Articles by: Natasha Lardera

  • Art & Culture

    CANNES - Alice Rohrwacher's The Wonders Gets the Grand Prix


    The 67th Cannes Film Festival has come to an end and among the winners we find an Italian director: Alice Rohrwacher won the Grand Prix prize, the second most prestigious award, for her film The Wonders (Le Meraviglie). She is the first Italian female director to ever win such a prestigious award at the festival, before her, Jane Champion, the judge who awarded Rohrwacher her prize, was the only woman to have ever taken home a Palme D’Or, for her film The Piano. Jane Campion served as president of the jury, which also included Willem Dafoe, Carole Bouquet, Gael Garcia Bernal, Jeon Do-yeon, Jia Zhangke, Leila Hatami and Nicolas Winding Refn. The festival's top honor, the Palme D’or, went to Winter’s Sleep, directed by Nuri Bilge Ceylan, while other winners include Timothy Spall, Best Actor for his role in Mr. Turner; Julianne Moore, Best Actress for her role in Maps to the Stars; and Bennett Miller, Best Director for Foxcatcher.


    This was not the first time Rohrwacher was at Cannes, her  first feature film, 2011's “Corpo Celeste,” was screened during the Director’s Fortnight, received the Cannes’ Città di Roma prize for emerging cinema from Latin countries.


    Rohrwacher was handed the award by Italian film legend Sophia Loren, who was visibly proud of the young Tuscan/German director. After a standing ovation, Rohrwacher was able to say “I thank everybody. I thank the jury because your work has made me fall in love with this business and has taken me here. Living this adventure has been painful, just like rehumatisms, but I hope it's a omen of good luck for the future, for us all.” The director also took her time to thank her family and her sister Alba, a shining star of Italian cinema who also participated in The Wonders.  


    The film has been balled as a gentle and textured coming-of-age story “inspired by the director’s own childhood in the countryside between Umbria, Lazio and Tuscany.” (The Telegraph).


    The story “follows a part-German, part-Italian family in the west of the latter country. Stern, stubborn but loving father Wolfgang (Sam Louwyck) makes his living off the land as people in the area have for generations, with the family business mostly revolving around honey, but a change in health and safety laws starts to threaten their future. He also longs for a son, living with his wife (Alba Rohrwacher),  sister-in-law (Sabine Timoteo) and four daughters, the oldest of which, Gelsomina (Maria Alexandra Lungu), is already dreaming of escape, or at least something bigger. Something bigger soon arrives, as the children stumble across the filming of a TV competition show that judges local produce, and is hosted by the glamorous Milly Catena (Monica Bellucci). Almost simultaneously, in a bid to raise some extra cash, Wolfgang takes in Martin, a troubled, near-mute German boy (Luis Huilca Logrono) who's been threatened with juvenile detention if he doesn't fall into line.” (Indiwire). Therefore the film addresses a few different topics: growing up and all it entails, from dealing with responsibility to first love, and  witnessing the imminent end of a way of life that's too attached to the past (families are struggling to get by  and tourists are taking over).


    Rohrwacher denies that the film is autobiographical. “It seems autobiographical because it is set in a familiar territory for me, but in reality, it isn’t,” she said in an interview in Italian with CineBlog. “The story is completely made up, however it’s clear whatever stories we tell are always seen through our own perception.” Rohrwacher was indeed born in Fiesole, Tuscany, to an Italian mother and a German father. The latter is a beekeeper and beekeeping is also a prominent theme in the film.


    This has been a great victory that gives yet another incentive to all Italian filmmakers to continue doing what they are doing and that despite the lukewarm reception of the Italian press has conquered the international scene.
  • Tourism

    Piemonte, Being More than Food & Wine

    “Go to Piemonte. It's not just a question of wine. It's not just a question of food... it's about the landscapes, the people, the air...” Eugenio Magnani, the director of the Italian Tourist Board told the audience before introducing Angelo Feltrin, executive manager of the Sviluppo Piemonte Agency.

    Who goes to Piemonte now? According to Feltrin, intereviewed by i-Italy after the event, “the American tourist who goes to Piemonte is someone in his forties and up. We do not have a market for younger generations, except for Torino itself that has a lot to offer for everybody.

    The American tourist is particularly interested in the Langhe region and the lakes. This is the most sought after area because of its variety. It offers the best of oenogastronomy – this is where you find white truffles, for example. Back in the 20s nobody wanted truffles, because they smell, and they were fed to pigs. But a local man, Mr. Morra turned it into a worldwide sensation. And Americans come for it.”

    A favorite destination? “Lake Maggiore,” Feltrin continued, “on Lake Maggiore sport and open air lovers feel like kings. For those who love two wheels, the area boasts 170 km of cycling paths both on paved and unpaved roads.

    Piemonte is a land of cycling, since forever. It's the place that legendary championss like Fausto Coppi and Costante Girardengo called home. There are more than three hundred routes through mountains, plains, lakes and hills. Since forever Piemonte has been a stop in the most important international cycling events – from Tour de France to Giro d'Italia.

    This year, the latter will host welcome exciting stages: the brand new Wine Stopwatch Barbaresco-Braolo (May 22), the Fossano-Rivarolo Canavese (May 23), the Aglie-Oropa (May 24) with the finish line dedicated to the great cyclist Marco Pantani on the tenth anniversary of his death, and finally the start for the 15th stage from Valdengo (May 25).”

    Every year Piemonte hosts the Fausto Coppi le Alpi del Mare International Cycling Marathon, which takes place in Cuneo (this year it will be on July 13).

    So in order to have more Americans know about it and all the other events taking place in the region, the Piemonte has decided to partner up with the Granfondo New York.

    “The Gran Fondo New York was founded in 2010 by avid competitive cyclists with a mission to bring Italian cycling culture to the New York and New Jersey region and to raise the profile of competitive cycling in the United States.

