The San Diego Italian Film Festival celebrates its third year, starting October 16 through November 7. The festival provides an opportunity for all Italians and lovers of Italian culture to rediscover passion, love, and the best flavors of life in this season’s festival.
This year's San Diego Italian Film Festival features major recently released Italian films by internationally acclaimed award-winning directors. Festival films have English subtitles.
The Festival is made possible through a collaboration with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Los Angeles, the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park, and the Ministero degli Affari Esteri in Rome and independent distributors.
Festival continues until Saturday, November 7
The film for November 3nd is: "Si Fossi In Te (If I Were You)"
Admission: Free, but $5 donation requested.
For more information, please call: (619) 238-7559
or visit: www.sandiegoitalianfilmfestival.com
This year's San Diego Italian Film Festival features major recently released Italian films by internationally acclaimed award-winning directors. Festival films have English subtitles.
The Festival is made possible through a collaboration with the Istituto Italiano di Cultura of Los Angeles, the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park, and the Ministero degli Affari Esteri in Rome and independent distributors.
Festival continues until Saturday, November 7
The film for November 3nd is: "Si Fossi In Te (If I Were You)"
The "What if I were you" story, generally a light comedic device for identity issues, is done with a twist and great style by Giulio Manfredonia in his big screen debut. The style comes from an amazing ensemble cast whose careers before this were in television. Through the warmth and strength in the relationships of these characters we are immediately drawn into their stories, even when the film lags. One Italian reviewer labeled the acting "frizzante," an apt description for the whole film.
Each male character, around whom the narrative is built, all yearn to be someone they are not. They are the ABC’s of desire and identity questions. Andrea (Emilio Solfrizzi), married father and bean counter in a fabric factory, can’t stand his domestic life, sees himself not as a family man but as a cool, sexy, unattached entertainer. Bernardo (Giole Dix), a mean, driven corporate man, loves no one, and no one except his masochist secretary loves him. Christian (Fabio De Luigi) does sad DJ’ing at swinger parties in the provinces and dreams of living life large as a rock concert promoter, and incidentally becoming the Don Juan for his secret love, local pharmacist Caterina (Paola Cortellesi), who may never even get a hint that Christian is interested in her.
"Maintaining dreams while still adjusting to the daily grind"
The women, on the other hand, all know who and what they are, so maybe this film is telling us about Italian male identity problems. If so, it’s a strange message that comes across, because each man gets to live the life he dreams about through a mysterious character exchange during a chance beach binge encounter where each man pours out his miseries and fantasies. A flash of light, and presto, the ABC’s now have the resources to pursue their fantasies: B (Bernardo) is exchanged for A (Andrea) and is now the beloved husband and father. A gets to make people laugh using C’s character and stage presence, and no one holds him back. C (Christian) takes B’s rich life, now successfully promoting rock concerts.
But is it this simple, this schematic? Do we just start all over again? You can escape being a victim, escape even your own history, simply by leaping off-track? What’s important about this film, in terms of its script and direction, is that these questions are posed as delicately and entertainingly as possible without losing sight of actual conditions and choices. Each character ultimately recognizes that no choice is perfect, eliminating pain and making life perfect, and that it is not enough simply to fantasize how life could be better while blaming others for failure. Maintaining dreams while adjusting to the daily grind requires constant work, something the women in the film seem to know and the men seem to require miracles to learn. (Review by Prof. Pasqual Verdiccio, UCSD)
Admission: Free, but $5 donation requested.
For more information, please call: (619) 238-7559
or visit: www.sandiegoitalianfilmfestival.com
