A Festival of
New Italian American Cinema SEPTEMBER 24-27, 2008
- Borough of Manhattan Community College - Cuny Graduate Center - Hunter College
Issue No. 1
I A D P
Italian/American Digital Project
i-Italy.org
New Italian American Cinema
Acknowledgements
Putting together an event of this type is never easy and can hardly be done alone. That said, we have a number of people to thank for their assistance in bringing “A Festival of New Italian American Cinema” into being. First, we must thank Giuliana Muscio and Giovanni Spagnoletti (Artistic Director, Pesaro Film Festival) for having invited the John D. Calandra Italian American Institute to collaborate in the organization of a “rassegna” (review) of “new” Italian American cinema for the 43rd annual Pesaro Film Festival of June 2007. This is the origin of our event this week.
2
On the home front, we have had indispensable assistance from the staff of the Calandra Institute. Lisa Cicchetti, our Editorial Manager of Calandra publications, has created a wonderful set of graphics and, as we write, is also putting together the Englishlanguage volume of essays published last year in Italian: Mediated Ethnicity: New Italian American Cinema.
Rosaria Musco, Assistant Director for Administration, processed all the necessary forms and made all the necessary arrangements. When technical assistance was required as we moved forward, we relied significantly on Carmine Pizzirusso, Calandra’s Research and Technical Coordinator. We want to thank Maria La Russo of the Calandra Institute and Maria Enrico of the Borough of Manhattan Community College for helping to secure screening venues. Other assistance has also come from members of the i-Italy staff: Andrea Di Camillo and Marina Melchionda compiled the information included herein, and, dulcis in fundo, Letizia Airos coordinated the research for and designed the program as well as its online multimedia version, which you can find at www.iItaly.org. We hope you enjoy the next four days of screenings and discussions! Buona visione!
Looking Back to Move Forward As one rehearses a history of Italians and Italian Americans in three major mediatic forms, what becomes apparent is that Italians and Italian Americans are by no means a lacking entity in cinema, music, or television; nor have they ever been, be it from the perspective of their actual presence or simply their mere representation in films portrayed by others. Be it Rudolph Valentino, Madonna, or Ezio Pinza, Italian Americans have had a conspicuous presence in the movies, in music videos, and on TV, even though, at times, debatable. Indeed, this debate rages on, and, while sympathetic to the cause of Italian anti-defamation, one might very well come to it from different view points. The possibility of a monolithic perspective is, to be sure, not the most constructive of manners to carry forward such a debate.
Skyscrapers of New York (1905), Edwin Porter’s The Black Hand (1906) and D. W. Griffith’s The Avenging Conscious (1914) may figure as early candidates as the springboard for such stereotyping; the Italian character in this last film – played by a non-Italian, as was often the case – is an ill-reputed blackmailer. Themes such a sex, violence, sentimentality, family relations, and the like will seem to dominate the cinema of and about Italian Americans, generating a most contested debate, within the Italian/ American community at the end of the 20th century about the portrayal of Italians and Italian Americans in United States media in general.
We may, therefore, indeed question some of the more popular “Italian/American” movies and TV shows that seem to populate both the large and small screens and enjoy, even among Italian Americans, a certain privilege among viewers. One need only think of Friends, a show whose Italian American is not the most ideal of models. A similar question mark might be raised about the ever popular Everybody Loves Raymond, in which mother and father, together with their two sons, might be seen to impute a certain amount of buffoonery and fesseria to Italian Americans.
In fact, even in his earlier film, At The Altar (1909), Griffith seemed to raise concern within the dominant culture by underscoring, in an apparently positive story-line, sexuality and violence as part of the Italian character. To be sure, both aggressive behavior and sexuality will figure as to components of the Italian and Italian/American character as cinema develops in the United States. Be it the gangster films of the 1930s, which laid the foundation for the violent mobster, or the oversexed individuals of the later years, the Italian male will ultimately culminate in a figure such as Tony Soprano, a violent, oversexed capo-regime whose sexual proclivities bring him to the edge of seducing his own nephew’s fiancé, Adriana.
