Fra Noi Embrace Your Inner Italian
Film aficionados have hungered for the return of Casa Italia’s beloved feast of Italian cinema, and the wait is finally over. The Casa’s 2019 Italian film series will reboot on Sept. 13 and run for seven glorious Fridays. The host of this year’s series will be Pam DeFiglio, a veteran Chicago editor, columnist and arts critic.
The following film descriptions were provided by Casa Italia:
Sept. 13 — Un Paese Quasi Perfetto (An Almost Perfect Town) (2016) — Pietramezzana offers stunning mountain scenery, but all the jobs have left town. To save it, residents deploy improbable and highly comic schemes, building to a finish that provides a satisfying twist.
Sept. 20 — Frances Xavier Cabrini, the People’s Saint (2018) — Chicago director Lucia Mauro created this film chronicling the life of the beloved nun from Italy who built hospitals and schools around the world, including some in the Chicago area.
Sept. 27 — In Guerra per Amore (At War for Love) (2016) — Part comedy, part love story, part WWII drama, this heartwarming film will have you cheering for the Brooklyn waiter who gets a “free trip back to Italy” by joining the Army in 1943. His mission: romance.
Oct. 4 — Il Padre d’Italia (The Father of Italy) (2017) — Good-guy Paolo tries to help free-spirited Mia find her unborn baby’s father. As they drive through Italy, Paolo recalls how his mother abandoned him, and Mia’s baby stirs protective feelings in him.
Oct. 11 — Tutto Quello Che Vuoi (Everything You Want) (2017) — Alessandro begrudgingly accepts a gig taking a poet with Alzheimer’s on daily walks. When the teen’s friends think the elderly man has riches, they flock to him, only to learn the treasure is greater than they imagined.
Oct. 25 — L’Ora Legale (Now It’s The Law) (2017) — Outraged by political corruption, a Sicilian town votes in a squeaky-clean mayor. When he demands people play by the rules and pay their fines, citizens pine for a return to the “good old days.” It’s political satire with belly laughs.
Nov. 1 — La Pelle dell’Orso (On the Trail of My Father) (2016) — A father and his grown son have a chilly relationship until a bear threatens their mountain village. The father leaves to find the bear and the son follows, triggering an emotional as well as physical journey.
Films are screened in the ballroom of the Community Center at Casa Italia in Stone Park. Free parking is available at the corner of 37th Avenue and Division Street and behind the Italian Cultural Center at 39th between Division and Soffel Avenue.
Doors open at 7 p.m., and screenings begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. Complimentary beverages and popcorn are available. Admission is free, but reservations and free will donations are encouraged. The film series is made possible through the cooperation of the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Chicago.
Call 708-345-5933 or visit www.casaitaliachicago.org