    On Sunday May 18, almost 5,000 professional and amateur cyclists from 70 countries and 48 states participated in this exciting cycling event.

    Cyclists started on the iconic George Washington Bridge and cycled the 100-mile course that took them through New York State and New Jersey up to Bear Mountain State Park and back down to the finish line at Ross Dock Picnic Area, the riverfront area in Palisades Interstate Park in Fort Lee, NJ. NYC's mayor, Bill deBlasio called it “a celebration of Italian heritage, of cycling, and of New York City.”

    The Gran Fondo was preceded by the NYC Bike Expo, the most-attended consumer bike expo in the nation and Piemonte was there too.

    In collaboration with the Italy America Chamber of Commerce, the region presented, in a booth inside the historical Lexington Armory, all its numerous touristic opportunities in connection to cycling.

    “Piemonte features hotels that have been built just for cyclists,” Feltrin added “if anybody has problems with their bike's chain, or gets a flat tire they can stop at these special hotels where trained personnel can fix it all.

    This is on great importance as cyclists know they can find assistance anywhere. As of now the biggest cycling tourism we have is from Germany, and we want to expand.”

    But there is more than cycling in Piemonte: there are challenging hikes, rock climbing, bouldering, cross-country and downhill skiing. “

    Let's not forget that Piemontes hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics, that despite the great cost, of which we are still paying a price, have put the regions and its peaks on the map of all dedicated skiers,” Feltrin concluded.

    Not that we do not care about sports, but we want to know something more about the upcoming Expo 2015, how does Torino fit in the picture? “Milan is basically already overbooked,” Feltrin explained, “They only have a certain amount of hotels and places to stay. Torino is only 30 minutes away by train and there is plenty of room for everybody – those going to the expo everyday and those who want to explore the rest of Piemonte as well.

    Torino is not only close to Milan, but in 30 minutes you can go up to the mountains to ski, or in 1 hour you are on a beach in Liguria and in 80 minutes you can buy a baguette in France. It's a small city but it is at the center of everything.”

    And thanks to the promotional activities of the Sviluppo Piemonte Agency, the Italian Tourist Board, the Italy America Chamber of Commerce and the local tour operators that are collaborating with them, Piemonte is becoming the region it deserves to be.
  • Arte e Cultura

    Enrico Brignano: Vi porto l'anima di Roma

    Arriva a New York Rugantino, un classico del teatro musicale italiano. E arriva, come per le passate edizioni, con scene e costumi originali firmati da Giulio Coltellacci. A curarne la messa in scena e a recitarlò è l' attore italiano Erinco Brignano, che ricalcherà la regia originale di Garinei e Giovannini.

     E  nella grande Mela arriva anche per un motivo molto speciale. Celebrare i 50 anni dalla sua prima rappresentazione a Broadway del 1964, quando calcarono le scene i grandi Nino Manfredi e Aldo Fabrizi.
     

    Lo spettacolo sarà in scena al City Center di New York il 12, 13 e 14 giugno 2014, ma nel frattempo Brignano è impegnato in un’intensa attività di promozione che lo ha visto partecipare ad un evento organizzato appiosta per celebrarlo presso Bulgari, fino ad una lezione agli studenti della Scuola d’Italia Gugliemo Marconi.
     

    Scritto da Garinei & Giovannini, Pasquale Festa Campanile, Massimo Franciosa, con la collaborazione artistica di Luigi Magni») e musiche di Armando Trovajoli, Rugantino fu rappresentato per la prima volta al Teatro Sistina di Roma il 15 dicembre 1962. Da allora è stato un crecendo di successi con spettacoli che hanno visto alternare grandi nomi del teatro italiano.
     

    Dopo alcune serate a Toronto, fu rappresentato a Broadway, nel febbraio del 1964, al teatro Mark Hellinger, dove per tre settimane registrò il tutto esaurito.
     

    Nell’attesa di questo grande spettacolo, che vede passare oltreoceano non solo una grandisismo cast, ma anche le scenografie orginali di cinquanta anni fa, abbiamo rivolto a Enrico Brignano alcune domande.

    Come ti presenti agli americani e a tutti gli italo-americani che non ti conoscono?

    Col sorriso di sempre, lo stesso con cui mi presento al pubblico italiano, consapevole del grande onore e della fortuna di poter recitare in America e portando con orgoglio una storia italiana antica come il tempo. Una storia di eros e thanatos in una Roma del Papa Re, ambientata nel 1830.
     

    Rugantino è una storia divertente di grande coraggio, una storia sul potere dell’amore che va oltre la morte. 

    Come ti sei preparato?

    Questa è la sesta edizione del Rugantino. La prima debuttò al Mark Hellinger Theatre nel 1964. La cosa che mi ha portato a mettere in scena il Rugantino è la Tradizione. Mi sono preparato con grande dedizione, grande amore e professionalità. L’ispirazione alle edizioni precedenti è inevitabile, come ho detto è la Tradizione ad avermi avvicinato a questa storia, e le precedenti edizioni segnano la tradizione, sono la storia di questo spettacolo. Per ovvii motivi c’è un po’ di tutte le edizioni e di tutti gli interpreti che mi hanno preceduto. ma se dovessi definire quest'edizione con un aggettivo direi, più virile.
     

    Parliamo della traduzione .Ci saranno dei sovratitoli in inglese. Ci sono stati cambiamenti per l'audience americana. C’è qualcosa che vi preoccupa che non venga da loro colto? (magari qualche gioco di parola)

    No, non ci sono cambiamenti, gli unici cambiamenti apportati riguardano i sottotitoli, stiamo cercandi di trovare un adattamento del linguaggio rispetto a quelli del ‘64 perché è ovviamente da allora il linguaggio americano, lo slang, è cambiato. E’ chiaro che molti giochi di parole non possono essere compresi pienamente da un pubblico non italiano e non romano aggiungerei, ma voi mi insegnate che la lingua originale di un’opera teatrale o cinematografica non è mai totalmente traducibile.  
     

