Honoring the Italian Maestri

The USC School of Cinematic Arts, the Fondazione Azzurra and Visions and Voices present a dynamic cultural initiative celebrating the heritage of Italian cinema with a festival of new feature films and restored classics, including works by venerated artists Luchino Visconti, Ermanno Olmi and Dario Argento, and flourishing young director Saverio Costanzo.

 

ABOUT THE FILMS

Mario Sesti's documentary about Federico Fellini's "8 1/2"

THE LOST ENDING (L'Ultima Sequenza, 2003)

The acclaimed documentary about the lost ending to Federico Fellini's 8 1/2 that reveals the possible truth behind the making of an Italian masterpiece. Some remember it, others don’t. It was to have been the last sequence, but instead the maestro chose the enchanting liveliness of the circus to conclude his film. This alternative ending, the train sequence, is nowhere to be found. The Lost Ending provides previously unseen footage utilising the archive of Gideon Bachmann offering an intriguing insight into the making of a masterpiece.
Followed by a Q&A between Leonard Maltin and the director, Mario Sesti.


Dario Argento’s “Three Mothers” Trilogy

SUSPIRIA (1977)

American ballet student Suzy Banyon (Jessica Harper) arrives in Germany to attend a prestigious dance academy. On the night of her arrival, she gets caught in a storm and witnesses a young woman fleeing the school in a panic. The student is horribly murdered, and Suzy begins having suspicions that all is not as it seems at the academy. She begins experiencing inexplicable dizzy spells as other bizarre deaths occur. Considered by many to be Italian horror maestro Dario Argento’s masterpiece, Suspiria has been a cult favorite for decades. It’s two sequels, Inferno (1980) and The Mother of Tears (2007), complete the trilogy.


Rose Elliot (Irene Miracle), a poet living in New York City, discovers an ancient book called The Three Mothers. It tells of the existence of three evil sisters who rule the world with sorrow, tears, and darkness. The book reveals that the three dwell inside separate homes that have been specially designed and built for them in Rome, Freiburg and New York. Rose suspects that she is living in one of the buildings and writes to her brother Mark (Leigh McCloskey) in Rome, urging him to visit her. Upon arriving in New York, Mark meets some of the residents of Rose's building, including the sickly Countess Elise (Daria Nicolodi) who informs him that Rose has disappeared. Mark then attempts to retrace Rose’s final days, leading him to the house of Mother Tenebrarum, Our Lady of Darkness.

THE MOTHER OF TEARS (2007)

The Mother of Tears is the finale to the saga that began with the international blockbuster Suspiria (1977) and continued with the classic Inferno (1980) from Italian horror maestro Dario Argento. In the heart of modern Rome, an urn is found and brought to a young archeologist, Sarah Mandy (Asia Argento). But what Sarah doesn’t know is that the urn belongs to the world’s most powerful witch, the Mother of Tears. She unwittingly unleashes a demonic power intent on destroying the city and everything in its path. When the Mother’s minions and henchman brutally murder Sarah’s co-worker and come after her, she takes refuge with an old priest and discovers her legacy – that her own mother was murdered years before by the Mother of Tears, and that only Sarah has the power to end the destruction. She must find and stop the Mother, before it is too late. Introduced by L.A. Weekly film critic Scott Foundas, followed by a Q&A with co-writers Adam Gierasch & Jace Anderson

Ermanno Olmi Double Feature

IL POSTO (1961)

When young Domenico (Sandro Panseri) ventures from the small village of Meda to Milan in search of employment, he finds himself on the bottom rung of the bureaucratic ladder in a huge, faceless company. The prospects are daunting, but Domenico finds reason for hope in the fetching Antonietta (Loredana Detto). A tender coming-of-age story and a sharp observation of dehumanizing corporate enterprise, Ermanno Olmi’s Il Posto is a touching and hilarious tale of one young man’s stumbling entrance into the perils of modern adulthood. Introduced by Professor Marsha Kinder of the USC School of Cinematic Arts.


A collection of rare books is scattered across the floor of a university library, each of the volumes fastened to the floor with a large nail struck through its pages. The crime leads the police on a search for a disillusioned professor (Raz Degan), who abandons his university life to live in a crumbling shack on the outskirts of a village in Lombardia. There, his simplified lifestyle allows him to develop personal relationships to the townsfolk, to whom he becomes a spiritual and moral guide as big industry looms ominously on the horizon, threatening the welfare of the village. Introduced by cinematographer Dante Spinotti and followed by a pre-recorded Q&A with Olmi by Martina Riva.

