POSTER |
PROGRAM |
Tuesday, March 19, 7pm - UNH, Memorial Union Building, Theater 2
Introduction to Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival in Bologna (June 2019) by Guy Borlée (Cineteca of Bologna)
RAPSODIA SATANICA (Satan's Rhapsody)
Directed by Nino Oxilia. Italy, 1915-1917, 45', Italian intertitles with English subtitles,
Recorded score by Pietro Masscagni performed by the Orchestra of Teatro Comunale in Bologna in 2015, directed by Timothy Brock.
The story of Rapsodia satanica is as agonizing and troubled as the fate of the countess Alba d’Oltrevita, played by the divine Lyda Borelli. Nino Oxilia’s masterpiece was completed in spring 1915 but was not released in theatres until 1917. The film was the most genuine attempt at making a total work of art for the screen. The film condenses pictorial quotations that range from Symbolism to the Pre-Raphaelites, literary references to the Faust tradition and Dannunzian decadence, spectacular architectural allusions to art nouveau, all embellished with original music by Pietro Mascagni. Rapsodia satanica is a film in a league of its own with Nino Oxilia’s poetic sensitivity and compositional expertise and Lyda Borelli’s extraordinary performance. She expresses with her body and eyes the controversial aspects of her character, distilling the sensuality of eroticism, the raving hysteria of madness, the dark mood of death.
Restored in 2015 by Cineteca di Bologna from a tinted, toned and hand-painted positive print belonging to the Cinémathèque Suisse.
https://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/rapsodia-satanica/
RAPSODIA SATANICA (Satan's Rhapsody)
Directed by Nino Oxilia. Italy, 1915-1917, 45', Italian intertitles with English subtitles,
Recorded score by Pietro Masscagni performed by the Orchestra of Teatro Comunale in Bologna in 2015, directed by Timothy Brock.
The story of Rapsodia satanica is as agonizing and troubled as the fate of the countess Alba d’Oltrevita, played by the divine Lyda Borelli. Nino Oxilia’s masterpiece was completed in spring 1915 but was not released in theatres until 1917. The film was the most genuine attempt at making a total work of art for the screen. The film condenses pictorial quotations that range from Symbolism to the Pre-Raphaelites, literary references to the Faust tradition and Dannunzian decadence, spectacular architectural allusions to art nouveau, all embellished with original music by Pietro Mascagni. Rapsodia satanica is a film in a league of its own with Nino Oxilia’s poetic sensitivity and compositional expertise and Lyda Borelli’s extraordinary performance. She expresses with her body and eyes the controversial aspects of her character, distilling the sensuality of eroticism, the raving hysteria of madness, the dark mood of death.
Restored in 2015 by Cineteca di Bologna from a tinted, toned and hand-painted positive print belonging to the Cinémathèque Suisse.
https://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/rapsodia-satanica/
Preceded by three short films restored by Cineteca di Bologna:
BOLOGNA MONUMENTALE, Italy, 1912, 5’
Italian intertitles, recorded score by Daniele Furlati https://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/bologna-monumentale/ |
FORDING THE RIVER, Great Britain, 1910, 3’
English intertitles, recorded score by Daniele Furlati An extraordinary example of Kinemacolor film, the very first system to reproduce color with red and green filters. http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/fording-the-river/ |
COIFFURES ET TYPES DE HOLLANDE, France, 1910, 4’
Italian intertitles, Pathécolor, recorded score by Daniele Furlati http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/coiffures-et-types-de-hollande/ |
Wednesday, March 20, 8pm - UNH, Memorial Union Building, Theater 1
Introduction by Daniel Chávez, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, UNH
VÍCTIMAS DEL PECADO (Victims of Sin)
Directed by Emilio Fernández. Mexico, 1951, 90', Spanish version with English subtitles
Victims of Sin is a magnificent, canonical Mexican melodrama (with several Cuban imports) of the ‘cabaretera’ subgenre, a daring, realistic and even cruelly dramatic tear-jerker thumbing its way through a series of disasters and injustices to what appears to be a really welcome happy ending, only to go on with further catastrophes. Emilio “El indio” Fernández manages to integrate several fantastic dance numbers of the star Ninón Sevilla, a song by the great Pedro Vargas and some mambo music by Pérez Prado and orchestra. Photography by Gabriel Figeroa.
Restored in 2017 by Cineteca Nacional Mexico.
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/victimas-del-pecado
VÍCTIMAS DEL PECADO (Victims of Sin)
Directed by Emilio Fernández. Mexico, 1951, 90', Spanish version with English subtitles
Victims of Sin is a magnificent, canonical Mexican melodrama (with several Cuban imports) of the ‘cabaretera’ subgenre, a daring, realistic and even cruelly dramatic tear-jerker thumbing its way through a series of disasters and injustices to what appears to be a really welcome happy ending, only to go on with further catastrophes. Emilio “El indio” Fernández manages to integrate several fantastic dance numbers of the star Ninón Sevilla, a song by the great Pedro Vargas and some mambo music by Pérez Prado and orchestra. Photography by Gabriel Figeroa.
Restored in 2017 by Cineteca Nacional Mexico.
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/victimas-del-pecado
Thursday, March 21, 3pm - UNH, Memorial Union Building, Theater 2
Introduction by Wenjin Cui, Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, UNH
JIAFENG XUHUANG (The Barber Takes a Wife)
Directed by Huang Zuolin, China, 1947, 92', Chinese version with English subtitles
In the political and financial aftermath of the war, Shanghai gives the illusion that it is a city full of opportunities and everyone is running after easy money. Li Lihua, a lady without means, and Shi Hui, the hairdresser, fake their identity, trying to convince each other that he/she is a good party for marriage. The film paints a ferocious picture of a society which gives few possibilities to ordinary people. Scenarist Sang Hu has written some of the best comedies of Chinese cinema and this sparkling and well-interpreted satire is still incredibly modern and funny.
