The Italian Film Festival USA of Milwaukee returns to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee's Union Theatre for its fourth year on Saturday, May 1 and Sunday, May 2.
This year's festival -- again organized with the assistance of OnMilwaukee.com's Bobby Tanzilo -- features the Milwaukee premieres of six recent Italian films:
"Gli amici del bar Margherita" (The Friends of the Margherita Café)
Directed by Pupi Avati
Saturday, May 1, 5 p.m. (90 min.)
A comic but realistic tale of the lives of the Bar Margherita regulars in 1950s Bologna as narrated through the eyes of young Taddeo. The director borrowed from his own childhood memories to recreate a magical and nostalgic atmosphere.
"La ragazza del lago" (The Girl by the Lake)
Directed by Andrea Molaioli
Saturday, May 1, 7 p.m. (95 minutes)
A police inspector, who recently moved to a small Northeastern town in Italy, must investigate an emotionally charged crime with his younger colleague in this close-knit community. Winner of the 2008 Best Italian Film.
"Il papà di Giovanna" (Giovanna's Father)
Directed by Pupi Avati
Saturday, May 1, 9 p.m. (104 minutes)
Giovanna is a shy and insecure young girl. Her father is devoted to giving her the best education in order to secure a good future for her, but everything will turn into tragedy when she becomes insanely jealous of her beautiful and generous classmate.
"Pranzo di Ferragosto" (Mid-August Lunch)
Directed by Gianni Di Gregorio
Sunday, May 2, 3 p.m. (75 minutes)
On the eve of the Aug. 15 holiday -- a big deal in Italy -- the building manager offers a solution for Gianni's economic problems. Gianni is to take care of the manager's mother for a couple of days in exchange for forgiving unpaid fees. But Gianni ends up taking care of not only the manager's mother but also the aunt and his doctor's mother in this charming comedy.
"Casomai" (If By Chance)
Directed by Alessandro D'Alatri
Sunday, May 2, 5 p.m. (114 minutes)
Tomaso and Stefania meet, fall in love and marry. Their love is sincere, passionate and strong. But they slowly become a couple like so many others: they stop struggling and no longer communicate. But their love is not lost.
"Si può fare" (It Can Be Done)
Directed by Giulio Manfredonia
Sunday, May 2, 7 p.m. (111 minutes)
A Milanese businessman who lost his job finds himself managing a cooperative of former mental patients. He encourages everyone to learn a trade, inventing a role for each of them that is amazingly adapted to their abilities. Nominated 2009 Best Italian Film.
All films will be shown in Italian with English subtitles. Admission is free and open to the general public.
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
