Two Senegalese teenagers set out for a new life in Italy in this modern-day Odyssey, framing the immigrant experience as a classical yet contemporary epic. Director Matteo Garrone takes on a role as regista spettatore (“director spectator”), as a European director bringing the real-life journeys of African migrants to the screen. Nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film, Io capitano is amplified through inspired choices in cinematography and editing, and anchored by a revelatory performance by lead Seydou Sarr.

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This episode features the following music excerpts from the film’s soundtrack by Andrea Farri, Seydou Sarr, Moustapha Fall and Badara Seck:

The post #44: Io capitano (Matteo Garrone, 2023) first appeared on Cinema Italiano Podcast.

Quick recap on the Italian films featured at the 35th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival:

Plus, updates on Italian films to look out for and what’s upcoming at the Berlinale.

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This episode features the following music excerpts:

The post #43: The 35th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival first appeared on Cinema Italiano Podcast.

Recap and reviews of two Italian films featured at the 59th Chicago International Film Festival:

Plus quick synopses of:

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This episode features the following music excerpts:

The post #42: The 59th Chicago International Film Festival first appeared on Cinema Italiano Podcast.

The friendship between two boys, one from the city and one from the mountains, spans across decades from childhood to adulthood, as they experience love, loss, and self-discovery, set against the stunning backdrop of the Italian Alps. Felix van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch’s award-winning The Eight Mountains (Le otto montagne) reunites Luca Marinelli and Alessandro Borghi for an epic, emotional story of a lifelong connection.

Plus, updates on the latest film festivals and Italy’s submission for Best International Feature Film.

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This episode features the following music excerpts from the film’s soundtrack by Daniel Norgren:

The post #41: The Eight Mountains (Felix van Groeningen & Charlotte Vandermeersch, 2022) first appeared on Cinema Italiano Podcast.

Recap and reviews of the Italian films featured at the 49th Annual Seattle International Film Festival:

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This episode features the following music excerpts:

The post #40: The 49th Annual Seattle International Film Festival first appeared on Cinema Italiano Podcast.

The past is ever-present in Ferzan Özpetek’s 2017 thriller Naples in Veils (Napoli velata). A medical examiner is caught in the middle of a murder mystery, as she grapples with her own trauma and secrets from the past come to the surface. This film’s Neapolitan setting explores the binary, or unity, between the ancient and contemporary within art, architecture, gender & identity.

Plus, some news updates on the David di Donatello award winners, and a review on Salvatore Mereu’s Bentu (2022).

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This episode features the following music excerpts from the film’s soundtrack by Pasquale Catalano:

The post #39: Naples in Veils (Ferzan Özpetek, 2017) first appeared on Cinema Italiano Podcast.

Just days after the Cannes 2023 line-up was announced, revisiting Nanni Moretti’s Palme d’Or-winning The Son’s Room (La stanza del figlio) from 2001! This moving drama set in Ancona explores what happens to a happy family when tragedy strikes, as they shift from a singular unit to separate individuals. This film explores vastly different expressions of grief, as well as what role, if any, psychoanalysis can play when facing loss, manifesting the gap between objectivity and emotion into physical spaces.

Plus, some news updates on the David di Donatello awards, the Cannes Film Festival lineup for 2023, and a review on Astolfo (2022).

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This episode features the following music excerpts:

The post #38: The Son’s Room (Nanni Moretti, 2001) first appeared on Cinema Italiano Podcast.

Celebrating Alice Rohrwacher’s first Oscar nomination with a special episode on Le pupille (The Pupils)! Set at Christmastime during World War II, an all-girls school run by nuns is shaken by the prospect of a beautiful cake – an extravagant, tempting indulgence before them in an era of rationing and sacrifice. In addition to a few distinct formal elements, unique from Rohrwacher’s other works, this film explores religion (a favorite theme of the director’s) and a humorous, poignant take on vision (including the formidable presence of Santa Lucia).

Plus, some news updates on the Berlinale Film Festival, the upcoming Pasolini 101 box set, and reviews on The Eight Mountains (2022) and Malarazza (2017).

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This episode features the following music excerpts:

The post #37: Le pupille (Alice Rohrwacher, 2022) first appeared on Cinema Italiano Podcast.

Quick recap on the Italian films featured at the 34th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival, including:

Plus, news items on what’s new and coming soon.

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This episode features the following music excerpts:

The post #36: The 34th Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival first appeared on Cinema Italiano Podcast.

Pietro Marcello brings Jack London’s Oakland-set novel to Naples in his innovative adaptation of Martin Eden. This politically charged story of a young man striving to become worthy of his upper-class love is a cinematic experience both timeless and timely. Archival footage, contemporary music, and distinct moments in history swirl together to form an intellectually captivating, emotionally heartbreaking character study.

This episode features the following excerpts from the film’s soundtrack:

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The post #35: Martin Eden (Pietro Marcello, 2019) first appeared on Cinema Italiano Podcast.