Film Commission Torino Piemonte at the Venezia 80: “Lubo” by Giorgio Diritti and “Ferrari” by Michael Mann in competition. Also at the SIC with “About last year”, the only Italian movie selected.
4 projects supported by the FCTP in the official selection of Venezia 80, along with the only Italian title at the SIC Settimana Internazionale della Critica and a documentary at the Giornate degli Autori:
“Lubo” by Giorgio Diritti and “Ferrari” by Michael Mann running for the 80th Venice International Film Festival.
“Amor” by Virginia Eleuteri Serpieri in the official “Out of competition” section.
“Un’altra Italia era possible. Il cinema di Giuseppe De Santis” by Steve Della Casa at “Venice Classics”.
“About Last Year”, produced by the Turin-based Base Zero, only Italian film selected for running at the 38th Settimana Internazionale della Critica.
“Across” by Irene Dorigotti at the Giornate degli Autori, in the section “Venetian Nights”.
“We are so proud and thrilled to be able to accompany in competition two eminent titles such as “Lubo” and “Ferrari”, directed by two Masters such as Giorgio Diritti and Michael Mann. A film of great importance such as Lubo – which involved for a few weeks the province of Alessandria and more than ten different locations at the Lago Maggiore –was also supported through the Regional Network of the Foundation and with the contribution of the “Piemonte Film Tv Fund”, and we can’t help but be grateful to Giorgio Diritti and Indiana Production – with which we restarted an especially fruitful collaboration – for having chosen and involved us.” This is the comment by Beatrice Borgia, President of FCTP, who adds: “It’s no use to hide the great satisfaction for having hosted for several days the filming of a project of international caliber such as Ferrari. It is yet another confirmation of the appeal of our territory.”
Paolo Manera, Director of FCTP, wishes to highlight that “the presence of the Foundation and the liveliness of the Piedmontese audiovisual industry are also actualized with the presence of two important titles in the official selection, such as Amor produced by the Turin-based Stefilm and the documentary on De Santis directed by Steve Della Casa. Another goal of great value is the presence of “About Last Year”, produced by Turinese Base Zero, the only Italian project running for the SIC Settimana Internazionale della Critica. Yet another important success for Piedmontese documentary cinema.”
“Lubo”, the latest film directed by Giorgio Diritti – realized with the support of Film Commission Torino Piemonte and with the contribution of the “Piemonte Film Tv Fund” – has been realized for about 4 weeks (plus likewise in preparation) in the October of 2022, at Acqui Terme (Alessandria) and in various locations of the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola, whose local administrations were involved thanks to the regional Network of Film Commission Torino Piemonte: from Stresa to Ameno, from Orta San Giulio to Verbania and Domodossola. The subject was written by Giorgio Diritti and Tania Pedroni together with the Piedmontese Fredo Valla, who also signed the script with the director. “Lubo” is a Swiss-Italian co-production INDIANA PRODUCTION, ARANCIAFILM with RAI CINEMA and HUGOFILM FEATURES and PROXIMA MILANO in collaboration with RSI RADIOTELEVISIONE SVIZZERA SRG/SSR, realized with the support of the Ministry of Culture Cinema and Audiovisual General Direction, the Switzerland Federal Office of Culture, Zürcher Filmstiftung, IDM Film Commission Südtirol, Film Commission Torino Piemonte, Trentino Film Commission with the contribution of the POR FESR Piemonte 2014-2020 - Action III.3c.1.2 - “Piemonte Film TV Fund”.
Lubo is a nomad, a street performer that in 1939 is called by the Swiss army to defend the national borders from the risk of a German invasion. Shortly after, he finds out that his wife died in the effort to stop the guards from taking their three small children, ripped away from their family for being Jenish, as the national reeducation program for street children established (Hilfswerk für die Kinder der Landstrasse). Lubo knows that he will not be able to rest until he finds his children and gets justice for his story and the story of everyone who is, just like him, different.
To complete the presence of FCTP at Venezia 80, another project realized with the support of Film Commission Torino Piemonte – Piemonte Doc Film Fund: “Amor” by Virginia Eleuteri Serpieri, produced by the Turinese Stefilm International: the documentary will be presented Out of Competition, in the official selection.
“When I see Rome I see my mother. It’s been like that since she died”. A summer evening many years ago: the city is empty, and the soccer World championship is on. A woman, Teresa, reaches the Tiber and lets herself go in its current. The abyss swallows her up and her daughter Virginia needs to cross the depths of the water, of history, of myths, of tragedies, and vital flares of a timeless Rome. That is how she can see her mother emerge again from the darkness of the Tiber to fly towards Amor, the “planet of care” surrounded by water and where roads, squares, and fountains resemble those in Rome and animals are free to roam.
“Un’altra Italia era possibile. Il cinema di Giuseppe De Santis” by Steve Della Casa – produced by Beetlefilm by Pierfrancesco Fiorenza and Andrea Lorusso Caputi and realized with the support of Film Commission Torino Piemonte – will lastly be presented to Venice Classics.
The documentary wants to narrate the story of a director who knew how to focus the attention of the whole world on himself and who could work much less than what he would’ve deserved because of his political and esthetical coherence. The story of a cinema teacher who deserved the gratitude and fondness of every student of his. The story of a cinema lover who could join social and civil engagement with spectacular skills worthy of Hollywood.
Big satisfaction for “About Last Year”, the documentary produced by the Turinese Base Zero by Enrico Bisi and Stefano Cravero and directed by Dunja Lavecchia, Beatrice Surano, and Morena Terranova with the support of Film Commission Torino Piemonte – Piemonte Doc Film Fund: only Italian project selected for the 38th Settimana Internazionale della Critica, the film brings to the big screen the story of the European spread of the ball culture and the Kiki House of Savoia, a group of friends for whom the concept of family is actualized in a very strong way, overcoming stereotypes of gender, identity, and sexuality.
The outskirts of Turin. Celeste, Giorgia, and Letizia, between 20 and 27, are all united by an awareness: as cisgender women, they’re mere guests in the world of ballroom. As a phenomenon born in New York in the Latinx and Afro-American LGBTQ+ community, today it is present and well-established in Italy as well. Here, they found a space to be free in their own body, sheltered by judgment, prejudices, and provocations. The three of them are about to start a journey that will lead them to important decisions. Giorgia is tied to her homeplace, while Celeste and Letizia want to leave. A coming-of-age story through a year of life, where dreams, desires, doubts, and a craving for life and fighting meet and collide.
To complete the thick group of Piedmont-based projects present at the Festival, at the 20th edition of the Giornate degli Autori, in the Venetian Nights section, “Across” by Irene Dorigotti will be presented in a worldwide preview.
The documentary was directed and interpreted by Irene Dorigotti, produced by the company Start in co-production with Noha Film and Rai Cinema and it was realized with the support of Film Commission Torino Piemonte – Piemonte Doc Film Fund and RSI Radiotelevisione Svizzera, in association with Terra de Punt.
Irene Dorigotti is the youngest director of the selection and with her “Across”, as a coming-of-age novel, she involves us in an existential crisis after the recovery of an ancient treasure of acoustics and frames coming from her grandfather’s travels across the most obscure places of Earth, as the founder of the first travel agency in Italy. Reconnecting with her family’s memories, which in some way correspond to the memories of the cultures of the world, Dorigotti goes through a deep spiritual crisis that brings her to question her faith, although solid.
