The David di Donatello awards are named after Donatello’s David and is the equivalent of the Academy Awards in Italy and are awarded yearly by the Academy of Italian Cinema since 1955. The Nastro d’Argento award (“Silver Ribbon” given by journalists) precedes them, but these, like the Oscars, are voted on by industry people.
Last year, the best picture award went to the Taviani Brothers’ Cesare Deve Morire (Caesar Must Die) and this year the nominees are varied and interesting, two are English language films:
Diaz (Non Pulire Questo Sangue – Don’t Clean Up This Blood)
“Talking to the victims was an operation that took two years. What I read and what I was told was harder than what I showed in the movie. There are some things that were not possible to show unless I wanted to do a slasher film, ” said director Daniele Vicari of his film about the G8 summit in 2001 when police raided the Diaz school in Genoa, Italy.
Educazione Siberiana (Siberian Education)
I haven’t had the chance to see this English language film from Gabriele Salvatores (Io Non Ho Paura) but I can’t wait to. It stars John Malkovich and is a drama based on a memoir organized crime and growing up as a member of the Urka community in the small republic of Transnistria.
Io e Te (Me and You)
Bernardo Bertolucci’s story of a anti-social boy who spends his school ski trip in his apartment building’s basement and helps his half-sister kick a heroin addiction.
La Migliore Offerta (The Best Offer)
Giuseppe Tornatore’s ( Cinema Paradiso) English language film starring Geoffrey Rush as an art dealer with a mysterious client that changes his life forever.
READ MY REVIEW OF LA MIGLIORE OFFERTA
Viva La Libertà
I haven’t seen this one either, but it’s directed by Roberto Andò and stars Toni Servillo as Enrico a recently defeated man from the political left who disappears.
I Love Italian Everything 