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italoamericano-digital-7-28-2022

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THURSDAY, JULY 28, 2022 www.italoamericano.org 30 L'Italo-Americano T h e c a l e n d a r s t o p p e d o n M a r c h 7 t h , 2020. The tenth edition marked t h e t e m p o r a r y e n d o f t h e C i n e m a I t a l i a S a n Francisco program and the beginning of a 2-year pan- demic hiatus. While many quickly embraced the new r o u t i n e o f m o v i e s o n t h e c o u c h , w e a l l m i s s e d t h e theater experience. This is e v e n m o r e t r u e f o r s o m e c l a s s i c m o v i e s a n d t h e unique works of cinema that transcend time and trends. This coming September 1 0 t h , C i n e m a I t a l i a S a n F r a n c i s c o b r i n g s m o v i e - l o v e r s b a c k w h e r e t h e y belong, the Castro The- a t r e . T h e o c c a s i o n i s Pasolini100, a homage to t h e I t a l i a n d i r e c t o r w h o pushed the boundaries of politics, art, and sexuality, on the 100th anniversary of his birth. Pier Paolo Pasoli- ni, born in 1922 and dead in 1975, was more than a direc- tor: he was a poet, writer, and intellectual, as well as an actor, journalist, novelist, playwright, and political fig- ure. While many remark on his being controversial, both in his work and life, Pasoli- n i ' s l e g a c y i s u n t o u c h e d . What many consider a form of picaresque neorealism is mainly the representation of a sad reality, the true depic- tion of society and its char- a c t e r s . I n t e r e s t i n g h o w e i g h t y p e r c e n t o f I t a l i a n young people know today about Pasolini through his books and his movies, yet t h e s e s a m e p e o p l e l i v e through the fall of values, the emptiness of television production, and nowadays' consumerism that he antici- pated in his masterpieces. P i e r p a o l o P a s o l i n i ' s movies get a special men- tion in the history of Cinema Italian SF, as they were part o f t h e p r o g r a m t h a t launched nine years ago. On S e p t e m b e r 1 4 , 2 0 1 3 , t h e Castro Theatre and, on Sep- tember 15, 2013 the Roxie Theatre, screened six daring Pasolini's movies. For the 11th edition, Cine- ma Italia San Francisco will follow the format that has made the festival one of the most attended and awaited in the Bay Area. Founded in 2 0 1 3 , C i n e m a I t a l i a S a n Francisco is today a well- established organization, supported by many spon- sors and individual donors w h o w a n t t o e n s u r e t h e screening of the old classics of Italian cinema. This year's program will include three morning and afternoon movies, followed by two more in the evening. A s a n o p e n l y g a y m a n , Pasolini's work frequently pushed the boundaries of w h a t w a s a c c e p t a b l e i n terms of sexuality, religion, and politics. One of his most provocative films, Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom, will c l o s e t h e p r o g r a m a t 10.30pm. Pasolini - The program o p e n s w i t h t h e d r a m a t i c movie directed by Abel Fer- rara and written by Maur- i z i o B r a u c c i . E i g h t y - f o u r minutes to explore the last 24 hours of Pasolini's life. When he died, he had just finished shooting his latest film, Salò, and many people were showing contempt for this man, whose homosexu- a l i t y w a s k n o w n y e t n o t accepted by most of society. The night before his death is seen through the lens of the American filmmaker, con- sidered a controversial and rebellious artist himself. The movie was selected to com- pete for the Golden Lion at the 71st Venice Internation- al Film Festival. It was also screened in the Special Pre- s e n t a t i o n s s e c t i o n o f t h e 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. M a m m a R o m a - The movie was filmed back in the '60s and Anna Mag- nani stars as a former pros- t i t u t e w h o s a v e s s o m e money to buy a fruit stand and start a respectable life. However, building back the r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h e r 1 6 - year-old son, whom she had abandoned when he was a baby, becomes troublesome. Ettore prefers other boys' adventures in petty crime until he is thrown into jail, r e l e a s i n g M a m m a R o m a from all the struggles she faced raising her son in the best way possible, while try- ing to build a new life for both. Accattone - This is the f i r s t m o v i e P i e r P a o l o Pasolini wrote and directed in the early '60s. Accattone u s e s w h a t w o u l d l a t e r b e seen as his trademark char- acteristics: non-professional a c t o r s h a i l i n g f r o m t h e film's setting and thematic emphasis on impoverished individuals. Lots of these characters and stories come from Pasolini's novels, from p i m p s t o p r o s t i t u t e s a n d thieves, during Italy's post- war economic reforms. Accattone is the story of a pimp who loses his liveli- hood when the woman he w o r k s w i t h i s t a k e n t o prison. His inability to self- support, giving up an honest job after one day, takes him in front of his own destiny as he gets killed in a traffic accident when he tries to evade the police on a stolen motorcycle. Medea - It's 1969 when G r e e k - A m e r i c a n s o p r a n o M a r i a C a l l a s s t a r s i n a rare non-opera role. Medea is a woman scorned by her husband (Jason of the Arg- onauts), who avenges her- s e l f w i t h f i e r c e a b a n d o n . The film is also ravishing in its visual imagery: Medea w a s s h o t o n l o c a t i o n i n a n c i e n t s i t e s o f I t a l y , Turkey, and Syria, including t h e C i t a d e l o f A l e p p o . Pasolini illustrated a new world while rejecting the a n c i e n t o n e . M e d e a i s a woman of the ancient world, and she is troubled and con- fused by a world that has changed as much as her per- sonality, now different from what she once was. Salò or the 120 days of Sodom - A group of rep- resentatives of the wealthy u p p e r c l a s s e s ( a D u k e , a Bishop, a Magistrate, and n a t u r a l l y , t h e P r e s i d e n t ) i m p r i s o n e d a h o r d e o f young men and women to torment for their pleasure. S a l ò , a t o w n i n N o r t h e r n Italy, was the capital under Benito Mussolini's Fascist government in 1943-1945. The story is made of four s e g m e n t s , i n s p i r e d b y Dante's Divine Comedy, and i s c o n s i d e r e d P a s o l i n i ' s most controversial master- piece. The program is presented by Cinecittà, Cinema Italia San Francisco, and The Ital- ian Cultural Institute of San Francisco. In collaboration with Artistic Soul Associa- tion and under the auspices of the Consulate General of I t a l y i n S a n F r a n c i s c o . M a j o r s p o n s o r s a r e J a n S h r e m & M a r i a M a n e t t i Shrem Museum of Art and The Barbro Osher Pro Sue- cia Foundation. Pasolini100 takes place at the Castro Theatre on Sep- tember 10th with the first screening at 10.30am, fol- lowed by 12.30pm and 3pm movies, before the evening's session at 6pm and 10pm. S t a r t i n g a t 8 : 0 0 p m u n t i l 10:00pm, people can also attend La Roma di Pasolini mezzanine reception. Tickets can be purchased for single screenings or as a Festival Pass that includes the reception. Tickets are now available at cinemaital- iasf.com Cinema Italia SF's 11th edition: a homage to Pier Paolo Pasolini, Italian director, poet, and intellectual SERENA PERFETTO Anna Magnani in Pasolini's Mamma Roma. (Copyrighted work available under Creative Commons agreement. LucaPaz/Public Domain) SAN FRANCISCO ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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