    Brignano per questo spettacolo curi anche la regia. Cosa vuol dire per te questa doppia veste?

    Va detto che in realtà più che la regia,  ho fatto la messa in scena. I costumi e le scegrafie sono quelle originali, le stesse del ‘64, per cui potrei dire che l’”archeologia” dello spettacolo è invariata. La mia è una messa in scena di cui mi assumo tutte le responsabilità. Sicuramente ho sentito la doppia fatica che però mi ha anche permesso di sentirmi maggiormente coinvolto in questa storia così antica. Il mio interesse è stato quello di studiare le biografie non solo degli interpreti ma di tutti quelli che hanno realizzato lo spettacolo,  Armando Trovajoli per le musiche, Pasquale Festa Campanile e Luigi Franciosa per la sceneggiatura, Giulio Coltellacci per le scenografie e i costumi, ovviamente Garinei e Giovannini per il soggetto e non ultimo Luigi Magni. Il Rugantino ti dà la sensazione di portare qualcosa che appartiene al passato ma che è sempre giovane, perché parla di una storia che ci appartiene. E’ l’invenzione della commedia musicale per eccellenza che, a differenza del musical,  ha come punto di forza gli attori e non solo la storia. Infatti molto spesso nelle commedie musicali italiane è molto difficile la sostituzione degli attori, perché spesso sono scritte proprio ispirandosi all’attore che le interpreterà, a differenza dei grandi musical, dove la storia prende il sopravvento e attori molto bravi possono intercambiarsi. 
     

    Il Rugantino può essere in un certo senso paragonato ad uno della tradizione di Broadway?

    Penso di no, che non sia paragonalbile ad alcuoi degli spettacoli di Broadway, innanzitutto per l’ambietazione, nessun musical di Broadway parla dell’epoca papale, in cui vigeva la pena di morte. Il Rugantino parla di una storia prettamente italiana, romana, è una commedia ma con un finale amaro. E non saprei quanti spettacoli di Broadway finisco con la morte per decapitazione del protagonista. 
     

    E cosa pensi dei musical americani?

    Sono un grande appassionato degli spettacoli di Broadway, vado tutte le volte che posso, da oltre 10 anni. Ho visto numerosi grandi classici, da Kinky Boots a Cinderella, da Mamma Mia al Fantasma dell’opera e molti altri.

    Ma New York ora aspetta il suo Rugantino, e vuole vedere come è riuscito a ricreare lo spirito della Roma papalina.

    ----
     

  • Honoring Italian American Women @ the 2014 NOIAW Gala

    “I've been on the NOIAW, the only national membership organization for women of Italian ancestry, board for many years. Several years ago we became a national organization, and I think that's been a very exciting development for us.

     

    At the end of December I have retired from my full-time law practice and I still practice law but now I have the time to give the proper attention to this organization. I hope to see us grow and have the opportunity to have more cultural programs in regions around the country, to provide more scholarships, to continue our cultural exchange with Italy, which I think is important, and to just harness the energy of all our constituents and see that more  younger women join us.”

    This is what Patricia Martone, Chair Elect of the National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW) told i-Italy during their 2014 Gala, held at the St. Regis, honoring writer and producer Lisa Lemole Oz. Mistress of ceremonies and auctioneer was Ornella Fado.

    “NOIAW, which was founded in 1980 under the leadership of Dr. Aileen Riotto Sirey and a small group of Italian American women, is the premier organization for women of Italian heritage that is committed to preserving Italian heritage, language and culture by promoting and supporting the advancement of women of Italian ancestry. NOIAW serves its members through cultural programs and networking opportunities, and supports young women through nationally acclaimed scholarship, mentoring and cultural exchange programs.”

    “Both of my parents had recently passed away and I felt like I was really getting out of touch with my roots because I didn't have many living relatives,” Chair Martone continues, “And so a friend of mine suggested that I get in contact with NOIAW so that I could continue to be with people of Italian background and enjoy it. My father's family was from a small town in the Campania region, my mother's family was not Italian but she was really good at cooking Italian food for me and the atmosphere at home was very Italian.”

    Mrs. Martone's reason for joining NOIAW is not so different from the reasons behind the membership of many other women of varied professional backgrounds  who want to stay connected with their roots. At the gala doctors, lawyers, artists, nurses, educators, writers and women of all professions came together to to celebrate the organization's accomplishments, to raise funds for the development and implementation of programs such as scholarship programs, cultural exchange programs and social and networking opportunities. 

    “As we celebrate our organization's accomplishments,” Betty Santangelo, departing NOIAW's Chair, said “this year we are proud to honor visionary Lisa Lemole Oz. Partnering with her husband, Dr. Mehmet Oz, she actively promotes patient empowerment, transforming the lives of consumers with vital and practical information  about living healthy, well-balanced lives via radio and TV segments, articles and books. She's an authentic and inspiring role model to the next generation of Italian American women.”

    “I am deeply moved to be honored by this outstanding organization,” Oz said after being introduced by last year's gala honoree, Donatella Arpaia, “it effectively draws upon the best of our Italian heritage and culture while supporting the educational and professional advancement of Italian American women. My life's mission is to improve quality of life and to educate people on how to do it. I've been to places where the men made the speeches and the women made coffee. But it's the women who keep culture alive, together we can accomplish more and more.”