One might indeed argue that the negative depiction of Italian Americans, which has so irritated a certain percentage of the ethnic group in this past decade especially, has its origins in the early 20th century, specifically at the beginning of the talkies era, if not even earlier. To be sure, silent films such as F. Dobson’s The
It is not until the 1960s, with the onset of a new positive mindset vis-à-vis ethnicity that young directors such as Michael Cimino, Francis Ford Coppola, Brian DePalma, Penny Marshall, and Martin Scorsese, to name the more prominent, make their mark, laying the groundwork for yet another generation of filmmakers to
follow. With this second wave of Italian/American directors, the mafia theme begins to dissipate, making room for other issues apparently more immediate to the aesthetic repertoire of these younger directors. Thus, we are privy to insight into family matters and gender issues, all of which is evident in the films of Penny Marshall, Greg Mottola, Nancy Savoca, John Turturro, as well as others. In True Love (1989) and Household Saints (1993), Savoca interrogates the values of the old world and the Italian/ American community and all that it represents (e.g., gender, work, “us vs. them,” etc.). Among these directors who have made at least one featurelength movie, and who are part of this Festival of New Italian American Cinema, we include: Steve Buscemi (Trees Lounge [1996]), Bob Giraldi (Dinner Rush [2001]), Kevin Jordan (Brooklyn Lobster [2005]), Maria Maggenti (Puccini for Beginners [2006]), Joseph Greco (Canvas [2006]), to name a few. The festival then closes with John Turturro’s tragicomical feature Romance e Cigarettes (2005). Short films will occupy a good part of the festival’s schedule this week; Tom DeCerchio’s Nunzio’s Second Cousin (1994), Diane Frederick’s Che bella famiglia (1993), Len Guercio’s Tiramisù (2002), and Lucia Grillo’s A pena do pana (2005) each take on various themes that, to date, have not been in the general forefront of Italian/ American cinema. Among the documentaries to be screened are: Marylou TibaldoBongiorno’s Mother-Tongue: Italian American Sons & Mothers (1999); Tony DeNonno’s It’s One Family: Knock on Wood (1982), and Susan Caverna Lloyd’s Baggage (2001). The final documentary of the festival is Gianfranco Norelli’s featurelength Pane amaro (2007).
3
New Italian American Cinema
Program WEDNESDAY, September 24 CONFERENCE John D. Calandra Italian American Institute, 25 West 43rd Street, 17th floor, Manhattan 9:30 AM–11 PM Italian Americans and Organized Crime • George DeStefano, “Mobbed Out: Is the Gangster Genre Finished?” • Fred Gardaphè, “’You Got a Problem with That?’: Cinematic Gangsters and the Italian American Community” • Giancarlo Lombardi, “’Don’t Stop Believing, Don't Stop’: (De)Structuring Expectations in the Final Season of The Sopranos” Respondent: Robert Viscusi 11 AM–12 PM Roundtable w/ Directors & Actors: Philip Botti, Lucia Grillo, Michael Canzoniero & Marco Ricci
12–1 PM Lunch on your own 1–2:30 PM Representations of Italian American through the 20th Century • Giuliana Muscio, “From the Italian to Tony Soprano: Italians and Immigrants on the US Silver Screen (18951940)” • Dawn Esposito, “Missing [but] in Action: Cinematic Representation of The World War II ItalianAmerican Soldier” • Francesca Canadé Sautman, “Breaking up the Family: Gender, Race, and Italian-American Cinema” Respondent: Peter Carravetta
2:30-3:30 PM Roundtable w/ Directors & Actors: Kevin Jordan, Matthew Bonifacio (not confirmed) 3:30-4:30 PM Documentaries & Shorts • Joseph Sciorra, “Documenting Documentaries” • Anthony Julian Tamburri, “Italian/American Briefs: The Short Film” Respondent: Edvige Giunta 4:30-5:30 PM Roundtable with Directors & Actors: Susan Caperna Lloyd, Tony DeNonno (not confirmed), Len Guercio 5:30-6:30 PM Roundtable with Directors & Actors: Carl Capotorto, Bob Giraldi, Maria Maggenti 7 PM — Reception
THURSDAY, September 25 FILM SCREENINGS Borough of Manhattan Community College, Richard Harris Terrace, 199 Chambers Street, Manhattan
4
10 AM Trees Lounge (Steve Buscemi, 1996; 95 min.) NOON Che bella famiglia (Diane Frederick, 1993; 30 min.); Lena’s Spaghetti (Joseph Greco, 1994; 23 min.) 1 PM Roundtable with directors and actors: Diane Federico, Joe Greco, Dina Fiasconaro
2 PM Fifty Cents (Philip Botti, 2008,13 min.); Bust A Move (Philip Botti, 2000; 28 min.); True Love Waits (Dina Fiasconaro, 2004; 17 min.) 3 PM Two Family House (Raymond De Felitta, 2000; 108 min.) 5 PM Brooklyn Lobster (Kevin Jordan, 2005; 94 min.) 7 PM True Love (Nancy Savoca, 1989; 104 min.)
9 PM Roundtable with directors and actors: Nancy Savoca, Vincent Pastore, Kevin Jordan (not confirmed)
FRIDAY, September 26 FILM SCREENINGS CUNY Graduate Center, Proshansky Auditorium, 365 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan 10 AM The Sweet New (Raymond Rea, 2007; 52 min.); The Blinking Madonna (Beth Harrington, 1994; 56 min.) NOON Pishadoo (Michael Canzoniero & Marco Ricci, 1997; 22 min.); Tiramisù (Len Guercio, 2002; 17 min.); Nunzio’s Second Cousin (Tom De Cerchio, 1994; 18 min.)
