translation of the dialogue. However, Muti and Noiret are wonderful to watch, and the film
as such looks good (as photographed by Luigi Verga).Read More »

Il castello (The castle) is a movie about Malpensa airport, a place where bureaucracy, procedures and control put a serious strain on the freedom of individuals, animals and goods passing through. The airport is a strategic place where all law enforcement agencies of a country come together. Here’s where new control measures are tested: a permanent security testing area unlike any other public place. Italian and foreign secret services, customs police, Guardia di Finanza (financial police), Carabinieri (police), security guards, sniffer dogs, currency dogs and explosive detector dogs, closed circuit tv cameras everywhere and the ever-growing fear of an impending unknown danger. By watching the law enforcement agencies in operation we put together a portrait of a customs border in four movements.Read More »