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.

Italian Film Fest -1

I am regular at the Enlightens’ movie screenings on Sundays. In fact Sunday morning is fairly tough for me. I have my Karate class from 8am to 9.30am. From there I rush to Cinemax in same sweaty clothes, grabbing a juice on the way. I carry a shirt from home, which I wear over my wet with sweat T-shirt. It makes me look a little dressy from total messy and provides me some warmth in the air-conditioned place. I take care to sit alone to save others from my stink.

Enlighten sent me an SMS saying that an Italian film festival is scheduled between Nov 6-9, at the Nehru Centre, Worli. In fact it was a total Italian festival, new Italian movies and Italian products exhibition. You could go in the product exhibition after registering yourself. Products are not my cup of tea; but movies yes, any time. I saw five films in two days 7 and 8 November. In fact I managed to squeeze in the latest ‘Bond’ film too on 8 Nov.

The movies on November 7, were, ‘Uno su due’, directed by Eugenio Cappuccio, ‘Lezioni di Volo’ directed by Franceesca Archibugi and ‘Nuovomonndo’, director Emanuele Crialese. They were scheduled at 5pm, 7pm and 9pm.

‘Uno su due’ (2006) means one out of two. The main character of the film is Lorenzo, a person who is very ambitious, has achieved a lot in life, with eyes on a lot to achieve. He along with his colleagues, a woman and a friend are about to crack a supposedly rich deal with some Russians. Just when it seems to be coming through, he gets an uneasy feeling in his head. As business meeting happen, the headaches persist. Soon his friends are handling the Russians, while he is on a hospital bed with serious neurological problem. He has company of Giovanni, another patient next to his bed. Giovanni also is suffering from life threatening disease. Lorenzo finds him irritating as he is a truck driver and has his own level of conversations. Lorenzo feels he has fallen sick at a very wrong time and is in a hurry to get back to work. That makes him very impatient. Giovanni has been there for some time now. He understands why Lorenzo is behaving like that. Gradually things fall in place. Lorenzo is allowed to leave although his biopsy results have yet to come. One day he comes back to meet Giovanni and finds him missing from his bed. He finds Giovanni’s incomplete letter written to his daughter and an envelope bearing the address. Giovanni reappears and they have a chat. On the topic of his daughter, he says she has not come to see him for years. He gets very emotional at this. Lorenzo decides to this good deed for him or perhaps for anyone. He drives alone to the town while still not healthy, finds the girl and brings her back. Giovanni meets his daughter just before passing away. By doing this Lorenzo finds his mental strength and a new unselfish approach to life.

Second film ‘Lezioni di Volo’ (also 2006, means flying lessons), was also very interesting film with its plot knitted in Indian landscape. Two boys, school friends in Italy are called Chicken and Curry, since they are always together. When they fail in their exam they decide to run away in order to escape their parent’s wrath. They land in India. One boy is of Parsi descend and other was adopted from a village in Kerala. Typically in India, they lose all their belongings and money and become dependent on a medical team stationed in a Rajasthan village. The Parsi boy falls in love with an older, very pretty; but married doctor. The affair gets a little messy with the husband suddenly appearing in the scene from Sri Lanka. The plot covers a scene in which a pregnant woman in the village wants to know what is the sex of her baby is. After Parsi boy leaks the info to her she tries to hurt herself, but the baby is saved. Boys’ trip to Kerala is very well done. Curry who looks dark finds out about his biological mother in a village. However, his mother has expired 2-3 years back. Ultimately they return to their foster parents in Italy.

Next was ‘Nuovomonndo’ (2005), means a new world or golden door. I sat for about 30mins and found the film had good style and very different kind of narrative. It was really shot very well. Scenes in the village and then sea journey to America was very authentically shot. A family pools together all their resources because they want to live in the land of plenty. They dream of coins dropping from the sky and milk filling up everywhere.