1 PM Puccini for Beginners (Maria Maggenti, 2006; 82 min.) 3 PM Dirt (Nancy Savoca, 2004; 91 min.) 5 PM Dinner Rush (Bob Giraldi, 2001; 99 min.) 7 PM Canvas (Joseph Greco, 2006; 101 min.) 9 PM Roundtable with directors and actors: Matthew Bonifacio, Joe Greco
SATURDAY, September 27 FILM SCREENINGS Hunter College, Ida K. Lang Recital Hall, Room 424 Hunter North, East 69th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues, Manhattan 10 AM Goat on Fire and Smiling Fish (Kevin Jordan, 1999; 90 min.) NOON A pena do pana (Lucia Grillo, 2005; 19 min.); Touch (Dina Ciraulo, 1995; 17 min.); Mio paese—My Town (Katherine Gulla 1986; 26 min.) 1 PM Knock on Wood (Tony De Nonno, 1982; 24 min.); Baggage (Susan Caperna Lloyd, 2001; 32 min.); Uncovering (Mariarosy Calleri, 1996; 14 min.); Mother Tongue: Italian American Sons & Mothers (Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno, 1999; 43 min.) 3 PM Household Saints (Nancy Savoca, 1993; 124 min.)
5 PM Pane amaro (Gianfranco Norelli, 2007; 104 min.) 7 PM Romance and Cigarettes (John Turturro, 2005; 105 min.) 9 PM Roundtable with directors and actors: Gianfranco Norelli, Nancy Savoca, Carl Capotorto, Marylou Tibaldo-Bongiorno & Jerome Bongiorno
5
New Italian American Cinema
Trees Lounge (Steve Buscemi, 1996; 95 min.) With Carol Kane, Mark Boone Junior, Steve Buscemi, Chloe Sevigny, Daniel Baldwin, Mimi Rogers, Michael Imperioli. Synopsis: Thirty-one year old Tommy Basilio is at the lowest point of his life: he got fired for stealing $1500 out of his store’s cash register to gamble it all away in Atlantic City and finds it almost impossible to find another job because of it, and his girlfriend Connie (who is now carrying his ex-boss’s child) dumped him for his former employer. Tommy lives in Coney Island above the Trees Lounge, the
Che Bella Famiglia (Diane Frederick, 1993; 30 min.) With Lana Kitto, Eda Reiss Merin, Penny Santon.
6
Synopsis: While young Italian American Caroline Russo is researching her family tree for a school assignment, she stumbles upon one of her female ancestors whom she believes to be a gangster. Caroline becomes fascinated with this gangster-woman and eagerly questions her entire family about her, but no one will give her a straight answer. Throughout the film, she perpetually struggles to fit in with her American schoolmates, who are her complete opposites, since they
neighborhood bar, where he drowns his sorrows in alcohol and seeks solace in the local bar-crawlers. No matter how hard Tommy tries, he cannot seem to better himself, and thus prefers to live his life in a drunken stupor. All of that changes when he tries to find life outside of the bar that he has become so accustomed to and meets the seventeen-year-old niece (Debbie) of his exgirlfriend, who could possibly be the meaning of his life that he has been looking for, despite how complicated the situation becomes or who is against their being together.
are all Mayflower descendants of Anglo origin with diametrical personalities and physical characteristics. Che Bella Famiglia documents a young girl’s quest to discover her cultural and personal self that she is forced to find on her own. Additional Facts: • Frederick’s first film she wrote and directed.
Additional Facts: • Nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Feature Film and Best Screenplay (1997) and for the Chlotrudis Award for Best Director (1997); • Inspired by Buscemi’s own life (before he pursued acting) and John Cassavetes’s films; • Buscemi’s first fulllength film that he wrote and directed; • Shot in only 24 days.
Lena’s Spaghetti (Joseph Greco, 1994; 23 min.) With Phil Martinez, Mike Aiello, Nick Sloan, Kelly Smith. Synopsis: Hannah has a tough time fitting into her new school after her father, Stanley, moved the family because of a career change. As a way of dealing with the move, Hannah writes to her future self of “Lena” in her diary, since she is sure she will adopt Lena as her stage name one her way to stardom. Herbert, a lonely postal worker, writes to Hannah after she responds to his ad seeking a pen-pal; and she adopts her alter-ego Lena. After several letters, Herbert asks her to send him a tasty recipe, since he only can cook spaghetti from a can. Through seeking comfort in one another, it gives Hannah the security she needs in her new home and provides Herbert confidence in his love life.
Fifty Cents (Philip Botti, 2008; 13 min.) With Carmine Famiglietti.