    NOIAW has been collaborating with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) on an annual exchange program since 2007. The program brought Italian college women to the United States in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. In 2008, 20I0 and 2012 MAE hosted a group of Italian American women in Rome for a similar experience. “The contribution of Italian Americans to the city of new York and to the US has been enormous but that of Italian American women has been even grander,” Hon. Consul General Natalia Quintavalle told i-Italy. “NOIAW is the only organization that works in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which I represent, for the exchange of female students. They set a good example for other organizations, proving that  partnering with Italian institutions can be successful.”

    At the gala Vice Chair Maria Vullo presented the cultural and educational programs, while Jay Hershenson Senior Vice Chancellor of CUNY received the Friend of NOIAW Award.  Hershenson could not stress enough how important the organization's commitment to education is and how their effort is a continuous work in progress.

    “My dream would be to see the organization growing,” Chair Martone concluded, “We have some very active regions, in places like Rhode Island, Connecticut, Long Island, here in New York. I'd like to see those regions grow stronger and get them to be more involved with the people in New York, so to help more and more young women. Basically building on our strengths and growing.”

    Last but not least, at the end of such wonderful night all the guests were given a gift bag including, among many other surprises, a box of Pasta De Cecco, the real and authentic pasta of the Italian tradition in the world, since 1886. Find out the De Cecco's way to make and conceive pasta >>>
  • Life & People

    Honoring Italian American Women @ the 2014 NOIAW Gala

    “I've been on the NOIAW, the only national membership organization for women of Italian ancestry, board for many years. Several years ago we became a national organization, and I think that's been a very exciting development for us.

     

    At the end of December I have retired from my full-time law practice and I still practice law but now I have the time to give the proper attention to this organization. I hope to see us grow and have the opportunity to have more cultural programs in regions around the country, to provide more scholarships, to continue our cultural exchange with Italy, which I think is important, and to just harness the energy of all our constituents and see that more  younger women join us.”

    This is what Patricia Martone, Chair Elect of the National Organization of Italian American Women (NOIAW) told i-Italy during their 2014 Gala, held at the St. Regis, honoring writer and producer Lisa Lemole Oz. Mistress of ceremonies and auctioneer was Ornella Fado.

    “NOIAW, which was founded in 1980 under the leadership of Dr. Aileen Riotto Sirey and a small group of Italian American women, is the premier organization for women of Italian heritage that is committed to preserving Italian heritage, language and culture by promoting and supporting the advancement of women of Italian ancestry. NOIAW serves its members through cultural programs and networking opportunities, and supports young women through nationally acclaimed scholarship, mentoring and cultural exchange programs.”

    “Both of my parents had recently passed away and I felt like I was really getting out of touch with my roots because I didn't have many living relatives,” Chair Martone continues, “And so a friend of mine suggested that I get in contact with NOIAW so that I could continue to be with people of Italian background and enjoy it. My father's family was from a small town in the Campania region, my mother's family was not Italian but she was really good at cooking Italian food for me and the atmosphere at home was very Italian.”

    Mrs. Martone's reason for joining NOIAW is not so different from the reasons behind the membership of many other women of varied professional backgrounds  who want to stay connected with their roots. At the gala doctors, lawyers, artists, nurses, educators, writers and women of all professions came together to to celebrate the organization's accomplishments, to raise funds for the development and implementation of programs such as scholarship programs, cultural exchange programs and social and networking opportunities. 

    “As we celebrate our organization's accomplishments,” Betty Santangelo, departing NOIAW's Chair, said “this year we are proud to honor visionary Lisa Lemole Oz. Partnering with her husband, Dr. Mehmet Oz, she actively promotes patient empowerment, transforming the lives of consumers with vital and practical information  about living healthy, well-balanced lives via radio and TV segments, articles and books. She's an authentic and inspiring role model to the next generation of Italian American women.”

    “I am deeply moved to be honored by this outstanding organization,” Oz said after being introduced by last year's gala honoree, Donatella Arpaia, “it effectively draws upon the best of our Italian heritage and culture while supporting the educational and professional advancement of Italian American women. My life's mission is to improve quality of life and to educate people on how to do it. I've been to places where the men made the speeches and the women made coffee. But it's the women who keep culture alive, together we can accomplish more and more.”

    NOIAW has been collaborating with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MAE) on an annual exchange program since 2007. The program brought Italian college women to the United States in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013. In 2008, 20I0 and 2012 MAE hosted a group of Italian American women in Rome for a similar experience. “The contribution of Italian Americans to the city of new York and to the US has been enormous but that of Italian American women has been even grander,” Hon. Consul General Natalia Quintavalle told i-Italy. “NOIAW is the only organization that works in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which I represent, for the exchange of female students. They set a good example for other organizations, proving that  partnering with Italian institutions can be successful.”

    At the gala Vice Chair Maria Vullo presented the cultural and educational programs, while Jay Hershenson Senior Vice Chancellor of CUNY received the Friend of NOIAW Award.  Hershenson could not stress enough how important the organization's commitment to education is and how their effort is a continuous work in progress.

    “My dream would be to see the organization growing,” Chair Martone concluded, “We have some very active regions, in places like Rhode Island, Connecticut, Long Island, here in New York. I'd like to see those regions grow stronger and get them to be more involved with the people in New York, so to help more and more young women. Basically building on our strengths and growing.”

    Last but not least, at the end of such wonderful night all the guests were given a gift bag including, among many other surprises, a box of Pasta De Cecco, the real and authentic pasta of the Italian tradition in the world, since 1886. Find out the De Cecco's way to make and conceive pasta >>>
  • Events: Reports

    Enrico Brignano: The Soul of Rome Is Back

    No matter what, he’s still a boy from Dragona, a neighborhood of Rome named after giant reptiles that resembled mythical dragons. He’s outspoken, ironic and hilarious because his words are sharp and his laughter is a way to fulfill his desire of life, even though the situation he’s talking about is not really the most favorable. Enrico Brignano is one of Italy’s greatest comedy actors and his humor embodies the voice of Rome, it being the center of his comic repertoire.

