Category: Podcast: Cinema Italiano
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#18: The Early Films of Pietro Marcello
An exploration of Pietro Marcello’s first four features: Crossing the Line (2007), The Mouth of the Wolf (2009), The Silence of Pelesjan (2011), and Lost and Beautiful (2015).
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#17: Caro diario (Nanni Moretti, 1993)
This episode discusses Nanni Moretti’s Caro diario (Dear Diary), an introspective autobiographical look at three phases of Moretti’s life. This story blends the comic with the tragic, all while highlighting a journey of independence, interdependence, and codependence. Moretti’s work also has some interesting ties to the Odyssey both as a narrative as well as through its…
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#16: Tommaso (Abel Ferrara, 2019)
This episode explores Abel Ferrara’s Tommaso, a semi-autobiographical tale of an American filmmaker living in Rome with his wife and daughter. An incident forces him to question his role as husband and father, eventually sending him on a destructive journey of paranoia, fear, and hysteria, all while struggling to find community and connection in a foreign…
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#15: L’Innocente (Luchino Visconti, 1976)
This episode features an audio essay on Luchino Visconti’s final film L’Innocente (The Innocent), discussing the film’s themes of dishonesty, self-interest, and religion. I also explore the sharp dichotomy between interior and exterior spaces, and how it parallels the cultural and psychological restraints entrapping the lead characters. Plus, some quick news updates on the David di…
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#14: Corpo celeste (Alice Rohrwacher, 2011)
This episode features an audio essay on Alice Rohrwacher’s debut fiction feature Corpo celeste (Heavenly Body), a modern-day take on Marta (Martha) from the Bible. We also explore the film’s themes of the sacred and the profane, expectations vs. reality, and who “is” the church. Plus, some quick news updates on the David di Donatello awards,…
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#13: Fellini 100
Celebrating Fellini’s filmography, career, plus rumors on what could be coming later from Criterion.
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#12: The 31st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival
I’m back from the 31st Annual Palm Springs International Film Festival! I wanted to provide an overview of the seven Italian films I got to see, all of which were featured in the Focus on Italy program of this year’s festival: Croce e delizia (An Almost Ordinary Summer) by Simone Godano Martin Eden by Pietro…
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#11: Interview with Leonardo D’Agostini & Antonella Lattanzi (The Champion)
I got to speak with director Leonardo D’Agostini and screenwriter Antonella Lattanzi to discuss their film Il campione (The Champion) (2019). In our conversation, they talk about what inspired the film’s story, the challenges and opportunities of the screenwriting process, plus moments that didn’t make it into the final film. This interview was conducted on January…
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#10: Interview with Chiara Malta (Simple Women)
In this episode, I sit down with first-time director Chiara Malta to discuss her film Simple Women (2019). During our conversation, Malta talks about her inspiration for the movie, her experience during production, the role religion and faith plays in the film, and more. You even get to hear some (sloppy) Italian from me! This interview…