Three Italian films out of eighteen in competition, plenty of Naples in other sections, from Ruggero Cappuccio and Nadia Baldi’s “The Neapolitan Shakespeare” to Trudie Styler’s documentary about the world city, from the return of Pappy Corsicato to a feature documentary (this time the protagonist is Jeff Koons, explored in his visionary provocations), to the preview of the new season of “Mare Fuori” and the discovery of a real gem: the TV series “Camorrista”, directed by Giuseppe Tornatore in 1985 at the same time as the famous film with Ben Gazzara. And then music, restorations, meetings with the main characters, dialogues about the future of cinema, retrospectives, tributes, “best of” from other festivals. In short, “a festival for everyone, spreading throughout the city”, that is roman festival which is preparing to celebrate its eighteenth anniversary from October 18 to 29 with a blockbuster film. It was presented yesterday at the Auditorium Parco della Musica by the President of the Foundation. Gianluca Farinelli and artistic director Paola Malanga, emphasizing the “miraculous” richness of the offering (which is not yet completed). Criterias of choice? Malanga: “Ordinary, quality and in no case any quotas for women or Italians, we focused on those films that we consider the most interesting.”
The competition opens Paola Cortellesi, director and protagonist of the black-and-white story Still Tomorrow, set in the post-war period, starring Valerio Valerio Mastandrea, Emanuela Fanelli and Giorgio Colangeli. “Feast” ends with the Italian trio Edoardo Gabriellini, a Gen Z film centered on two 18-year-olds and a brutal murder, produced by Luca Guadagnino; and “My hair hurts” Roberta Torre with Alba Rohrwacher and Filippo Timi: “This is not a film about Monica Vitti,” Malanga clarifies, “but a story about memory and its inventions.” And again in the main competition – “Un amor” Isabelle Quache“Comme un fils” by: Bukhrif with Vincent Lindon, “Un Silence” with Daniel Auteuil producer Dardenne, “Sweet Sue” Leo Leeson of Mike Leigh and Finnish co-producer of Italy’s Death Is a Problem for the Living.
On parallel paths, the common thread will be the arts: music, theater, literature, sculpture and painting. So here is Shakespeare, King of Naples, a lush tale and theatrical performance, already highly acclaimed, which is now Ruggero Cappuccio and Nadia Baldi appeared on the big screen with Alessandro Preziosi, Giovanni Esposito, Elio De Capitani, Claudio Di Palma, Peppe Servillo and Fulvio Cauteruccio. Here’s “Can I come in? Ode to Naples”, third feature film Trudie Styler, who has always been in love with Italy with her husband Sting: the film is dedicated to the multi-spirited city of Naples and its eternal split between light and darkness, life and death, laughter and tears, with music at the center of the story, of course. Co-authors include Clementino (his introductory rap) and street artist Yorit, photography by Dante Spinotti, and production by Mad Entertainment Luciano Stella. Here again to the music “Maria Callas – Letters and Memoirs” Tom Wolf, or the international tour of a show dedicated to the Divine with Monica Bellucci. Here’s “Me, We and Gaber” Riccardo Milani and Zucchero’s world tour documentary, directed by Zanella and De Stefano, Fela, My Living God, which Daniele Vicari dedicated to the Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, homage to the compass and its legendary inventor Sergio Bernardini, as well as the restoration of the Ciao Ni Paolo Poetsabout Renato Zero and with him.
For the series, along with the first two episodes of the fourth season “Mare Fuori” (in co-production with Alice nella città), equally anticipated titles were announced, such as “I leoni di Sicilia” by the author Paolo Genovesefrom Stephanie Auchi’s bestselling book “History” Francesca Archibugibased on Elsa Morante’s masterpiece, and “Suburraeterna”, a spin-off from directors Ciro D’Emilio and Alessandro Tonda.
Among the restorations, it stands out, as already said, “Camorrista – Serie” with a preview of two of the five series filmed in Naples by the young Tornatore in 1985, which disappeared for many years and have now been found and preserved: “The work,” says Farinelli ,” made by a brilliant director, which seems to have been filmed today.” Among the works of the “Great Public” we find “Nuovo Olimpo” Ferzan Ozpetekwith Mina on the soundtrack, “Diabolik chi sei?”, the final chapter of the Manetti trilogy, “Cento domeniche” by Albanese and “Volare”, the first work Margarita Buy. Directing debut also for Kasia Smutniak with “Moore”, about the refugee crisis in Poland and about Giovanna Mezzogiorno with “Unsuitable” while Roberto D’Agostino and Marco Giusti they talk about “Rome, naked and holy” and Base Giulio he rereads Proust in À la recerche. There will be no American stars on the red carpet during the Hollywood strike, but there will be plenty of French and European stars. Lifetime Achievement Awards go to Isabella Rossellini and Japanese composer Shigeru Umebayashi (“In the Mood for Love”).
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