Additional Facts: • Won the Student Award at the 26th annual Canadian International Film and Video Festival (1995) and the Student Competition Award at the Columbus International Film and Video Festival (1995); • Won the OSU Photography and Cinema Alumni Society Award and the Crystal Reel Award (first place) for Best Cinematography and Best Actor from the Florida Motion Picture and Television Association; • Greco’s first project he directed.
Additional Facts: • Inspired by Botti’s landlord, who recently passed away.
Synopsis: Fifty Cents documents the developing (and comical) friendship between a Brooklynite and his old landlord. Even though she is not very sharp of mind, there are some things she just will not forget!
Bust a Move (Philip Botti, 2000; 28 min.) With Dan Fogler, Steven Randazzo, Leslie Lyles, Scott Wolfe, and B.J. Sage. Synopsis: Who could ever forget the day they tried to move out of their parents’ house? Charlie is in his twenties, a toll booth collector, and desperately wants to leave his parents’ home for good. His mother, Carol, couldn’t agree more, after having dealt with her first son who was a permanent fixture in the family’s house until his early thirties. Charlie’s endeavor to finally live on his own is ultimately both touching and comical, as he tries to overcome some setbacks and obstacles.
Additional Facts: • Won the Best Film/ Jersey Grown Award at the Red Bank Film Festival and the Best Comedy Short at the Atlantic City Film Festival; • Botti spent six months looking for the perfect actor for the lead role, Charlie (played by Dan Fogler), and nearly scrapped the entire project because of it; • Fogler’s portrayal of a toll collector on the Garden State Parkway was so convincing that drivers actually thought he was legitimate, some even asking for directions.
7
New Italian American Cinema
True Love Waits (Dina Fiasconaro, 2004; 17 min.) Synopsis: Told with sensitivity and tenderness, True Love Waits recounts the story of two elderly neighbors who share a short-lived and meaningful romance.
Two Family House (Raymond De Felitta, 2000; 108 min.) With Michael Rispoli, Kelly Macdonald, Kathrine Narducci, Kevin Conway. Synopsis: A retrospective narration looking back to the year 1956 in Staten Island with two Italian Americans, Buddy and his wife Estelle, struggling to make a living. Buddy is a factory worker but, more importantly, a dreamer. He decides to buy a run-down house, planning to manage a bar downstairs while living upstairs with Estelle. Estelle hates Buddy’s business decision from the start, since
Brooklyn Lobster (Kevin Jordan, 2005; 94 min.) With Danny Aiello, Jane Curtin, Daniel Sauli, Marisa Ryan, Heather Burns.
8
Synopsis: Brooklyn Lobster features a lobster farm called Giorgio’s Lobster Farm in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn that has proudly given New York State the freshest and best tasting seafood for over 65 years. Frank Giorgio, the owner of the farm, stumbles upon severe money problems after his bank threatens to foreclose.
Additional facts: • Presented at the Columbia Film Festival (2004).
his previous endeavors have always resulted in failure. Eventually, the upstairs apartment is rented to an Irish couple, a pregnant Mary and her abusive and alcoholic husband Jim, who fail to pay their rent. Buddy is suspicious that the couple is up to no good and, with the help of his friends from his bar, tries to evict them. All of Buddy’s efforts are in vain: Mary goes into labor with a baby that is obviously not white, and the distraught Jim abandons her soon after. Buddy succeeds in finally evicting Mary, but his budding friendship with her will forever change both of their lives.
Additional Facts: • Won the Special Recognition Award for excellence in filmmaking from the National Board of Review, USA (2000), the Audience Award at the SundanceFilmFestival(2000); • Michael Rispoli won the Best Actor Award at the Verona Love Screens Film Festival and Kelly Macdonald nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead (2001); • Nominated for the Grand Special Prize at the Deauville Film Festival (2000); • Soundtrack partly provided by the famous jazzist John Pizzarelli.
It turns out to be a huge blow to Frank’s self esteem, who bases his self worth upon the gleaming success of his business. Consequently, each family member suffers strains in their personal lives and relationships, particularly with Frank, as he becomes estranged from both his wife and children. He is forced to discover new ways to keep their renowned business open for their customers and to preserve their family tradition, despite his stubborn adherence to old practices and customs.
Additional Facts: • Inspired by Jordan’s actual family-run fish shop, Jordan’s Lobster Deck, in Sheepshead Bay; • Based on a true story.
True Love (Nancy Savoca, 1989; 104 min.) With Annabella Sciorra, Ron Eldard, Vincent Pastore, Aida Turturro. Synopsis: In the Bronx, Donna and Michael are dealing with their life-changing decision of marriage, plus all the preparation that comes with it. In addition to the normal steps they must go through, such as picking out the right tux and planning the perfect reception, Michael is struggling with his own doubts about their hasty decision in the first place. Savoca depicts marital relations
The Sweet New (Raymond Rea, 2007; 52 min.) Synopsis: The Sweet New is a highly experimental narrative that tells the story of dramatic change within three generations of an Italian American family, while simultaneously placing transsexuality alongside the immigrant experience of emigration and assimilation.
