L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2021 www.italoamericano.org 32 L'Italo-Americano SEATTLE ITALIAN COMMUNITY A f t e r c a n c e l i n g the 2020 season because of the pandemic, SIFF Cinema Ital- ian Style returned to Seattle for a week in early November, showcasing 13 films to cele- brate the festival's 13 th sea- son. "Seattle loves this festival," d e c l a r e d S I F F ' s A r t i s t i c Director Beth Barrett. "And it's no wonder: these films are passionate, heartbreaking, f u n n y , i n s p i r i n g , a n d thought-provoking. They're 13 wonderful ways to cele- brate the festival's 13th year." This year, all films were shown at the SIFF Cinema Egyptian on Capitol Hill. In addition, eight films could be viewed on the SIFF Channel, its online streaming portal. Because international travel was still iffy, veteran SIFF programmer Angelo Acerbi arranged for pre-recorded Q&A sessions with three of the directors -- Leonardo di Costanzo (The Inner Cage), S t e f a n o S a r d o ( W i t h o r W i t h o u t Y o u ) , a n d Alessandro Gassmann (The Great Silence) – to air after each film was screened. " O n e o f t h e b e s t n e w things that spun out of the pandemic is more virtual Q&A sessions," said Barrett. " W e ' r e a b l e t o h e a r f r o m more directors who otherwise might not be able to travel and attend these screenings in person. Their insights and behind-the-scenes perspec- tives offer so much more to the movie experience." As always, comedy fea- tured large this years, per- haps as an antidote against the darkness of the pandem- ic. One of the top comedies screened was The Predators ( I P r e d a t o r i ) b y d i r e c t o r Pietro Castellitto, who won the 2021 Donatello Award for best new director. The film looks at what happens when two families from very differ- ent backgrounds meet, or should we say, collide! A l s o s h o w n w e r e t h e c o m e d i e s T h r e e P e r f e c t D a u g h t e r s ( É p e r i l t u o Bene), directed by Rolando R a v e l l o ; L i k e a C a t o n a Highway 2 (Come un Gatto in Tangenziale – Ritorno a Coccia di Morto), directed by Riccardo Milani; and The Great Silence ( Il Silenzio G r a n d e ) , d i r e c t e d b y Alessandro Gassmann. A l t h o u g h a l i t t l e b i t o f everything was on tap this year – from dramas to docu- mentaries to romantic come- dies – the festival offered sev- eral films that were particu- l a r l y i n s p i r a t i o n a l w h e n viewed through the prism of the pandemic. These includ- ed two documentaries and a p r i s o n d r a m a f e a t u r i n g award-winning actor Toni Servillo and a stellar ensem- ble cast. To make the documentary Futura, three directors (Alice Rohrwacher, Pietro Marcello and Francesco Munzi) trav- e l e d t h r o u g h o u t I t a l y f o r about a year, interviewing 15- to 20-year-olds about their dreams, hopes, and fears for the future. The project, which began in winter 2020, coin- cided with the start of the pandemic and its subsequent w a v e s . S e e i n g h o w t h e s e young people responded to the challenge, and being privy to their comments and obser- vations, is both disarming and thought-provoking, as they talk candidly about their f a m i l i e s , p o l i t i c s , s o c i a l m e d i a , g e n d e r i d e n t i t y , racism, and more. The second documentary, Ezio Bosso: The Things that R e m a i n ( L e C o s e C h e Restano) by director Giorgio Verdelli, is a moving tribute to this musician, composer, and conductor. The docu- mentary provides a close-up look at the last decade of Bosso's life, using previously recorded video along with present-day interviews with fellow musicians, friends and family. B o r n i n T u r i n i n 1 9 7 1 , Bosso died in May 2020 from cancer. Despite the progres- sive nature of his disease, all too painfully evident as the f i l m p r o c e e d s , t h e g i f t e d musician continued to per- form, compose, enjoy friends and live life as fully as he could until the very end. The overwhelming joy on Bosso's face when he appeared on stage at the San Remo Music Festival in 2016 is stunning to witness. A t t h e e n d o f t h e f i l m , Bosso makes a lasting gift to the public, an unreleased song called The Things That Remain. It was created, as B o s s o s a i d i n t h e f i l m , because "everyone will tell their own story and I can only suggest mine." Completely different the- matically but equally power- ful is the new drama, The Inner Cage (Ariaferma), star- ring acting great Toni Servillo o f T h e G r e a t B e a u t y ( L a Grande Bellezza). Directed by Leonardo di Costanzo, the film takes place over the course of a few days in a remotely located prison t h a t i s b e i n g d e c o m m i s - sioned. Only a dozen or so prisoners remain, guarded by 15 correctional officers who are waiting to transfer to another site. A violent rain- storm one evening forces these two groups, normally enemies, into a short truce and tentative co-existence. The two main characters, the captain of the guards (played by Servillo) and il capo of the prisoners (Silvio Orlando) are similar in age but their paths in life have greatly diverged. The film shows a growing understand- ing between the two men, much of it occurring in the prison kitchen. Cinema Italian Style has been a popular addition to the Seattle cultural landscape s i n c e i t s i n c e p t i o n . T h e November time frame works well, not only to combat the seasonal blues but also to give organizers access to films that played at festivals in Venice and Rome, or were recently released for Oscar considera- t i o n . M o s t o f t h e f i l m s s c r e e n e d t h i s y e a r w e r e released in 2021. The festival is notable for its focus on contemporary film. "The films we offer are usually brand new to North American audiences or have not been shown a great deal," said Barrett. "They give a range of what is happening cinematographically in Italy and span all films types -- comedy, Mafia dramas, war dramas, thrillers, documen- taries. There's something for everyone." Community par- ticipation is a defining factor, whether that be as a sponsor, Italian community member, or the general public. This year's presenting sponsors are Luce Cinecittà, Seattle P e r u g i a S i s t e r C i t y Association, Tutta Bella, and the Italian Cultural Institute in San Francisco under the auspices of San Francisco's Italian Consulate General. A strong cast including Toni Servillo (left) and Silvio Orlando make up the prison drama, "The Inner Cage (Ariaferma)." (Photo by Gianni Fiorito). Cinema Italian Style is back in style! RITA CIPALLA

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