UAE | Leisure

Film festival to showcase Italy

The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) will focus on Italy, a country that has a long cinematic history and where new talents continually push the boundaries of narrative and style.

  • Staff Report
  • Published: 23:21 November 14, 2008
  • Gulf News

  • A shot from 'Il Resto Della Notte', to be screened at the Dubai International Film Festival, that runs from December 11-18.
  • Image Credit: Supplied picture
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Dubai: The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) will focus on Italy, a country that has a long cinematic history and where new talents continually push the boundaries of narrative and style.

DIFF will run from December 11 to 18.

"The segment will offer a look into the social and artistic fabric of one of Europe's oldest societies", says Sheila Whitaker, DIFF's director of International Programmes.

"Italy has been a cinema-lover's paradise since the earliest days of the art. This year we want to celebrate the vibrant energy of Italian films and offer festival goers a chance to see these art house films by new talents from Europe that are surely the ones not to be missed."

Power, money and blood: these are the values that the residents of the province of Naples and Caserta confront every day in Gomorra. They have practically no choice and are forced to obey the rules of the "system," or the "camorra".

Five stories have been woven together in this cruel world. Director Matteo Garrone has shown his work at the Cannes competition, early this year. .

Il Resto Della Notte is the second feature by Francesco Munzi. An affluent, middle-class Italian family gets mired in conflict when a piece of jewellery disappears.

The lady of the house, instantly blames the Romanian maid, Maria. Despite protests by her husband and daughter, who believe Maria is innocent, the maid is fired. Maria then re-enters the world from which she had escaped - the struggling underclass of Eastern European migrants, fighting to survive in the bounty of the West, unaware that their paths are shortly to cross the realm of violence and tragedy.

Director Paolo Sorrentino's Il Divo depicts the life of one of Europe's most notorious politicians, Giulio Andreotti, who returned to power seven times between the late 1940s and early 1990s, as the head of the Christian Democrat party.

Fast-paced drama

Blending documentary-style interludes with fast-paced drama, Sorrentino works his material up into a visual torrent of energy that catapults us through Andreotti's exploits at breakneck speed before the whole sprawling edifice collapses in a welter of corruption allegations, shady power deals and intrigue.

Marco Pontecorvo's debut feature Pa Ra Da chronicles the efforts of Miloud, a young circus clown living in Paris who resolves to help the street children of Bucharest. He begins by entertaining them, coaxing out smiles, laughter and trust. Eventually Miloud is able to teach the children clowning techniques and the group performs in the main square of Bucharest.

Pa Ra Da has been selected as the Gala Film, representing Italy, the country in focus at the festival.

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