The Blinking Madonna and Other Miracles (Beth Harrington, 1994; 56 min.) With Jeff Miller. Synopsis: Beth Harrington accidentally gets a shot on film of what looks like a blinking Virgin Mary statue as it passes by during a parade at an Italian American festival in Boston. Interweaving scenes from her own childhood with the footage caught on tape, she must come to terms with her own religiosity, as well as face the intense and passionate reactions from the people to whom she shows the notorious video.
as both overwhelming yet loving, while dissecting the essential cultural and gender elements of being part of an Italian American family, particularly the utmost rigid role that a woman is forced to hold. Savoca additionally explores the difference between what is required by marriage and what so-called ‘true love’ entails. Additional Facts: • Won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival (1989), the Prize San Sebastián at the San Sebastián Film Festival (1989), and received the
• •
•
•
OCIC Award for Honorable Mention at the San Sebastián Film Festival (1989); Hailed as one of the best films of the year in 1989 by the New York Times; Nominated for the Independent Spirit Awards for Best Director and Best Feature; Annabella Sciorra nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Female Lead (1990); Savoca was honored by Woman in Film and Television, WIFT (1998).
Additional Facts: • Shot all on a soundstage to create the reality of camp; • Rea’s family’s background and history produced the script with emigration, assimilation, and transformation.
Additional Facts: • Won the Jury Award for Best Documentary at the Sinking Creek Film Festival (1996), the Best of the Fest Award at the Northampton Film Festival (1996), the Award for Conceptual Originality at the New England Film and Video Festival (1996), and the Bronze Apple Award at the National Educational Media Network, USA (1997).
9
New Italian American Cinema
Pishadoo (Michael Canzoniero and Marco Ricci, 1997; 22 min.) With Kathrine Narducci, Rocky Tortorella, Andrew Maldonado, Nicholas De Cegli, Josephine Vanaria. Synopsis: Pishadoo humorously depicts how things are run in a barbershop in a predominantly Italian American neighborhood in the Bronx, with eight-year-old Freddy who dreams of becoming a barber like his father. While Freddy’s friends have very different hopes, dreams, and interests from himself, Freddy only thinks about cutting hair
Tiramisù (Leonard Guercio, 2002; 17 min.) Synopsis: A story about an Italian American family in South Philadelphia, where doing what is considered “honorable,” according to certain established customs and traditions, is of utmost importance. Guercio documents love, responsibility, and commitment within this Italian American family and how it affects their friends. Tiramisù’s surprise ending is just like the dessert tiramisù, where its powerful espresso clashes, yet melds, with the sweet filling of mascarpone cream.
10
Nunzio’s Second Cousin (Tom De Cerchio, 1994; 18 min.) With Vincent D’Onofrio, Miles Perlich, Eileen Brennan, David Fresco, Harry Waters Jr., Seth Green. Synopsis: Sergeant Tony Randazzo is a husky gay police officer in Chicago. When he leaves a bar late at night with Levon, his date for the evening, a group of high-school
because it’s a cornerstone of his family’s lineage and identity. Freddy helps his father out in his barbershop and is particularly elated when he gets a full case of hair cutting tools on his birthday. When Freddy is finally old enough to pursue his own profession, he learns the tricks of the trade from his father instead of going to barber school. Unfortunately, he is not the barber he aspires to be and ruins every client’s hair, hence the title “pishadoo” which is Italian dialect for a bad haircut. Freddy eventually discovers his calling, combining what he loves and what he wants to do as an adult.
Additional Facts: • Won the Certificate of Excellence Award for Best Technical Production at the Williamsburg Brooklyn Film Festival (1998); • Canzoniero was honored by the N.Y.C. Council on the Arts and the National Italian-American Foundation for his work concerning the ItalianAmerican experience.
Additional Facts: • Presented at the Philadelphia Film Festival in 2003; • Guercio manages the Motion Picture Lab in Temple University’s School of Communication and Theater, where he is also an adjunct professor in the Film and Media.
homophobes attack them with baseball bats, in their desire to engage in, as they put it, “fagbashing.” The homophobes suddenly stop after Tony flashes his gun. Tony bizarrely forces the leader of the gang, Jimmy, to have dinner at his house the following night, where he learns about sexual tolerance after he witnesses Tony’s wild and comedic family interactions.
. Additional Facts: • The film debuted at the Telluride Film Festival in 1994. • The film is part of the anthology Boy’s Life 2 (1997).
