As far as I can tell Luigi Lo Cascio’s amazing directorial debut La Citta’ Ideale earned a grand total of $40,000 at the box office and though I can’t say I am surprised I am still disappointed. Though I can’t tell Italians how to spend their money at the movie theater I still want to know. Why don’t you support your own films?
I live in a quaint midwestern American town that is not as cute as it thinks it is. We have an old-fashioned traditional Main Street with shops that American Express encourages you to support every Saturday or so to promote locally owned businesses.
I can only speak for my town, but for the most part, this is bullshit. I’m sorry; I’d like to find a softer word to describe how I feel about this but there just isn’t one. It’s bullshit. I would love to have a real old-fashioned Main Street with stores that would be useful to me and are run by hard working folks who deserve my business. Instead, we have a bunch of fussy gift shops and clothing stores for the kind of women that I don’t want to know. The shopkeepers are full of themselves and under the incorrect perception that they are the keepers of the spirit of Americana and Main Street USA, meanwhile not seeming to understand what that means.
My father was an actual Main Street businessman in the 50s, 60s and 70s and knew what it meant. It meant long hours, customer service and loyalty to regular customers. The merchants in my town close early if they feel like it, have impossible return policies, and act like they’ve never seen me before even though I’ve been seen in their stores for 20 years. They blow. They don’t deserve my business.
Why am I telling you this? Because sometimes I feel that people are urged to support film because it’s something they should do because they just should and for no other reason. People feel that they are doing it to keep something alive that is dying.
I urge you to support Italian films because they are worth supporting. Talented and creative directors and actors are working their asses off to produce works of art that you would like, if you gave them a chance.
Luigi Lo Cascio, I saw your film and it was great. Don’t be discouraged – make another one and I will continue to encourage people to see it.
I Love Italian Everything 