October

22

Il Divo

An insomniac who suffers from severe headaches strolls the deserted streets of Rome in the middle of the night; during the day he is a real-life manifestation of a Machiavellian prince.

Paolo Sorrentino, 110 min., 2008

Soci party!

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October

23

I pugni in tasca

Fists in the pocket

In the breathless pause between 50’s conformity and the late 60’s explosion of political protest Marco Bellocchio’s first movie, an instantly acclaimed masterpiece, plowed into theaters announcing a major new presence in the movie firmament.

Marco Bellocchio, 65 min., 1965

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October

23

La balia

The nanny

Set in Rome of the late 1800’s, in a climate of social upheaval and repression, a son is born to the well-to-do psychiatrist Mori and his wife Victoria, who comes to realize that she has no emotional attachment to the child.

Marco Bellocchio, 106 min., 1999

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October

25

La condanna

The conviction

As part of Bellocchio’s unusual collaboration with his psychoanalyst, Massimo Fagioli, who worked on four films with him, this production formalizes Bellocchio’s great psychological explorations in cinema.

Marco Bellocchio, 91 min., 1991

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October

26

Marcello Marcello

In the picturesque island of Amatrello a unique custom keeps the young men of the village busy: when a girl turns eighteen, every interested boy is invited to bring a gift for her first date.

Denis Rabaglia, 97 min., 2009

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October

27

La matassa

The tangle

This crime comedy from the nutty Italian duo Valentino Picone and Salvatore Ficarra features the two writer-director-stars, respectively, as Paolo and Gaetano, cousins estranged from one another.

Ficarra, Picone, Giambattista Avellino, 98 min., 2009

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October

29

Valentino: The last emperor

An intimate portrait of a cultural icon whose influence demonstrates that truly great art expands beyond national boundaries.

Matt Tymauer, 96 min., 2008

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October

30

Ex

Many kisses later

Ex follows six couples between Christmas and Valentine's Day - episodes that intertwine and revolve around the matters arising from the end of a love affair and the ways former romantic partners.

Fausto Brizzi, 120 min., 2009

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October

31

L'ora di religione

My mother's smile

The artist Ernesto Picciafuocco struggles in Rome with terrible purpose but little clarity against familial and social forces.

Marco Bellocchio, 105 min., 2002

Bellocchio Discussion

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November

2

Pa-ra-da

Set in post-Ceausescu Romania, this film is based on the true life story of street performer Miloud Oukili.  Miloud is a young French-Algerian whose traveling performances take him to Romania, where he attempts to make friends with a group of orphans.

Marco Pontecorvo, 100 min., 2008

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November

3

Notte prima degli esami - Oggi

The night before the exams today

A follow-up to Notte prima degli esami, which took its title from a song by Antonello Venditti, this film is set in 2006 on the background of Italy’s run toward the World Cup.

Fausto Brizzi, 102 min., 2007

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November

4

Dieci inverni

Ten winters

A long-suppressed and delicate love story spanning the course of ten years told in vignettes always set in the evocative wintertime. Eighteen year olds Silvestro and Camilla initially meet as students in 1999 in Venice.

Valerio Mieli, 99 min., 2009

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