    It is safe to call Brignano’s stage persona a modern-day Rugantino, the theater character (or  maschera) who personifies, in a deeply exaggerated way, the citizens of Rome. And indeed he is coming to New York City, with 50 actors, dancers and singers, to bring Rugantino, the musical comedy by Italian directors Garinei and Giovannini, to the New York City Center (June 12-14). The show will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Rugantino’s Broadway debut in February of 1964, when it played an exclusive three- week engagement at the Mark Hellinger Theater. This new, grand edition is mounted by MF Production, with executive producer Music Experience.
     

    Born in Rome in 1966, Brignano studied at the Academy for young comedians founded by another great Roman actor, Gigi Proietti.

    Through the years he has participated in several successful TV shows, he started by telling jokes in the first edition of La sai l’ultima? (literally “Do you know the latest joke?” a TV show where comedians and everyday people competed for the best joke), films and theater productions... his real passion. Between 2010 and 2011, his one-man show “Sono romano, ma non è colpa mia” (I’m Roman, but it’s not my fault) was seen by more than 200,000 people in indoor stadiums all over Italy. In it, the comedian joked about the characteristics of and highlighted the shortcomings of those living in Rome and in several other places of southern Italy. 

    The novel version of the stage play was published by Rizzoli and sold over 100,000 copies.

    “Publishing the book was an important moment of my artistic career,” Brignano has said, “It is about a love-hate relationship for a city that is amazing but that also has plenty of unbearable aspects.”

    Aspects, or rather a geographic identity, Brignano plays with while presenting them to an audience eager to laugh at its own, or the others’, strengths and weaknesses. His artistic path has brought him to play many other roles.

    Rugantino represents a young and somewhat arrogant dude who deep down is a good soul. The name of the character himself comes from the Roman word ruganza, or arroganza (arrogance).

    The character was revived by Garinei and Giovannini in their musical comedy by the same name that, for almost 50 years, has been performed worldwide thus giving new prestige and fame to this traditional Roman character without ever clouding its charm. You cannot help but fall in love with Rugantino and his arrogant, chatty, cowardly, gentle, and sweet way of being. Because Brignano’s stage persona fits in all these characteristics he has made the role his and has been performing in the show for years now.

    Tradition is what drew me to Rugantino,” Brignano told i-Italy, “I prepared with great dedication, love and professionalism. I focused on the biographies of not only the performers who have worked in the show in the past but of all those who have actually put the show together: Armando Trovajoli who composed the music, Pasquale Festa Campanile, Massimo Franciosa and Luigi Magni who wrote the dialogues, Giulio Coltellacci who designed the sets and the costumes, and of course Garinei and Giovannini, the original directors.

    Rugantino gives you the impression to bring to life something that belongs to the past but that is always contemporary, because it tells a story that belongs to us all. The ingredients of Rugantino challenge the passing of time, they are eternal, just like the city of Rome where the show is set.”

    Rugantino opened at Teatro Sistina in Rome on December 15, 1962 and through the years several famous Roman actors, such as Nino Manfredi, Enrico Montesano, and Valerio Mastandrea have played the title role. Enrico Brignano himself has played Rugantino first in November 2010 and then in February 2011. From November 2013 to February 2014 he played again at Teatro Sistina in Rome then in Milan and Florence.

    “I have decided to use the very first original script with the aim to maintain the accuracy of the dialogues,” the comedian, who is not only starring but is also directing, said, “We slightly changed some of the subtitles (indeed the comedy is performed in Italian, actually in Rome’s traditional dialect, with English subtitles) because we are adapting them to modern day slang. The language spoken today is not the same spoken back in 1964. 

    Some puns cannot be thoroughly understood by a non-Roman audience but theater goes beyond that.. it’s the whole experience that counts. Rugantino entertains and touches the audience through realistic characters that are both scoundrels and good-natured people. This is a story of great courage, a story of the power of love that at times goes beyond death. I approached it with my distinctive humor, the same one Italian audiences are so familiar with.”

    ----

    Rugantino’s storyline

    A story that belongs to all of us

    In the Papal Rome of the 19th century, there lives a young and arrogant rogue named Rugantino who despises any sort of work. He survives on his wits helped by his trusted side-kick, a girl named Eusebia, whom he passes off as his sister. The two often man- age to get a place to sleep and some food to eat simply by deceiving the first fool they run into on their path and they got to know Mastro Titta, the famous execu- tioner of the Papal State, a real historical character. In addition to being an executioner, Mastro Titta also runs an inn with his son, named Bojetto, and here he often takes care of Rugantino and Eusebia. Mastro Titta is always wandering around bearing the burden of his occupation and he does not foresee falling in love with the spontaneous Eusebia, who cannot help but fall in love as well. Yet these two are not the only characters who fall in love: the beautiful Rosetta is married to Gnecco, Er Matriciano, a city elder who happens to be a very jealous and violent man that is both admired and feared by the young Romans, including Rugantino. Things get in motion with a bet: Rugantino bets his friends that he can seduce Rosetta before the next city’s Carnival. Despite many humiliating misad- ventures, Rugantino succeeds, but ends up fall- ing in love with the beauty. At first, out of respect for her, he does not inform his friends about the real outcome of the bet. Yet his bragging nature cannot be suffocated and he cannot hold up such a discrete demeanor any longer, so he finally tells his friends he seduced her. 

    This deeply hurts Rosetta’s feelings. During the Carnival, Gnecco is murdered by a criminal, while Rugantino is somewhere else entertaining himself with a noble woman. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time (or is it the opposite here?) Rugantino is discovered by accident near the body, and so he decides to redeem himself by taking responsibility of the murder, suggesting that his mo- tive was his love for Rosetta. He is put to jail and sentenced to death. Rosetta declares her love for him, while he stands on the gallows pleading guilty and as he is facing his death, he proves to be a real man. The story ends with Mastro Titta executing Rugantino, who is finally respected and admired by everyone.