Luchino Visconti’s Masterpiece

THE LEOPARD (Il Gattopardo, 1963)

The Leopard chronicles the fortunes of Prince Fabrizio Salina and his family during the unification of Italy in the 1860s. Based on the acclaimed novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, the picture opens as Salina (Burt Lancaster) learns that Garibaldi's troops have embarked in Sicily. While the Prince sees the event as an obvious threat to his current social status, his opportunistic nephew Tancredi (Alain Delon) becomes an officer in Garibaldi's army and returns home a war hero. Tancredi starts courting the beautiful Angelica (Claudia Cardinale), a daughter of the town's newly appointed Mayor, Don Calogero Sedara (Paolo Stoppa). Though the Prince despises Don Calogero as an upstart who made a fortune on land speculation during the recent social upheaval, he reluctantly agrees to his nephew's marriage, understanding how much this alliance would mean for the impecunious Tancredi. Painfully realizing the aristocracy's obsolescence in the wake of the new class of bourgeoisie, the Prince later declines an offer from a governmental emissary to become a senator in the new Parliament in Turin. The closing section, an almost hour-long ball, is often cited as one of the most spectacular sequences in film history. Filmed in glorious Techniscope and rich in period detail, the film is a remarkable cinematic achievement in all departments, and won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1963. Introduced by SCA Special Events Coordinator Alessandro Ago.

Saverio Costanzo Double Feature


Inspired by real events, documentary filmmaker Saverio Costanzo's feature debut is a minimalist psychological drama about a Palestinian family of seven suddenly confronted with a volatile situation in their home that in many ways reflects the larger ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel. Mohammad, his wife and their five children live in a large, isolated house located halfway between a Palestinian village and an Israeli settlement. The house, in the crossfire of the two sides, is a strategic lookout point that the Israeli army decides to seize, confining the family to a few downstairs rooms in daytime and a single room at night. Mohammad refuses to leave this home and, reinforced by his principles against violence, decides to find a way to keep his family together in the house until the Israeli soldiers move on. The director will introduce the screening.


In Memory of Myself is a coming-of-age drama that follows a life-changing period in the spiritual journey of twentysomething Andrea (Christo Jivkov), a young man who undergoes a personal crisis and decides to withdraw from the world by entering a monastic order. As he begins his novitiate, however (a period in which the senior monks observe his every doing, to deem him genuinely called to the monastic life) Andrea's illusions and preconceptions about becoming a monk begin to shatter. Instead of the silence, prayer and introversion that he initially anticipated, Andrea instead runs headfirst into suspicion, surveillance and distrust - as the fellow brethren seem almost eager to find a flaw in him, that will disqualify him from ordination. Followed by a Q&A with the director, Saverio Costanzo, moderated by SCA Professor Richard B. Jewell.


ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBIT

Pino Settanni was born on March 21st, 1949 in Grottaglie (Taranto), Italy. He has been taking photographs since 1966. He has be a professional photographer since 1973, the year in which he moved to Rome, where he has since lived and worked.

The photography exhibit in the Frank Sinatra Hall will feature photographs by Pino Settanni that focuses on the legendary maestri of Italian cinema (including Federico Fellini).


ABOUT THE LOS ANGELES CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra was founded in 1968 as an artistic outlet for the film and recording studios’ most gifted musicians. Since then, the 40-member Orchestra has gained a reputation for both virtuosic music-making and dynamic programming. The Orchestra performs repertoire ranging from Baroque masterpieces to new works commissioned annually by its Sound Investment program and is recognized for championing young artists on the brink of major careers, as well as working with some of today’s leading artists. Renowned pianist and conductor Jeffrey Kahane has led the group since 1997.

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra maintains its local presence with an annual home season of 15 concerts at two historic theaters, the Alex Theatre in Glendale and UCLA’s Royce Hall; its acclaimed Baroque Conversations series at Zipper Concert Hall; and a series of three family concerts at the Alex Theatre. In April 2002, the Orchestra was invited to play in Carnegie Hall’s Chamber Music series, under the direction of Jeffrey Kahane. The Orchestra had previously toured South America, Europe and Japan. In early 2008, the Orchestra will embark on a two-week, five-country tour with concerts in Paris, Berlin, Vienna and other great European capitals.

