Tuesday, November 10, 1998
When in venice
FESTIVAL: Gems from one of Europe’s most esteemed film festivals
give
Los Angeles a taste of cinema –
Italian style
By Ricky Herzog
Daily Bruin Contributor
Aside from the Oscar-nominated "Il Postino (The Postman),"
Italian cinema has not had a highly visible presence in the United
States in recent years. Contemporary Italian cinema, however, is an
art form that has many other films to offer. Westwood will be home
to a showcase for such films, the Italian film festival "Venezia a
Hollywood," which will see the North American debut of five
acclaimed Italian films that played at the Venice Film Festival
last month.
Co-sponsored by the Roberto Rossellini Foundation, the Italian
Cultural Institute and the Italian Heritage Culture Foundation, the
festival runs Nov. 9 through Nov. 14 at the Istituto Italiano di
Cultura in Westwood.
The films being screened span a wide variety of themes and
subjects, from a Polish family washing car windscreens in Rome
(Peter Del Monteis’ "The Ballad of the Windscreen Washers") to a
man who starts up a makeshift radio station which becomes a second
home to his friends (Luciano Ligabue’s "Radiofreccia"). And closing
the festival is Roberto Rossellini’s Academy Award-nominated
classic about life in Italy during World War II, "Paisan," shown in
the director’s original cut, unseen since its debut.
As demonstrated by the eclectic group of films being shown at
"Venezia a Hollywood," Italian cinema is markedly different from
most cinema produced in the United States. Free from the
constraints of Hollywood financiers, Italian cinema is more an art
form than a capitalist venture.
"Although today it’s quite impossible to define an Italian style
in movies," says Dr. Rubens Piovano, acting director of the
Istituto Italiano di Cultura, "because definitions such as
minimalism or neo-neorealism don’t cover the whole scenario,
generally our productions are less spectacular, don’t show special
effects, are not essentially based on action and don’t guarantee a
happy end. But less investments don’t necessarily mean less
quality."
Under the Italian system, directors are much more free to create
as they please because they are not bound to a production company
that controls their movie.
"In Italy, the films are not an industrial product," says Renzo
Rossellini of the Roberto Rossellini Foundation. "The films are
financed by the state. They don’t look at the box office take, so
the author of the film is very free. They make the film they want
because they don’t have to talk to the industrial structure."
With an element of freedom not always available in the United
States, Italian cinema is an art form which presents various social
and cultural views of Italy, and thus serves as an important medium
for learning.
"Despite the general globalization of economy and culture,
movies are a complete means to describe a society," Dr. Piovano
says. "And it’s undoubtable that in viewing diverse movies,
enrichment comes from the search for similarities and differences.
Five films cannot represent deeply Italy today, but surely they
will allow the American public to have a glance of our conflicts,
contradictions, dreams, and feelings."
These glances are important for a culture that is not always
highly represented in Los Angeles and the United States.
"I think (Italy) is underrepresented," says Renzo Rossellini. "I
think in general in the United States we are not very curious about
what happens outside the United States. I think it’s important to
make something to help Italian film come out of Italy. Because a
big problem is that the films are shown only in Italy. Even in
Europe they have a very small market. To give a just position to
Italian film is my goal. There are a lot of Italian cultural
institutes around the world, and I try to convince the government
to create a screening room in each one."
So far, the Los Angeles branch is the only Italian Cultural
Institute in the United States with a screening room, making it an
ideal location for an Italian film festival showcasing some of the
best films Italy has to offer.
"Italy offers some of the very best cinema in the world," says
Joseph Ventress, president of the Italian Heritage Culture
Foundation. "It is our hope that this presentation of films will
showcase the outstanding quality that rarely is seen in
America."
FESTIVAL: All screenings free at the Istituto Italiano di
Cultura, 1023 Hilgard Ave. Reservations mandatory: (310) 443-3250,
ext. 114. Today at 6:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. – Francesca Archibugi’s
"The Pear Tree." Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. – Peter Del
Monte’s "The Ballad of the Windscreen Washers." Thursday at 6:00
p.m. and 8:15 p.m. – Michele Placido’s "Of Lost Love." Friday at
6:00 p.m. and 8:15 p.m. – Luciano Ligabue’s "Radiofreccia."
Saturday at 7:30 p.m. only – Roberto Rossellini’s "Paisan."Medusa
Film
The cast of "Radiofreccia," will have their film featured in
this week’s festival, "Venezia a Hollywood."
Clemi Cinematografica
"Del Perduto Amore" is director Michele Placido’s story of
politics and devotion set in 1950s Italy.
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