Puccini for Beginners (Maria Maggenti, 2006; 82 min.) With Elizabeth Reaser, Gretchen Mol, Justin Kirk, Julianne Nicholson. Synopsis: Samantha breaks up with New York writer and opera aficionado Allegra because of her inability to commit and supposed fear of saying “I love you.” Allegra still loves her ex-girlfriend Samantha, but rebounds with new lovers—a man named
Dirt (Nancy Savoca, 2004; 91 min.) With Julieta Ortiz, Deborah Hedwall, John Torney, Amanda Queen, Nathaniel Freeman, Yvette Mercedes. Synopsis: Dolores is an illegal immigrant working as a housemaid in the swanky Upper East Side of New York City. By working hard, she tries to give both herself and her family back home in El Salvador the life they always dreamed of. Dolores’s ultimate dream is to
Dinner Rush (Bob Giraldi, 2001; 99 min.) With Danny Aiello, Edoardo Ballerini, John Rothman, Frank Bongiorno, Lexie Sperduto, John Corbett. Synopsis: It was anything but an ordinary busy evening in Louis Cropa’s local favorite Italian restaurant called Gigino’s Trattoria in TriBeCa in New York City. Cropa is a bookie who complains of the fate of his beloved familyoriented restaurant being turned into a pretentious and trendy hotspot. Louis’s son, Udo, wants to take over his father’s restaurant, since he boasts that the restaurant is successful because of him. Louis invites a
Phillip, a philosophy professor, and a woman named Grace. Allegra tries to keep all her relations secret, thinking that Grace and Phillip don’t know of each other’s sexual involvement with her, nor does she believe that they even know each other. Like a typical complicated opera, Allegra is involved in a humorous love triangle, since Grace and Phillip have just broken up and become aware of the confusing situation.
Additional Facts: • Won the Jury Award at the Barcelona International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (2007); • Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival (2006).
build her family a house in her home country. Unfortunately, Dolores is perpetually afraid of being deported while in New York—so much so that she ponders moving back to El Salvador to be with her loving family. Misery begins to follow Dolores after she suffers through unfortunate events that make her want to leave even more, but it is only her dreams that keep her in New York.
Additional Facts: • Julieta Ortiz won the Silver Apple Award for Best Actress at the Latin American Cinema Festival of New York (2004); • Nominated for the Writer’s Guild of America Award (TV) for Best Original Long Form (2006).
detective and his wife to dinner at his restaurant one fateful night. Tensions slowly rise as the evening drags on because of guests such as the aforementioned detective, rival bookies from Queens who want to take over Cropa’s restaurant as co-partners, a bossy know-itall food critic, and quiet Ken. Ironically enough, all these guests are positioned in different areas of the restaurant like in an actual war situation—on the balcony, in a corner, and at the bar, separated by clientele in the middle of the dining area. Duncan, a gambler and sous chef, eventually wanders into the restaurant from the kitchen downstairs and provokes the inevitable, fatal ending.
Additional Facts: • Won the Audience Choice Award at the St. Louis International Film Festival (2000) and the Audience Award-Honorable Mention for Best Feature at the Sarasota Film Festival (2001); • Was filmed in only 21 days; • Giraldi was inspired by his own restaurant for the screenplay of the film.
11
New Italian American Cinema
Canvas (Joseph Greco, 2006; 101 min.) With Joe Pantoliano, Marcia Gay Hayden, Devon Gearhart, Sophia Bairley, Marcus Johns, Anthony Del Rio. Synopsis: John, a struggling working-class father, has a child named Chris with his schizophrenic wife, Mary. Mary tries to connect with Chris through painting a lighthouse on a beach, a special memory of hers of a time when she once bonded with Chris. Eventually Mary stops taking her medication and consequently hurts Chris due to excessive paranoia. Mary is then hospitalized. The family slowly falls apart even more: John and Chris perpetually argue, and John loses his job after working for fifteen years.
Goat on Fire and Smiling Fish (Kevin Jordan, 1999; 90 min.) With Derick Martini, Amy Hathaway, Steven Martini, Heather Moudy, Wesley Thompson, and Melba Englander.
12
Synopsis: Chris and Tony Remi are brothers with interesting Native American nicknames given to them by their grandmother, the moody Goat and happy Fish. They both find it hard to commit to their current girlfriends, since the girls are “high-maintenance,” “uptight,” and “whiney.” Both brothers, bored with their unfulfilling relationships, wind up seeking elsewhere for love. Tony can’t seem to keep his mail carrier, Kathy, off his
They try to patch their family back together in a rather offbeat and unique way by building a sailboat in their backyard, that even the mother is able to eventually enjoy. Additional Facts: • Greco won the Distinguished Award of Merit for Best Director and the People’s Choice Award at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (2006); he also won the Director’s Choice Award for Best Feature Film at the Sedona International Film Festival (2007); • Won the Audience Awards for Best Feature and Best Narrative Feature Film at the Nantucket and Sarasota Film Festivals (2007);
•
•
• •
mind, while Chris becomes infatuated with a gorgeous Italian woman named Anna whom he meets at a Christmas party. Additional Facts: • Won the Audience Award for Best Film at the Milan International Film Festival (2000) and the Discovery Award at the Toronto International Film Festival (1999); • Shot in only twelve days and on a budget of $40,000.