     


     

     
  • Life & People

    Talking Literature and Films @ Le Conversazioni 2014

    That of 2014 is its ninth edition. Le Conversazioni is a literary festival created by two Italian film personalities: professor and writer Antonio Monda and Davide Azzolini. The festival takes place in the beautiful island of Capri, in New York and, for the first time this year, in Rome.

    The new edition was introduced by Monda himself at Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimo', and, like every year, the festival's founder has presented the latest topic of discussion, “Corruption & Purity,” and a documentary on "Winners and Losers" the topic of 2013.
     

    That was just a special preview, the festival officially opened its doors on May 8th at the Morgan Library where Isabella Rossellini and Salman Rushdie talked about The Films of Their Life, or rather the films that have influenced their lives and work.

    Previous guests were Renzo Piano, Mark di Suvero, Michael Cunningham, Gay Talese, Paul Schrader, Jonathan Franzen, Martin Amis, Ian Buruma, A.M. Homes, Daniel Mendelsohn, Marina Abramovic, Daniel Libeskind, Julie Taymor, and Jeffrey Eugenides.

    There is always a special atmosphere at this event, in part due to the magic of literature that impregnates even the walls of the wonderful Morgan Library but mostly due to the intimacy that is established by Monda with his guests. As from the pov of the audience, I can say that although you are sitting in a rather large auditorium (and I was lucky enough to sit right by Italian singer Jovanotti and British novelist Patrick McGrath) you don't feel like a dot but an active member of this conversation, as it happened in the “salons.”

    Needless to say “the salon was an Italian invention of the 16th century which flourished in France throughout the 17th and 18th centuries.  A salon is a gathering of people under the roof of an inspiring host, held partly to amuse one another and partly to refine the taste and increase the knowledge of the participants through conversation. These gatherings often consciously followed Horace's definition of the aims of poetry, "either to please or to educate." (Wikipedia)

    The structure of the conversation is pretty simple, each guest introduces 4 films that he/she has been inspired by and then talks about it with the others. Surprisingly this year there were quiet a few science fiction picks, including a classic “2001 Space Odissey.”

    Just one Italian film, “Stromboli,” introduced by Isabella Rossellini who grew up with films being edited in her home. In fact when asked “What's the first film you remember watching?” Rossellini replied, “I am not sure. My dad used to edit his films at home, so those images were always in the background. I don't remember going to to movies to see something.” Rusdhie could not remember either as “growing up in Bombay, a major city for film production, films were playing or being shot on the streets all the time.”

    The scene of “Stromboli” that was picked is a famous one, the one of the “mattanza,” the annual ritual of tuna fish fishing. “Those are the most impressive shots of the ritual ever taken,” Rossellini said, “and it shows an abundance that now is long gone.” Rushdie was familiar with the film and Neo-realism is his favorite Italian film movement... although, he joked, “there are some inconsistencies. De Sica's famous film in America is titles “The Bicycle Thief,” but in England it's “The Bicycle Thieves.” Are there more thieves in England? The film is the same, but why is the title different?” Jokes aside,   Rushdie's favorite Italian director is Fellini “especially for his representation of childhood and his ability to transform something ordinary in extraordinary.”

    And all the films picked were pretty extraordinary, especially Chaplin's “The Circus” (1928), a silent film where the comedian is a clown who can only be funny unintentionally, not on purpose. In the scene picked he is walking on a rope and monkeys are all over him making it basically impossible to stand up. “I picked this scene because it is so funny, and comedy is an important aspect in life,” Rossellini said, “Mostly I picked it for the monkeys, as I have a real interest in animals.” After admitting that he prefers Buster Keaton to Chaplin, because his making comedy was more unexpected, Rushdie made the audience laugh again when, to Monda's question on “why aren't comedies taken seriously for big Awards?” he replied “People don't think it's serious, because it's not serious. Simple as that!” This was also the first time the two guests picked the same film, and it was the case of Kubrick's “Dr. Strangelove,”the British-American comedy that satirizes the nuclear scare starring Peter Sellers. “This was a case though of a serious topic treated with humor and it results in a unique, unforgettable film.”

    The next appointment with Le Conversazioni will be, for the first time ever, in Rome on June 17-19. The meetings, three in total, will be with important Italian personalities and will be held in the
    Salone degli Arazzi @ Rai. Next stop will be in beautiful and sunny Capri, for two weekends from June 27th to July 6th, in the breathtaking Piazzetta Tragara. Before each meeting each guest will read unpublished texts written just for the Conversazione on the given topic. The 2014 edition will then end on November 6th at the Morgan Library with another The Films of Their Life with aforementioned Patrick McGrath and British novelist Zadie Smith.

  • Facts & Stories

    Valeria Bruni Tedeschi Wins Best Actress @ Tribeca Film Festival


    Valeria Bruni Tedeschi has won Best Actress in the World Narrative category at the 13th edition of the of the Tribeca Film Festival, the film festival founded by Robert De Niro and Jane Rosenthal, for her performance as Carla Bernaschi for her performance in Paolo Virzi's Human Capital. The actress, who is Carla Bruni's older sister, is not a Tribeca newbie. Her debut film as a director, It's easier for a camel, won awards at the 2003 edition.


    “In her elegant portrayal of a profoundly conflicted wife and mother,” the jury, comprised by Lake Bell, Steve Conrad, Bart Freundlich, Catherine Hardwicke and Ben Younger explained, “this actress crafts a complex performance of a woman wrestling between love, family and obligation. She layers both strength and fragility without self-consciousness, with a fearlessness to exercise both subtlety and restraint.”


