L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano d o c u m e n t a r y o n t h i s s u b j e c t , t e n y e a r s l a t e r , V o r r e i c h e V o l o ( 1 9 8 2 ) . S c o l a b e g a n w o r k i n g o n Trevico-Torino in the wake of major workers' strikes in the fall of 1969, a period known as "Autunno caldo," and this drew him even clo- ser to the Communist Party. One of the most understu- died films by Scola, Mario, Maria, & Mario (1993) uses a love triangle to comment on divisions and challenges f a c e d b y t h e I t a l i a n C o m m u n i s t P a r t y i n t h e early 1990s, at the time of a schism. Why has his cinematic production become rele- v a n t a g a i n a s o f l a t e ? Why is it important in 2021 to contribute to a r e n e w a l o f i n t e r e s t i n Scola's movies? I believe his films have long been relevant because they encourage viewers to grow as critical thinkers and reflect on pressing social issues and key moments in history. His commentary on topics such as racial discri- mination, political divisive- n e s s , g r e e d , p r o p a g a n d a , poverty, and nostalgia are still relevant. Today, we are inundated with advertise- ments, short videos on social media, TV shows, and com- mercial films that promote little critical reflection. I b e l i e v e i t ' s i m p o r t a n t t o c a r v e o u t m o r e s p a c e f o r high-quality films by direc- tors like Scola, who encoura- ge us to think critically, que- stion propaganda, and study history and the arts. Truly, the first hurdle is to make his films more accessi- ble. Today, much of his cine- m a t i c p r o d u c t i o n i s u n k - nown in the US, apart from Italians who live here, uni- versity students who study Italian culture, and cinephi- les who watch films on the Criterion Channel. Even in these groups, most people are only familiar with some of his movies. Scola directed 27 feature films. In the late 1 9 9 0 s , I c o u l d e n t e r a Blockbuster store and find six or seven of them on VHS with English subtitles, but fewer are available in strea- ming today with subtitles. If you know Italian, you can watch more of his work on YouTube, but the resolution isn't always great. I recom- mend buying DVD copies a n d w a t c h i n g t h e m o n a region-free DVD player, but t h a t r e q u i r e s a f i n a n c i a l commitment and most of t h e s e c o p i e s o n l y h a v e Italian subtitles. I taught a college course on Fellini and Scola two years ago, and I offered the course in Italian for this reason. You might be surprised to find out that, by the end of the semester, the c l a s s w a s q u i t e s p l i t o n which director they prefer- red. W h a t i s y o u r f i r s t memory of watching one of his movies and what were your impressions at the time? I f i r s t w a t c h e d C'Eravamo Tanto Amati for a c l a s s o n I t a l i a n c i n e m a that I took in Florence in 1997. I sat on a floor in a professor's house and wat- ched it on a 20-inch TV set a l o n g w i t h 1 0 o t h e r s t u - d e n t s , a n d I w a s n ' t t h a t c l o s e t o t h e s c r e e n . T h e image wasn't so great on a TV, but I loved the film all the same. At that time in my life, I missed my best friends from high school. Watching how the lives of the protago- nists and their friendships changed over the decades was fascinating to me. A s o f t o d a y , w h a t i s your favorite movie of his and why? It's hard to choose one. I ' v e a l w a y s l o v e d L a Famiglia because it makes y o u r e f l e c t o n h o w o n e ' s family changes over time, how technology and social m o r e s c h a n g e d o v e r t h e c o u r s e o f 8 0 y e a r s f r o m 1906 to 1986. The film pre- sents moments of hope, sad- ness, laughter, success, loss, bitterness, tenderness, strai- ned relationships, and more. T h e m u s i c b y A r m a n d o Trovajoli is marvelous. It brings up all of the emotions o n e c o u l d h a v e l o o k i n g through an old photo album. I once saw a documentary by Jacopo Gassman about his father Vittorio Gassman (the lead actor of La Famiglia). In it, Vittorio reflects on his zest for life with a touch of sadness: "We should have two lives, one for the rehear- sal and one for the show." La Famiglia by Scola, featu- ring Gassman, is laden with a similar melancholy, but it also has a humorous and warm-spirited outlook on life. Group photo of a conference about Ettore Scola Bowen organized with Lanzoni in Venice (Photo: Lauren Meyer) Continued from page 26 LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS Selling Homes Throughout The Bay Area Adele Della Santina "The Right Realtor makes all the di昀erence." 650.400.4747 Adele.DellaSantina@compass.com www.AdeleDS.com DRE# 00911740 Expert in preparation, promotion, and negotiation! Director Ettore Scola at the Venice Film Festival (Shutterstock)

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