European Cinema In Focus At BIFF
“Corpo Celeste” and “Declaration of War” [pictured], two films screening at the 15th annual Bermuda International Film Festival [BIFF] will add a distinctly European flavour to this year’s proceedings.
Promising new director Alice Rohrwacher explores a young girl’s troubled Catholic confirmation in the gritty coming-of-age dramedy, “Corpo Celeste.”
Set in the dilapidated seaside cities of Calabria, Italy, the Italian-French-Swiss co-production premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.
Having recently returned to her native region after living in Switzerland, 13-year-old Marta [Yile Vianello] is left pretty much to her own devices while her loving but worn-out mother [Anita Caprioli] toils away at an industrial bakery.
Living off frozen pizzas and wandering around neighboring junkyards, Marta’s only source of socialisation is the local church, where she attends a series of catechism classes in preparation for her upcoming confirmation.
Yet the doctrines of Roman Catholicism, as they’re comically explained via cheesy pop songs and untranslated Latin, offer little in terms of life lessons or consolation for the skinny, highly introverted Marta.
Rather, she soon catches on to the hypocrisy of the parish, whose priest, Don Mario [Salvatore Cantalupo], is in cahoots with a right-wing candidate, and whose instructor, Santa [Pasqualina Scuncia], uses her piety as a means to escape a miserable small-town existence.
Trailer for “Corpo Celeste”
“Shot with a raw, documentary aesthetic that recalls the early work of Ken Loach and Barbara Kopple , the film begins with a ramshackle religious procession held beneath a highway overpass, and then works its way up to the confirmation ceremony, where a few tragic-comic twists become tests of faith for both Marta and Don Mario,” said the “Hollywood Reporter” in an enthusiastic review.
” … Writer-director Rohrwacher and cinematographer Helene Louvart show a keen eye for naturalistic detail, while the dialogue reveals the chasm separating the teachings of Christ from the lifestyles of contemporary Italians.”
“Declaration of War” is a vibrant and heartfelt French film that captures the mood and the memories of young parents who found themselves in the trenches fighting for the life of their child.
The 2011 film was selected as the French entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 84th Academy Awards but did not make the final shortlist.
Trailer for “Declaration of War”
Directed by Valérie Donzelli, and written by her and Jérémie Elkaïm, “Declaration of War” received rave reviews both in France and internationally.
The opening night film at last year’s Critics Week at the Cannes Film Festival, this exuberant and deeply moving film follows a new couple, Romeo [Elkaïm] and Juliette [Donzelli], who must face the ultimate test when they discover their newborn child is very ill.
Gathering their friends and family together, they confront this ordeal together as a form of warfare.
Donzelli infuses the story with unexpected verve using a host of cinematic techniques, music and heartbreaking performances that results in a film about a contemporary couple who surprises even themselves with their ability to fight not only for the life of their child but for each other.
Drawing on the real life experiences of Donzelli and co-star/co-writer Elkaïm and what they went through when their own son fell ill, the film brought tears to the eyes of critics and audiences alike, dazzling with moviegoers with its contagious vitality.
Running from March 16 through 22, more than 80 films will screen at BIFF 2012.
Cinema tickets are available here or at the BIFF 2012 box office at 75 Front Street, courtesy of Freisenbruch Meyer. For more information, visit BIFF’s website, call +1 (441) 293-3456 or email info@biff.bm.
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