printer friendly - 2007 - Lavazza Italian Film Festival

Multi-award-winning Italo-
Turkish director Ferzan Ozpetek,
(FACING WINDOWS, THE
IGNORANT FAIRIES) explores the
relationships between a group of
friends in this moving ensemble
piece, a true highlight of the
festival.
A group of friends meet up for
dinner. The hosts of these regular
gatherings are the dynamic
Lorenzo and his life partner, the
successful writer Davide. They
happily spend their time with
a circle of intimates: Antonio
(Stefano Accorsi) and Angelica
(Margherita Buy), a married
couple with kids; sunny cokehead
Roberta (Ambra Angiolini);
Davide’s acerbic ex Sergio (Ennio
Fantastichini) and equally biting
friend Neval (Serra Yilmaz) and
her policeman husband (Filippo
Timi); and newcomer Paolo
(Michelangelo Tommaso).
Ozpetek, always the brilliant
group portrait artist, brings his
characters masterfully towards
a critical moment when they’re
forced to cast off their stiffened
masks and to return to the very
essence of the friendship that
unites them.
SATURN IN OPPOSITION
SATURNO CONTRO
Director: Ferzan Ozpetek
Cast Stefano Accorsi,
Margherita Buy,
Pierfrancesco Favino,
Serra Yilmaz, Ennio
Fantastichini, Ambra
Angiolini, Luca Argentero,
Isabella Ferrari
Runtime: 110 mins
SECRET JOURNEY
VIAGGIO SEGRETO
Director: Roberto Andò
Cast: Alessio Boni, Donatella
Finocchiaro, Valeria
Solarino, Claudia Gerini,
Marco Baliani, Emir
Kusturica, Roberto
Herlitzka, Giselda
Volodi, Fausto
Russo Alesi.
Runtime: 103 mins
Roberto Andò started his career
as assistant to the likes of
Federico Fellini and Francis Ford
Coppola. In his new film he directs
Alessio Boni (ARRIVEDERCI
AMORE CIAO), one of Italy’s
most respected actors, in a slick
psychological thriller based on the
novel “The Reconstructionist” by
Josephine Hart, transposing the
story from Ireland to Sicily.
Leo (Boni), a psychoanalyst in
his forties lives with his younger
sister, Ale (Claudia Gerini).
When Harold (director Emir
Kusturica), a famous and hugely
successful artist, announces his
intention to marry Ale—and as
a wedding present, to buy back
the family’s ancestral home––Leo
becomes desperate to prevent
the transaction and returns to his
native Sicily to confront a past he
had cut out of his life.
Andò provocatively layers parallel
stories as the steady buildup
of action moves towards a
dangerous conclusion. Leo, whose
life thus far has seen him alleviate
other people’s suffering, is now
compelled to look inside himself
to reconstruct the shattered
pieces of his past.
Winner of the David di Donatello
Award 2007 for Best Supporting
Actress - Ambra Angiolini.
22 Lavazza Italian Film Festival 2007
www.italianfilmfestival.com.au 23