Italian Film Fest -2

On Nov 8, I got out of the house at 9am. I was aiming to see ‘Santa Maradona’ the Italian film at 11am. I got a bus immediately. I don’t remember when was the last time in Mumbai that I traveled from point A to Point B so fast. May be it being a Saturday or don’t know what, the bus reached Nehru Center in 45mins! It was nostalgic to see empty roads and a speeding bus. I would like to dismiss it as one off occasion. I was inside the arena at 10.15 and was looking at avenues of how to spend my time fruitfully until 11am. I knew that the Italian product exhibition was on, but I was feeling very resistant to register myself. For that I have give them my phone number and email ID and have to send their mails to ‘spam’ folder… but before that I had to use the washroom. One of the volunteer girls guided me into the exhibition area. She said, ‘no for this you don’t need to register.’ And right at the entrance what do I see, a Fiat 500! I have been watching the ad of this car on TV. It looks so cute. Some of have been wondering about its price, its size etc. Well it is a 2-door, comfortably large and taller than other cars. It was right here in bright white placed on a platform. I always feel if there is something that I think about deeply, it does come my way…
They had to change the film ‘Santa Maradona’ by director Marco Ponti, as it was a not the correct version. Some of us in the audience tried our technical knowledge to fix the ‘sound’ but couldn’t. Finally one of the Italian representative said, ‘if you don’t mind I can show you another good film’. Fair enough, we all thought. She inserted a DVD of ‘Possato Prossimo’ (2003), by director Maria Sole Tognazzi. The title means, past perfect. It was a good film, about five friends hanging out together in a far off bungalow, for the last time as the hosts are selling it now. The film was full of emotional, angry, romantic, dull and exciting moments; retaining a connection to nostalgia.
The movie was 97mins long, so it got over at 12.45pm. It was going to be lunchtime soon and next film was only at 5pm. I had a lot of time at hand. I headed down town. Somewhere at the back of my mind was the Bond film that had released only yesterday. Show time at Metro did not suit me. I landed at Inox in Nariman Point. It was perfect here. I quickly gobbled up substandard food at a fast food joint and entered the cinema. I must say I did enjoy ‘Quantum of Solace’ a lot. The movie doesn’t have too much of usual unbelievable gadgets; but instead has very good action sequences. In all good use of time for me.
After this I headed back to Nehru Center and got in to see ‘Anadata e Ritormo’, also directed by Marco Ponti. I wanted to see this film, because of my connection with one of the actors in it, Kabir Bedi. I have known him since 1973, when we spent three months together in Nepal during shooting of ‘Ishq Ishq Ishq’. ‘Anadata e Ritormo’ was a fair film. I enjoyed the criminal plot, although not very believable in life. There is also good learning in the making and taking of each film. So, after missing ‘Santa Maradona’ I got to see Marco Ponti’s another work.
Next film was ‘Ora O Mai Piu’’ (2003), directed by Lucio Pellegrini. The plot of the film was quite different. A physics student in his final year gets involved with a girl who is involved with some people involved in social activism. They are protesting against capitalism and take law into their hands very often, landing on the wrong side of law. It is also a well-shot film with good characterizations.