The official music of the Roman Catholic Church for hundreds of years was Gregorian chant, which consists of Latin verses sung to a solemn melody without accompaniment. The calm, ethereal tone of Gregorian chant was meant to set the musical stage for the prayers and rituals of the Mass. It was named after Pope Gregory I, who was credited with creating it, although it actually evolved over the course of centuries. Several thousand chants are known today and most of them date from 600-1300 A.D. However, there is virtually no record of the composers who created them. Because of the …

Founded in 2003 by Franco Rina, Cinemadamare is an Italian-based international program offering hands-on filmmaking to the directors of tomorrow. Now in its 20th edition, the program gives film students the freedom and equipment to explore their creativity surrounded by the picturesque and seascapes and landscapes of the Italian peninsula. On a recent stay in Matera, the participants of the program made 16 short films in just one week. Upon completion, the filmmakers presented their works in a special community screening followed by an awards ceremony. That’s where I met up with Rina to talk with him about the program …

The power of movies has proven itself time and time again throughout history. Cinema often mirrors the plights of society or recounts life-changing events. Such is the case with Peter Miller’s documentary film, “Projections of America.” My first encounter with Miller happened in 2006 when I reviewed his stunning, heartfelt documentary, “Sacco and Vanzetti.” Since then, I have remained in contact with Miller on social media and followed his projects. One of them is Miller’s 2015 documentary, “Projections of America” in which he focuses on the years immediately following World War II when Hollywood was called upon by the U.S. …

“The olive is the land’s most precious fruit but it cannot be harvested without effort. The harvesters work for 7 to 8 hours a day, and in the colder seasons, the effort is tremendous because the job needs to be done quickly. There are direct orders from the owner who urges them because the fruit cannot stay on the ground. Otherwise, it will rot.” In his 1967 documentary “Tempo di raccolta,” Luigi Di Gianni follows Calabrians as they work in the groves collecting olives for the annual harvest. The majestic beauty of the trees, the equal majesty of generations of …

While browsing the web recently, I stumbled upon a few old and, in some cases, really old Italian horror films. These movies take “creepy” to a whole new level. Some are pretty ridiculous by today’s standards, but they featured cutting edge technology when they were released. As long as you have the stomach for it, you’ll probably find them entertaining and quite different from standard American fare. There are two contemporary Italian films at the end to bring you full circle. For straight up horror, check these three out: “Bloody Pit of Horror” (Il Boia Scarlatto) is a 1965 Italian …

Celebrating its 79th year, the Venice Film Festival ran from Aug. 31 to Sept. 10, 2022. To mark the occasion, let’s take a look at a heartfelt documentary that premiered at the festival in 2016. “Franca: Chaos and Creation” is the story of Vogue Italy’s former editor-in-chief, Franca Sozzani, who passed away from cancer just a few months after the film’s premiere. Directed by her son, Francesco Carrozzini, the film takes us through Sozzani’s life as a child to her reign at the magazine, exploring her talent for finding innovative photographers to whom she completely handed her trust in creating …

Screenwriter and director Cesare Zavattini was truly ahead of his time when he organized the 1953 film compilation “L’amore in città” (Love in the City), a collection of seven short film essays directed by Zavattini, Dino Risi, Michelangelo Antonioni, Carlo Lizzani, Francesco Maselli, Federico Fellini and Alberto Lattuada. The New York Times did a beautiful article on the collection in 2014 referring to Zavattini as “a pioneer of documentary fiction (sometimes called ‘hybrid cinema’), in which non-actors essentially play themselves, dramatizing their particular situations.” With the exception of Fellini’s short, in which he narrates something that happened to him but …

I recently discovered a treasure trove of documentaries on art produced by the BBC. Subjects range from Michelangelo’s “David” to Sandro Botticelli’s “La Primavera” to Piero della Francesca’s “The Resurrection.” The documentaries are presented in 26 episodes and are part of a series that aired on the British television network. Making my way through them, the one that has impressed me the most is Episode 20 on Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Last Supper.” The documentary reveals the creation of the masterpiece between 1495 and 1498, its almost immediate deterioration and the many restorations it’s undergone throughout the centuries. The film …

She has worked with a few masters of contemporary Italian cinema and she is just getting started. Angelica Cacciapaglia was born in Ponte dell’Olio in the region of region Emilia-Romagna and grew up in Milan in a family of artists. Her childhood was spent cultivating a passion for acting. She studied her craft at the Teatro Libero di Milano and employs the Voice Craft method, a technique that maximizes one’s vocal talents. After high school, she moved to Rome and attended a number of acting workshops, studying under the direction of the New York Film Academy’s Anna Maria Cianciulli, and …

Carlo Levi’s name is synonymous with the novel and film, “Christ Stopped at Eboli,” but in Italy, he was highly regarded as a visual artist, and one of his most celebrated paintings is “Ritratto di Anna Magnani” (Portrait of Anna Magnani). Created in 1954, the dramatic oil-on-canvas painting benefits from the close friendship between the two. Levi thoroughly captured her intensity and spirit. Gaze into her eyes and you immediately see that she’s deep, not much for small talk, passionate, and that she loves very hard.” Levi painted it with a wavy brushstroke that was typical of the style he …