Thirty famous Italian films including movies by directors
Federico Fellini and Michelangelo Antonioni will be shown in
Beijing and Shanghai late this month as part of a world film tour
titled "ITALIANA: A Festival of Contemporary Italian Cinema."
It's not only the first time that Italian authorities have held
such a film festival in China but also the last part of the "Year
of Italy" in China. This is a cultural gala highlighting Italian
art, music and design, which was formally launched on January 19,
2006.
The collection of films, spanning the period 1951 to 2003,
includes Cannes Palme d'Or and Oscar winning La dolce vita
(The Sweet Life) directed by Federico Fellini; Le
Amiche (The Girlfriends) directed by Michelangelo
Antonioni and Palme d'Or winner Il Gattopardo (The
Leopard) directed by Luchino Visconti, according to the
Chinese organizer, the China Film Archives (CFA).
The Venice Silver Lion winning Lunga Vita alla Signora
(Long Live The Lady) directed by Ermanno Olmi; Berlin
Silver Bear winning Detenuto in Attesa Di Giudizio
directed by Nanni Loy; Il ladro di bambini (The Stolen
Children) directed by Gianni Amelio and Palme d'Or winning
La stanza del figlio (The Son's Room) directed by
Nanni Moretti are also on the list.
Some of the films belong to the "new realism" genre that focuses
on social reality, while others are "modernist" in which the
expression of individual psychology and sensibility is
paramount, said Bi Yuchen from the CFA.
"The Italian organizers selected the films on the basis of both
whether the directors and the cast are typical in Italy and whether
they show the dreams, hopes and lives of Italian people," he
said.
The films will be shown at the Beijing-based Art Cinema of the
CFA, Beijing New Century Cinema, Shanghai Film Art Center, Shanghai
Stellar Cinema, Shanghai Cathay Theatre and Shanghai UME
International Cineplex from January 17 to 31, according to the
CFA.
The festival will head for Spain, France, the US and Latin
America when it finishes its tour of China, the Italian
Embassy in China says on its website.
(China News Service January 10, 2007)
