After last years’ presentations of Israeli and Dutch cinema, this year’s special guest of the 52nd KFF is the Italian cinematography.
After last years’ presentations of Israeli and Dutch cinema, this year’s special guest of the 52nd Krakow Film Festival, which begins 28 May and lasts until 3 June, is the Italian cinematography. Absolutely diverse films are screened as part of the “Focus on Italy” series.
The series will be opened by a family portrait “Hit the Road, Granny” directed by Duccio Chiarini. The colourful figure Delia Ubaldi, who spent most of her life travelling, stays its main character. Fighting for her success and position in fashion industry she lost control of her private life. Even today, after many years, when the gloomy thoughts of old age cross her mind, she doesn’t resign from the next journey, but more gladly comes back to her family relations, which she made complicated years ago.
Another film, “Leaving King’s Bay”, also becomes part of the personal documentaries trend, the intimate memoire of the director working as a tutor of the Milan difficult teenagers. The shared trip to the North Pole and contact with Valentina, one of the teenagers, will turn out to be the best therapy for Claudia, who will face alone her life dramas.
The programme of the series includes also renowned “El Sicario. Room” by Gianfranco Rosi, awarded several times on international film festivals. The documentary shows the ins and outs of the world of drug cartels. What is interesting, it doesn’t concentrate on the Italian realities. Its main character, El Sicario, an anonymous contract killer from Mexican Juarez, describes, in front of the camera, his 20 years spent together with the mafia. In his story, he doesn’t try to avoid details. Formally ascetic film shows how much can be done in the name of blind obedience.
In “The Castle” by Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti we observe the moonscape, from the borderline between reality and dreaming, which stretches over the airport in Milan. It’s here, where the dramatic experiences of drug smugglers and cynical and tired customs officers meet and invisible airport employees control traffic of thousands of seemingly unanimous passengers. Hypnotizing documentary is definitely one of the most interesting titles of the series.
The real praise of youth is promoted by a winning film “Summer of Giacomo” directed by Alessandro Comodin. A holiday meeting of two Italian teenagers leads to an answer how first love tastes.
Carlo Luglio, the author of the last film of the Krakow Italian series the musical piece “Roots”, also refers to fictionalized elements. The documentary presents the story of a journey to the source of artistic inspirations undertaken by the Italian musician Enzo Gragnagnielli.
As part of the “Focus on Italy” series there will be a conference, with participation of representatives of the Italian documentary business, held on 31 May in the International Cultural Centre (MCK).
L’ISTITUTO ITALIANO DI CULTURA DI CRACOVIA IS A CO-ORGANIZER OF THE "FOCUS ON ITALY" SERIES