So why am I not in Venice yet? I’m asking myself that question over and over again. It’s hot as hell here in Rome and it’s back to the shitty apartment after a really lovely stay at L’Albergo Vesuvio, right on the bay, in Naples. They upgraded us to a junior suite with a view of the water and – let’s just say I didn’t want to come back here. Si mangia bene a Napoli but I found a nice place along the water to run every day and burn off a few of the pizza and fritti calories.
Anyway, Brian left for home so I decided I’d start seeing movies, but there isn’t really much showing right now (unless, of course, I want to see Kung Fu Panda). I did go to one called “Come trovare nel modo giusto l’uomo sbagliato” (The right way to find the wrong man) with Francesca Inaudi – I used to really like her but I think she’s used up her chances with me and is out of my good graces. She has been in one too many stinkers lately and I think she’s really mismanaging her career. I’ll tell you about it later – maybe – if I think it’s worth your time.
Today’s “La Stampa” had a big spread on Venice (the place at which I should already be if I had a brain in my head) and the headline reads “Applausi a Crialese” – applause for Crialese, who premiered his new, Terraferma, with Donatella Finocchiaro.
Crialese, who charmed me with Nuovomondo in 2006 is evidently making a big hit and got a standing ovation for Terraferma, a film he says that he made “for all of the immigrants” and one that takes a new, more modern look at immigration, one in which the immigrants are not being welcomed by the government and are systematically deported. He says says that he has always been fascinated by people in search of a new world, even going back to the Vikings and Columbus, those who go out into the unknown to make new lives for themselves.
The film is set on the island of Lampmedusa, where there is currently a crisis of African boat people who set sail on a journey for their lives, hoping to find safety and work. Europe is overloaded with the deluge of illegal immigrants and worried about the effect it has on tourism, but the people of Lampedusa can’t help taking pity on the poor souls even though they can be prosecuted for aiding them. One of the African actresses in the film is an actual immigrant, one who became famous in 2009 for being the only woman with 4 young men to survive on a raft with 78 people that left the Liberian coast without gas, water or food and drifted for 21 days before it was found.
Crialese says he tried something different with his actors; he asked them to try a scene having the tourists change places with the Africans. He said it was a moment of great sadness and emotion.
I Love Italian Everything 