Tag Archives: Jeannine Guilyard

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 …

Heartbreaking images from the war in Ukraine have been dominating the news. Near the beginning of the war, the country’s leader, President Zelenskyy, made a video in front of a stunning historic building in Kiev. As compelling as his message was, I couldn’t help but notice the majestic structures behind him. So, I did some research and found an interesting Italian angle. One of the official presidential residences, the building is called the House of Chimaeras, and is a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture. It was built in the early 1900s by Polish architect Władysław Horodecki for his own use …

Italian cinema lost one of its most iconic stars on Feb. 2 with the passing of Monica Vitti at the age of 90. She suffered from dementia and hadn’t made a public appearance in nearly 20 years, but her acting prowess and simple-yet-stunning beauty will echo for generations to come. Born Maria Luisa Ceciarelli in Rome on Nov. 3, 1931, Vitti pursued acting as a teenager. She started in amateur theater before her formal training at Rome’s National Academy of Dramatic Arts. Shortly after graduating in 1953, she toured Germany with an Italian acting troupe and then returned to her …

If you’re looking for a movie the whole family can watch during the holidays, look no further than Sean Cisterna’s 2019 “From the Vine.” The film follows the adventures of Marco Gentile (Joe Pantoliano) an Italian-born Canadian living in Toronto who is experiencing an intense midlife crisis as he questions the ethics of his job and the purpose of his life. Just as he’s about to give a much-anticipated presentation to the shareholders of his company, he decides not to go through with it. Instead, he resigns and buys a one-way ticket to Italy, much to the chagrin of his …

Born in 1930, Arturo Zavattini is known for his work as a photographer, cinematographer and director of photography. His father, Cesare Zavattini, was a longtime collaborator of Federico Fellini and Vittorio De Sica, and Arturo practically grew up on film sets. He worked as an assistant and camera operator on famous Italian films such as “Il bidone,” “La dolce vita” and “Divorce Italian Style.” He also worked as an ethnographic photographer, accompanying anthropologist Ernesto de Martino on his famous expedition to Lucania in 1952. Being a teenager in Rome during the post-war years, Zavattini was influenced by the neorealist movement …

In a moving story that spans several decades, “The Macaluso Sisters” follows five orphaned sisters born and raised in an apartment located on the outskirts of Palermo. They support themselves by renting out pigeons for events. Directed by Emma Dante, who adapted the film from her own 2014 play by the same name, the all-female cast interprets the story in three chapters that show how the tragic events of a single day can follow a family through childhood, adulthood and into old age. The first chapter reveals the tragedy of the youngest sister, Antonella, dying during a beach outing. She …

Based on the true story of the 1917 Marian apparitions reported by three children at the Cova da Iria in Portugal, Marco Pontecorvo’s 2020 drama. “Fátima” offers a contemporary take using new technology. “The cinemascope format can give back to the audience a much stronger emotion and can help people enjoy the stunning cinematography by Vincenzo Carpineta,” Pontecorvo says. The director got involved with the project after producers saw his 2009 feature film, “Pa-ra-da,” that addresses the issue of homeless children in post-Ceausescu Romania. Impressed by his direction of the children, they suggested he direct “Fatima.” He felt the story …

  It’s unusual for first-time filmmakers to be recognized by a high-profile international film festival but such is the case with Cecilia Pignocchi and Arthur Couvat. Their debut work, “Grottaroli,” is in the official lineup of the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival’s Shorts Program. Set along the Adriatic Coast, the 14-minute film follows a group of veteran fishermen as they reflect on their vanishing way of life. Describing the fifth character as the sea, Pignocchi and her co-director offer total immersion into a culture that few outside the area knew existed. I spoke with Pignocchi about the making of the short …