    Carla is a rich woman, a wife and a mother, with not much to do with all her money... she buys antiques just to do something, or rather, it seems that she goes to the antique store just for the company of its owner, another well to do woman. What else can she do with her time? Her pet project is the restoration of an old theater, but life gets in the way. “ Acting in this film has been totally natural,” Valeria Bruni Tedeschi said after her victory, “I felt welcome, at home, that's why working with Virzi is fantastic.”


    Human Capital is a thriller that begins at the end, as a cyclist is run off the road by an SUV the night before Christmas Eve. As details emerge of the events leading up to the accident, the lives of the well-to-do Bernaschi family, privileged and detached, will intertwine with the Rovellis, struggling to keep their comfortable middle-class life, in ways neither could have expected. Dino Rovelli, played by Fabrizio Bentivoglio, in dire financial straits, anticipates the birth of twins with his second wife. Meanwhile, Dino’s teenage daughter’s relationship with hedge-fund manager Giovanni Bernaschi’s playboy son complicates an already tricky social dance of status, money and ambition. The film also stars Valeria Golino in the role of Dino's wife Roberta and Fabrizio Gifuni in the role of Carla's husband Giovanni.


    “The film was inspired by an American novel, Human Capital by Stephen Amidon,” Virzi told i-italy in an eclusive interview during the festival, “We have adapted it taking lots of liberties but the heart of the novel is, of course, there. I really admire the author and I am a fan of his work, I think he is a young writer who has those special qualities that many great American “social” writers possess... through the thriller genre they actually portray, accurately, contemporary society. The story is about the consequences on people's lives caused by a value system where money reigns supreme, during the years of the financial crisis.”


    Following Tribeca and a domestic festival run, the film, which will be distributed by New York based company Film Movement, will see a theatrical release in early 2015 and subsequent VOD and home video release.
  • Facts & Stories

    With Two Popes @ Saint Patrick's Cathedral

    On Sunday April 27, New York City wanted to take part to the celebrations for the canonization of Popes John XXIII and John Paul II. Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, known to be the pope who started the Second Vatican Council, and Karol Wojtyla, known to be pontiff during the Cold War and the era of globalization, were proclaimed saints on that same day as desired by Pope Francis.

    The Consulate General of the Republic of Poland and the Consulate General of Italy organized a special evening at Saint Patrick's Cathedral, Fifth Avenue's prominent landmark and Neo-Gothic style Roman Catholic church.

    The festivities included performances of religious music and readings of selected excerpts of both Pope’s encyclicals. The songs were performed by tenor Francesco Pavesi, mezzo soprano Edyta Kulczak and organist Eugeniusz Wawrzyniak, while the readings were executed by professor and journalist Antonio Monda, by popular jazz singer Urszula Dudziak, and by the mayor of Allentown (Pennsylvania) Ed Pawlowski.

    A crowd of 80% Polish Catholics, of international tourists and some Italians, was welcomed by Rev. Monsignor Robert Ritchie, rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral, who spoke in the name of Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who was in Rome for the celebrations in Vatican City. “Cardinal Dolan has always been a great admirer of Pope John Paul II, since a young age,” Ritchie said, “Each year, for the past nine years, the Consulate General of the Republic of Poland has organized a special evening to remember and celebrate him. This year the event is different, it's more special because of the canonization, and we could not be more honored. Saint Patrick's cathedral is a place where people come for the love of God, let me welcome you all in our embrace and moment of joy.”

    “Today we celebrate two Popes in three languages in the international community of New York City,” Hon. Ewa Junczyk-Ziomecka, the Consul General of Poland said , “So let this be a multicultural presentation. John Paul II was the second longest standing Pope, the first non Italian since Pope Adrian VI  (who died in 1523) , a world traveler (he visited 129 countries during his pontificate) whose scope was to bring people together by building bridges between Christians and believers of other religions. John XXIII, also known as “Il Papa Buono” (the Good Pope) opened the Second Vatican Council. His passionate views on equality were summed up in his famous statement: “We were all made in God's image, and thus, we are all Godly alike.” Both loved for breaking down barriers, fighting for human rights and bringing together people of different faiths. How do we speak to a community of people coming from different cultures? With the universal language of music.”

    “We are so thankful to the Polish Consulate for allowing us to join in the extraordinary celebrations that have taken place in Rome and also to take part to this special evening they have organized for the past 9 years,” Hon. Natalia Quintavalle, Consul General of Italy said, “these two Popes have left an indelible mark on the soul of our society as they changed the course of human history. Tonight we are here, all together, to express our affection and our gratitude. As many of you don't know him well, I want to tell you something about John XXIII. He made many passionate speeches during his pontificate, one of which was on the day that he announced the Second Vatican Council in the middle of the night to the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square.“Il Discorso della Luna” was given on October11th 1962.”

    The council, formally opened under the pontificate of Pope John XXIII and under Pope Paul VI in 1965, became ideally known for its renewal of Catholic doctrine in a modern time line and perspective. Pope John XXIII spoke directly to the children and told them that the moon was looking down at them and at that special night at Saint Peter's Square. He spoke directly to their parents too asking them to go home and “caress your children and tell them that the caress was from the Pope. You will find some tears to dry, say a good word: the Pope is with us, especially in times of sadness and bitterness.”

    On that day in 1962 his words made quite an impression, and they were as effective just a few days ago, on April 27, 2014. People were visibly overcome and came together in celebrating the two popes who have distinctly acquired a global role and become a point of reference around the world during their pontificates.

  • Art & Culture

    Human Capital: Paolo Virzi's Film @ the Tribeca Film Festival

    “This slick, stylish fusion of class critique and murder mystery confirms Paolo Virzi as one of Italy's more dynamic directors.” The words of journalist Jay Weissberg writing for Variety could not be more welcome by director Paolo Virzi, who was in New York to accompany his latest film, Human Capital, at the Tribeca Film Festival. A story at the intersection of family, class and passion that centers on a single pivotal incident, Human Capital is a thriller that deconstructs typical linear narrative and observes transformative events from different character's perspectives. It's a class critique, a look at the super rich and at the wannabes and at their greed.