The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra believes that classical music is a joy to be shared by everyone. Through its Meet the Music program, the Orchestra reaches thousands of elementary school students, most of whom have never experienced a classical concert before, and through Neighborhood Concerts, LACO creates opportunities for new and underserved audiences to develop a love for orchestral music and performance.


ABOUT ANGELINI OSTERIA & LA TERZA RESTAURANT

Gino Angelini has devoted his life to food and its preparation from the age of 14. At 23 he became the youngest chef of a five-star hotel restaurant, The Ambasciatori. Since then, he has served every Italian head of state including the Prime Ministers Craxi and Adreotti. His reputation spread so widely that every notable in Italy dined in his restaurants, including legendary tenor Luciano Pavoratti and film director Federico Fellini.

In 1995, Chef Angelini came to the United States as chef of Rex, il Ristorante in Los Angeles. He received acclaim for both his inventive and traditional Italian cuisine. In late 1997, Chef Angelini opened Vincenti Restaurant in Brentwood. Named one of the “25 Best Restaurants” by Esquire Magazine (December 1997) and the “best New Restaurant in Los Angeles” by Los Angeles Magazine (August 1998), Vincenti was a critical and commercial smash. In June 1999, the Los Angeles Times Magazine described Gino Angelini as, “hands down, the best Italian chef in LA.”

Following his decision to stay in Los Angeles, Angelini opened his own restaurant, Angelini Osteria. Since opening in 2001, the Osteria has become one of LA's most celebrated restaurants. Angelini's latest veture, La Terza Restaurant, highlights his flair for both country and contemporary Italian Cuisine. For more information about Angelini Osteria, please visit their website.

Angelini Osteria and La Terza Restaurant will cater a traditional Italian spaghettata (spaghetti dinner) between films in Queen's Courtyard at 5:00PM on Saturday and Sunday.

ABOUT THE GUESTS

SAVERIO COSTANZO was born in Rome in 1975, where he studied communications and sociology at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”. He graduated in 1998 with a thesis on Italian-Americans in Brooklyn. He lived in New York for two years, where he made a documentary and worked as a cameraman. His debut feature, Private, won the 2004 Locarno Film Festival’s Golden Leopard, as well as the Best Actor prize. Saverio was also honoured with the coveted David di Donatello, Nastro d’Argento and Globo d’Oro for Best New Director. In Memory of Myself is Costanzo’s second feature was an official selection for the 2007 Berlin Film Festival, as the only Italian representative.

MARIO SESTI is a journalist and film critic who writes for “La Repubblica” and “Ciak”, in addition to serving as one of the Artistic Directors of CINEMA – Festa Internazionale di Roma and directing documentary films. For thirteen years he wrote for the weekly magazine “Espresso” and has written books on Nanni Moretti, Nuovo Cinema Italiano, Italian detective films and Pietro Germi (Tutto il cinema di Pietro Germi, published by Baldini e Castoldi, awarded the Diego Fabbri 'best book on cinema of the year' in 1987). In 2006, his book In quel film c’è un segreto, published by Feltrinelli, received the Fabbri award as well. His documentaries have been presented at film festivals in Cannes, Locarno and Turin, in museums such as MoMA and Guggenheim New York and Princeton University. In 2003, his film on the lost ending of Fellini’s 8 ½ (L'ultima sequenza) was included in the official selection of the Cannes Film Festival. From 1998 to 2000, he was in charge of CINEMA FOREVER, developing, among the others, the restoration of Un maledetto imbroglio, La dolce vita, 8 ½, Umberto D., I vitelloni, and Lo sceicco bianco.


ABOUT THE PRESENTERS

LEONARD MALTIN is one of the country’s most recognized film critics and historians. He has written many books, and edits the annual paperback reference Leonard Maltin’s Movie Guide, along with its companion volume Leonard Maltin’s Classic Movie Guide. He is now in his 25th year with Entertainment Tonight, hosts the weekly show Secret’s Out on ReelzChannel, and introduces movies on DirecTV. He also hosts and co-produces the Walt Disney Treasures DVD series. He teaches at the USC School of Cinematic Arts, and last year was appointed by the Librarian of Congress to the Board of Directors of the National Film Preservation Foundation.

SCOTT FOUNDAS is the film editor and chief film critic for the L.A. Weekly, in addition to which his writing appears regularly in The Village Voice and other Village Voice Media publications. A 1999 graduate of the USC School of Cinema-Television, Foundas is a past contributor to Variety, The New York Times, and Indiewire; is a member of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association and National Society of Film Critics; and has served on official juries at the Cannes, Sundance, and Vancouver film festivals. In 2007, he joined the New York Film Festival selection committee.