.
Joe Pantoliano won the People’s Choice Award for Best Dramatic Performance at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival (2006); Devon Gearhart nominated for the Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Feature Film of a Supporting Young Actor in a Fantasy or Drama (2008); Shot in Greco’s hometown; Storyline inspired by Greco’s own childhood.
A pena do pana (Lucia Grillo, 2005; 19 min.) With Lucia Grillo, Vincent Schiavelli, Maria Teresa Attisani. Synopsis: Nine-year-old Mariuzzedda lives in postWorld War II Calabria, Italy. Each morning, she goes to work harvesting olives, then to school, with a grumbling, empty tummy. She cannot resist the tempting scent of fresh bread coming from the bakery, and begins taking bread on credit. When Mr. Baker eventually asks her to pay what she owes, she hasn’t the money. The devout Mrs. Pious offers to pay Mariuzzedda’s debt, in exchange for her hair to make a wig for baby Jesus’ statue in church as a votive offering. Mariuzzedda must decide between giving up her locks or an inevitable beating from her mother. Through her ultimate decision to accept
Touch (Dina Ciraulo, 1995; 17 min) Synopsis: This film offers an analysis of the perception of identity of a young girl, Anna, who accompanies her sister, Denise, to her piano lesson. The car ride to the piano teacher’s house, combined with seemingly marginal realia, sets up a dichotomy class consciousness for the viewer to decipher.
Mio Paese–My Town (Katherine Gulla, 1986; 26 min.) Synopsis: Mio Paese–My Town is a documentary that tells the story of immigrants and their fellow countrymen in Calabria, Italy, which specifically features La Festa della Madonna della Luce (Feast of the Madonna of Light)—where various Palermitesi follow a statue of their patron saint throughout the streets of Palermiti and continue the celebration the next day. Three generations of Italians and Italian Americans recount the miracles associated with their
responsibility and pay the harsh, bitter consequences, Mariuzzedda proves a courage and maturity beyond her tender years. Additional Facts: • Won the Best Digital Short Film Award at the Rome Independent Film Festival; • Story based upon the true story of Grillo’s mother’s childhood in Calabria; • Dialogue spoken is the ancient form of Calabrian dialect particular to the village in the movie; • Aired nationally on Italy’s La 7 channel; • Grillo presented with an Ambassador of Calabria Award by the presidents of the Lazio and Calabria regions for her work in the southern part of the country.
Additional Facts: • Won first prize at the San Jose State University Student Film Festival.
saint, with shots of the locations where the legends supposedly occurred. While these immigrants may have left their small Italian village of Palermiti for a better life in America, they nevertheless instilled a strong sense of various Italian traditions in their new home. Ultimately, this documentary shows the palpable link between the two groups of the Palermitesi people, those here in America as well as in Italy, with the Madonna della Luce as the key to their shared identity. The title, written in both Italian and English, showcases the Italian American diaspora
and the transformation of an Italian identity here in the United States. Additional Facts: • Shot in Palermiti and Boston, Massachusetts; • Funded by the Olivetti Foundation, the Massachusetts Order of the Sons of Italy, and the Massachusetts Foundation for Humanities and Public Policy; • Was featured as a PBS National Broadcast
13
New Italian American Cinema
It’s One Family: Knock on Wood (De Nonna, 1981; 24 min.) Synopsis: Orlando Furioso is a five-foot tall performer living in Brooklyn, and is made of wood. Fifty years ago he was carved from oak and given a suit of armor by Papa Manteo and his children, and Orlando’s sword still flashes on a stage. In “It’s One Family: Knock On
Baggage (Susan Caperna Lloyd, 2001; 32 min.) Synopsis: Baggage is a documentary that depicts Caperna Lloyd’s Italian American family that struggles with issues such as gender and class, that is broken apart by their father’s slow decline due to Alzheimer’s and a rebellious sister who has run away from home. Caperna Lloyd ultimately attributes her family’s turmoil to the emotional trauma stemming
Uncovering (Mariarosy Calleri, 1996; 14 min.)