    The film stars Fabrizio Bentivoglio in the role of Dino, Valieria Golino in the role of his wife Roberta. Valeria Bruni Tedeschi in the role of Carla, and Fabrizio Gifuni in the role of her husband Giovanni. The first two are the Rovellis, struggling to keep their middle-class life, the others are the Bernaschis, millionaires who play tennis as much as they play with other people's money.
    We had a chance to meet director Virzi after the first screening of his film.

    Your film opened last night at the Tribeca Film Festival, how did it go?
    The reaction was amazing, we are really flattered. What really surprised us is that the festival's audience was incredibly attentive and not only have they not missed the ironic element of the film, which is not right in your face but it is rather hidden, but they have experienced moments of real hilarity... much more than Italian audiences. The Italian public knows me well, mostly as the author of comedies, even though at times they are not “easy” comedies, as they always have a more serious message. This film is a drama, a noir, a thriller.. a slap in the face of the spectator who is forced to think about ethical issues. The American audience got all this, but they got something more. I think that above all, the personality of the Italians living is today's Italy makes them smile.

    A couple of days ago we met with director Marco Bellocchio. He was saying how he would love to sit in the movie theater and listen to the audience's remarks...
    I really love that. It is the definite fianl phase of a director's job. Films are made to be shared with everybody. When they are finished they are not mine anymore, but they belong to the audience. That final check is vital. In Italy I put a cap on and I go to the movies, at times even all by myself, and I sit there to hear people's reactions. Often I travel abroad to promote the latest film I've worked on and I cherish the feedback of spectators of a different culture, who see my stories with different eyes. In this particular case I was really surprised by laughter, people were really laughing in moments that were truly unexpected...

    Do any of these moments come to mind?
    Sure, the moment when Dino (Fabrizio Bentivoglio) goes to blackmail Carla (Valeria Bruni Tedeschi). He asks for money but also asks for a kiss. People was really hysterical. In Italy maybe somebody half smiled, because the moment is really dramatic. He is despicable but this didn't stop people from laughing and clapping their hands. This is not an isolated case, it happened in other moments of the film as well. I am very happy about this outcome, and the reviews from Variety, the Hollywood Reporter and other local press are excellent and they even use more emphatic expressions that the ones used by the Italian press. The Italians have welcomed the film really well too, but their tone is more calm. Tribeca is the first stop of a long promotional trip as the film has been sold to distributors in 35 countries – we will be in Asia, Latin America, all over Europe... this was our first face to face with an international audience, the first of many!

    The film will see a US theatrical release in early 2015. It will be distributed by Film Movement. Adley Gartenstein, the company's co-president, has said: “We love the movie's portrait of a society struggling with the same issues of economic inequality that we're seeing here in the US.” What does it mean? Is this an Italian story or a universal story?
    The film was inspired by an American novel, Human Capital by Stephen Amidon. We have adapted it taking lots of liberties but the heart of the novel is, of course, there. I really admire the author and I am a fan of his work, I think he is a young writer who has those special qualities that many great American “social” writers possess... through the thriller genre they actually portray, accurately, contemporary society. The story is about the consequences on people's lives caused by a value system where money reigns supreme, during the years of the financial crisis. People live in fear, in distress, scared that everything might collapse at any moment. This state of living is told as a thriller and in our own way. We have chosen a non-linear narrative process. The film starts from the end and the story is told by different characters, three to be exact, who have different points of view. The final chapter concludes the story. Form the very beginning the audience understands that this is not a comedy but something rather dark.

    Tell us more about starting the film from the end of the story.
    It was a way to let the audience know what kind of story they are about to be told. On a cold winter's night a poor soul is hit by a car and is left behind, on the asphalt, with no help. After this rather tough beginning, the movie starts like a comedy... a charlatan arrives at the villa of a millionaire and offers to play tennis with him and his friends. It seems fun, even somewhat ridiculous, but there is some underlying anxiety in all this. Then the police arrives...

    How did you discover the book?
    I am a fan of all contemporary American literature. I like the way these authors describe our times, the reality of their country with non-moralistic tones but with efficient plot lines. Amidon is one of them.

    The novel is set in Connecticut while the film is set in an imaginary location in northern Italy. Where's the connection?
    While I was reading the book I told myself “this is us.” A real estate agent living in Brianza is no different from one living in Connecticut. The town in the novel is described meticulously, it is very real, but Amidon confessed to me that it's all made up. Orchard Road, does not exist! He was looking to tell his story in a sort of metaphorical realism as well.

    What can you tell us about working on a film based on a book and knowing its author personally?
    I often write films based on books, I believe that through cinema we can make them live longer, further, have another life. I've never translated a book into a film scene by scene, I've always taken lots of liberties. Amidon is a great friend, and he is in Italy right now... he loves it. He did not collaborate to the writing of the screenplay, but he has been very supportive and generous with his material.

    The film was released in 2014 but it is set in 2010...
    Yes, there is a reason why we made that choice. 2010 was a crucial year in Italy. The year of the great financial crisis that hit out government funds. We risked a total financial collapse. It's the year when Berlusconi resigned and the year when the BCE started controlling Italy. The story would be different if it were set in 2014. The situation is different... Berlusconi is doing community work, the politicians are all new. The financial situation seems to be improving. Who knows what Dino would be like in 2014...

    Is there any character you feel for in this story?
    There are no victims and no heroes. I feel for the kids though, because even though they make their own mistakes, they are victims of the actions of their parents who use them as they wish, always having money on their mind.

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