MARSHA KINDER began her career as a scholar of eighteenth century English Literature before moving to the study of transmedial relations among various art forms. She currently is a Professor of Critical Studies in USC’s School of Cinematic Arts where she has been teaching since 1980, and where her specialties include Spanish cinema, narrative theory, children’s media culture, and digital culture. She has published over one hundred essays and ten books, including Blood Cinema: The Reconstruction of National identity in Spain and Playing with Power in Movies, Television and Video Games. She was founding editor of Dreamworks (1980-87) and The Spectator (1982-present), and since 1977 has served on the editorial board of Film Quarterly. In 1995 she received the USC Associates Award for Creativity in Scholarship; in 2001, was named a University Professor for her innovative interdisciplinary research; and from 2005 to 2007 served as USC’s Associate Vice Provost for Advancement of Research in the Humanities. Since 1997 she has directed The Labyrinth Project, a research initiative on interactive narrative, producing database documentaries and new models of digital scholarship in collaboration with media artists, independent filmmakers, writers, scholars, scientists, archivists, students and cultural institutions.

DANTE SPINOTTI was born in the northeastern Italian Region of Friuli. He began taking still photographs when he was about 11 years old, and at 17 he went to Kenia to work with an uncle who was a documentary and news film director / cinematographer. After about a year he went back to Italy and worked at RAI, the state television network, until producer Dino De Laurentiis discovered him in 1985. He brought Spinotti to the United States to work for Michael Mann’s Manhunter (1986). From that experience, Spinotti became one of the most appreciated cinematographer in Hollywood. Among his works are: The Legend of the Holy Drinker (David di Donatello 1989), The Last of the Mohicans (BAFTA Award, 1992), Heat (1995), L.A. Confidential (Academy Nomination, LA Film Critics Association Award 1997) and The Insider (Academy Nomination, LA Film Critics Association Award, Silver Ribbon 1999). He just finished shooting the feature Flash of Genius by Marc Abraham.

RICHARD B. JEWELL is a professor in the School of Cinematic Arts where he holds the Hugh M. Hefner Chair for the Study of American Film. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree from Vanderbilt University and Master’s Degree from the University of Florida, Dr. Jewell began his doctoral studies at USC in 1972, started teaching in 1974 and became a full-time faculty member in 1976. From 1985-1990, Dr. Jewell served as chair of the Critical Studies Program and from 1995 through 2004 he was the School’s Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Professor Jewell’s latest book is The Golden Age of Cinema:  Hollywood, 1929-1945 (2007).

ALESSANDRO AGO is the Special Events Coordinator for the USC School of Cinematic Arts. He received his M.A. in Cinema-Television Critical Studies from USC in 2005. He has recently taught "Filmmaking, Italian Style" and "Transnational Nightmares" at the School of Cinematic Arts Summer Program and lectures about Italian cinema at venues such as the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles, the Popular Culture Association annual conference and at film festivals in Los Angeles and Capri, Italy. He co-produced "Los Angeles Italia: The Film, Fashion and Art Festival" at Mann's Chinese Theatre in 2006 & 2007.


ABOUT PARKING

The USC School of Cinematic Arts is located at 850 W. 34th St., Los Angeles, CA 90007. Parking passes are available for Lots M & V (across the street from the George Lucas Building) for $8.00. You must pull into Gate 5, located at the intersection of McClintock Ave. and W Jefferson Boulevard and purchase your parking pass with the booth attendant. Street parking is also available along W Jefferson Blvd.


ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

Organized by the USC School of Cinematic Arts and the Fondazione Azzurra, in collaboration with the Cinema Rome Film Festival, the LA Chamber Orchestra and Casa del Cinema.

Fondazione Azzurra is a non-profit organization founded in Los Angeles in 2006 for the purpose of preserving and promoting the study of the Italian language and culture throughout Southern California. The foundation receives grants from the government of Italy in support of its mission and, as such, operates under the supervision of the Education Office of the Consulate General of Italy in Los Angeles. For more information, please visit their website.

                   

For more information about upcoming programming and events offered by Visions and Voices: The USC Arts & Humanities Initiative, please visit their website.

                  
Thanks to the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles and the Italian Trade Commission.