Italy on the big screen
Seven films paint a vivid portrait of Italian life today
The annual Italian Film Festival returns to Bangkok this Tuesday with seven contemporary movies that reflect 21st-century Italian society.
Screening at Quartier CineArt on the fourth floor of The EmQuartier through September 18, the festival is organised by the Italian Embassy in Bangkok and aimed at promoting Italian culture in Thailand and strengthening the links between the two nations.
Italian ambassador Francesco Saverio Nisio and Thai-Italian actress Ranida “Preem” Techasit will officially open the festival on Tuesday evening at 6.30 at EmQuartier Helix Garden prior to the screening of “Like Crazy” (“La Pazza Gioia”), a comedy-drama about two women from different backgrounds who become friends while undergoing treatment at a mental institution. It was screened in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. The film shows again on September 17.
“The Invisible Boy” (“Il Ragazzo Invisibile”) showing on September 15 and 16, is a fantasy-superhero film directed by Gabriele Salvatores. It centres on Michele Silenzi, a shy 13-year-old living with his single mother, a local police inspector. He is often overlooked at school and is picked on regularly by the school bullies. He wants to attend a fancy dress party as the object of his desires, classmate Stella, is going. Unfortunately the fifty Euro note he was to use to buy a superhero costume was stolen by the bullies. He instead has to settle for much cheaper costume that he is told belongs to an obscure Chinese superhero who has mystical powers.
“I, Harlequin” (“Io, Arlecchino”), which screens on September 15 and 17) is about Paolo, a well-known host of an afternoon TV talk show. When he receives a phone after a taping of one of his “reality shows”, he learns that his father, Giovanni has been hospitalised and returns home to Cornello dei Tassi, in the Province of Bergamo. Giovanni, a former theatrical actor, famous for his role as Arlecchino has decided to spend his last months continuing to perform with the town’s small theatre company in plays inspired by the “Commedia dell’Arte.”
Showing on Wednesday and again on September 18, “God Willing” (“Se Dio Vuole”) tells the story of an arrogant cardiac surgeon who goes under cover to discredit a charismatic priest after his son, Andrea, announces his intention to become a priest.
“Perfect Strangers” (“Perfetti Sconosciuti”) is a comedy based on three lives: public, private and secret. The three come together when during a dinner party, seven friends decide to play a dangerous game. The attendees place their cellphones on the table and agree to make all texts and calls public in an attempt to prove that they have nothing to hide. It screens on Thursday and on September 16.
“The Francigena Path” (“I Volti Della Via Francigena”) is a documentary about the locations and the people of the major pilgrimage route to Rome from the north. It is a journey along a new concept of spirituality both religious and laic to build a different idea of life. It shows on Wednesday and September 18.
Lastly “Feather” (“Piuma”), screening on Thursday and September 16, is the story of Ferro and Cate. An average couple, their lives are turned upside down by an unexpected pregnancy. Hesitant and tentative, the two navigate the most exciting and complicated nine months of their lives, trying not to lose their purity and unique poetic air.
All films are in Italian with English and Thai subtitles.
Three additional events are being organised on the sidelines of the festival, among them a 90-second short film competition on the topic “Colour of Italy”, where “Colour” is used in a broad sense to represent the feel, the touch, the smell of Italy in the daily life of Thai people.
A roundtable on film distribution and co-production on the promotion of Italy and Thailand as “locations” for filmmaking by the two countries will be held on Thursday at the Italian Embassy and is by invitation only, while a workshop on Italian cinema organised by the Dante Alighieri Association in collaboration with Chulalongkorn University takes place on September 16.
BOOK NOW
- Tickets are Bt180, Bt200 and Bt700 for a special couple seat.
- Find out more at (02) 515 5555 or visit www.MajorCineplex.com and - Facebook: Italian Festival in Thailand.