14
Synopsis: As Calleri has explained, Uncovering demands that a voice be given to female sexuality, mainly through the metaphor of a mirror that plays with the idea of a woman making a spectacle of herself. Calleri’s figure of a woman is presented as having a sub-par reality that goes beyond simple clear-cut definitions of what is means to be a female in today’s society. The mirror, further aided by Calleri’s use of cinema, therefore becomes the vehicle
Wood,” we meet puppeteers Mike and Aida Manteo, their children and grandchildren, a family bound together by a Sicilian folk tradition that dates back to the 16th Century. Mike builds marionettes; Aida sews capes and gowns; on stage, Orlando woos Angelica in the court of Charlemagne, as the entire family works together to entertain audiences across America.
Additional facts: • De Nonno has produced, written, and directed more than 40 award-winning documentary films for audiences worldwide; • He has also been the Director of the Italic Institute of America’s Aurora: an Italian language and culture scholarship program for children.
from immigration. She reminisces about her family’s past through her grandparents’ old photographs and postcards of their small village in Italy, as well as home movies of somewhat happier times. Baggage turns out to be an intense, and even disturbing, personal recollection, yet still confined to the realm of documentaries in that it is a austere presentation of an experience.
Additional Facts: • Caperna Lloyd has made four documentaries on politics, religion, mourning and pain.
for which a woman may search and redefine her identity despite social, economic, and other constraints placed upon her and also reflects Calleri’s presentation of her ideal woman; it reflects the stark different between appearances and reality. Uncovering further addresses the cinematic gaze concerning the objectification of a feminine body by proposing a subversive relationship between a female’s public and private realms.
Additional Facts:
•
.
•
Won first prize at the 20th Annual USA Film and Video Festival in Rochester, New York and second prize at the Mixed Messages Festival, also in New York; Selected as an Italian premiere in the “New Cinema” program of the 33rd Pesaro International Film Festival, Italy.
Mother-Tongue: Italian American Sons and Mothers (Marylou Tibaldi-Bongiorno, 1999; 43 min.)
who describe their special, complex, and somewhat humorous relationship they have with their Italian mothers.
With Martin Scorsese, John Turturro, Carl Capotorto, Rudolph W. Giuliani, Robert Viscusi.
Additional Facts: • New York Emmy Award Nominee (2000); • New York Festivals Gold Award recipient and Grand Jury Prize nominee (2000).
Synopsis: A short documentary featuring seven Italian American men (with Martin Scorsese and Rudy Giuliani topping the list)
Household Saints (Nancy Savoca, 1993; 124 min.) With Tracey Ullman, Vincent D’Onofrio, Lili Taylor, Judith Malina, Michael Rispoli, Michael Imperioli. Synopsis: Three generations of Italian American women struggle to live in post-World War II Little Italy in New York.
Pane amaro (Gianfranco Norelli, 2008; 104 min.) Synopsis: Gianfranco Norelli presents the rarely discussed (sometimes even vastly unknown) events of the persecution of and racism against Italian Americans and Italians that took place from 1880 until World War II. His powerful images and documentary format provide
Romance and Cigarettes (John Turturro, 2005; 105 min.) With Kate Winslet, James Gandolfini, Susan Sarandon, Steve Buscemi, Aida Turturro, Mandy Moore, Mary-Louise Parker, Christopher Walken. Synopsis: Romance and Cigarettes is a musical love story depicting the everyday world of family and relationship problems the working class faces. Nick is an ironworker who has three daughters with his wife Kitty, a simple dressmaker. Despite
One woman, as a young girl, grew up in a household with a fervently Catholic mother and eventually had to accept an “arranged” marriage. Her daughter, as a young woman, becomes even more devout than her grandmother and decides to follow a series of quasi super-human rites of passage in order to be canonized as a saint.
Additional Facts: •
•
•
Lili Taylor won the Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Female (1994); Vincent D’Onofrio nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Male Lead (1994); Nominated for the Independent Spirit Award for Best Screenplay (1994).
the viewer with a comprehensive understanding of what happened during that tragic period and the plights both Italians and Italian Americans alike suffered during the first half of the twentieth century. Additional Facts: Aired on Italian State Television, RAI3, in 2007.
•
Nick’s love for Kitty, he can’t seem to remain faithful to her and has many affairs, one being the fiery and sensual redheaded Tula. Nick eventually gets kicked out of the house by Kitty and must find a way to win her back by discovering the true value of a relationship. When the characters can no longer express themselves through speech, they lip-synch to songs, which allows them to escape their brutal world. Additional Facts: • Nominated for the Gold Lion Award at the Venice Film Festival (2005)
15
New Italian American Cinema New Italian American Cinema New Italian American Cinema New Italian American Cinema
Research by Andrea di Camillo and Marina Melchionda Edited by Letizia Airos Soria All information included in this program has been researched through the Internet. Special thanks to: www.reelzchannel.com www.videodetective.com www.trovacinema.repubblica.it www.imdb.com Cover photo: Lucia Grillo and Maria Teresa Attisani in “A Pena do Pana� by Lucia Grillo