Restored in 2017 by Angelina Fong at L’Image Retrouvée laboratory in Paris from a 16mm copy from Centre de Documentation sur le Cinéma Chinois
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/jiafeng-xuhuang
JIAFENG XUHUANG (The Barber Takes a Wife)
Directed by Huang Zuolin, China, 1947, 92', Chinese version with English subtitles
In the political and financial aftermath of the war, Shanghai gives the illusion that it is a city full of opportunities and everyone is running after easy money. Li Lihua, a lady without means, and Shi Hui, the hairdresser, fake their identity, trying to convince each other that he/she is a good party for marriage. The film paints a ferocious picture of a society which gives few possibilities to ordinary people. Scenarist Sang Hu has written some of the best comedies of Chinese cinema and this sparkling and well-interpreted satire is still incredibly modern and funny.
Restored in 2017 by Angelina Fong at L’Image Retrouvée laboratory in Paris from a 16mm copy from Centre de Documentation sur le Cinéma Chinois
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/jiafeng-xuhuang
Friday, March 22, 7pm - The Music Hall, Historic Theater
Introduction by Chris Curtis, The Music Hall
SUSPIRIA
Directed by Dario Argento. Italy, 1977, 97', English dubbed version
Jessica Harper stars in this frightening tale of a young student who uncovers dark and horrific secrets within the walls of a famous German dance academy. What spirals out from that simple premise is one of the most powerful and hallucinatory nightmares ever captured! The film comes to you in an exclusive new 4K restoration from the original uncut, uncensored 35mm Italian camera negative with the original 4.0 English surround sound mix, for the first time ever! Synapse Films has created the ultimate special edition of this horror classic with the supervision of the film’s Director of Photography, Luciano Tovoli.
Restored in 2017 by Synapse Films, distributed in the US by Criterion Pictures.
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/suspiria/
https://synapse-films.com/blu-ray/suspiria-two-disc-blu-ray-special-edition
SUSPIRIA
Directed by Dario Argento. Italy, 1977, 97', English dubbed version
Jessica Harper stars in this frightening tale of a young student who uncovers dark and horrific secrets within the walls of a famous German dance academy. What spirals out from that simple premise is one of the most powerful and hallucinatory nightmares ever captured! The film comes to you in an exclusive new 4K restoration from the original uncut, uncensored 35mm Italian camera negative with the original 4.0 English surround sound mix, for the first time ever! Synapse Films has created the ultimate special edition of this horror classic with the supervision of the film’s Director of Photography, Luciano Tovoli.
Restored in 2017 by Synapse Films, distributed in the US by Criterion Pictures.
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/suspiria/
https://synapse-films.com/blu-ray/suspiria-two-disc-blu-ray-special-edition
Saturday, March 23, 4pm - The Music Hall, Historic Theater
Introduction by Joe Perna, Department of Italian Studies, NYU
LA FORTUNA DI ESSERE DONNA (Lucky to Be a Woman)
Directed by Alessandro Blasetti. Italy, 1955, 96', Italian version with English subtitles
The world of cinema is depicted in a shrewd point of view: a field of old beauties looking for fresh bodies, cynical agents and dishonest producers, lurking photographers – forerunners of the paparazzi of La dolce vita – looking for shameless girls ready to compromise anything for the price of 30,000 lire a day. Sophia Loren is one of them, albeit more adept at managing her stock of sex-appeal by staying on the defensive. At her side is a photographer, played by Marcello Mastroianni, who is aware of his seductive power as a low-end Don Juan, capable of offering aspiring divas false visions as successful film actresses or models.
Restored and distributed by Istituto Luce-Cinecittà, with permission from Movietime
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/la-fortuna-di-essere-donna/
LA FORTUNA DI ESSERE DONNA (Lucky to Be a Woman)
Directed by Alessandro Blasetti. Italy, 1955, 96', Italian version with English subtitles
The world of cinema is depicted in a shrewd point of view: a field of old beauties looking for fresh bodies, cynical agents and dishonest producers, lurking photographers – forerunners of the paparazzi of La dolce vita – looking for shameless girls ready to compromise anything for the price of 30,000 lire a day. Sophia Loren is one of them, albeit more adept at managing her stock of sex-appeal by staying on the defensive. At her side is a photographer, played by Marcello Mastroianni, who is aware of his seductive power as a low-end Don Juan, capable of offering aspiring divas false visions as successful film actresses or models.
Restored and distributed by Istituto Luce-Cinecittà, with permission from Movietime
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/la-fortuna-di-essere-donna/
Saturday, March 23, 7pm - The Music Hall, Historic Theater
Introduction by Amy Boylan, Department of Classics, Humanities and Italian Studies, UNH
DIVORZIO ALL’ITALIANA (Divorce Italian Style)
Directed by Pietro Germi, Italy, 1961, 105', Italian version with English subtitles
Baron Ferdinando Cefalù (Marcello Mastroianni) longs to marry his nubile young cousin Angela (Stefania Sandrelli), but one obstacle stands in his way: his fatuous and fawning wife, Rosalia (Daniela Rocca). Germi’s hilarious and cutting satire of Sicilian male-chauvinist culture is an absolute classic commedia all’italiana.
Restored in 2018 by Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory from the original negative. With permission from Janus Films.
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/divorzio-allitaliana/
http://www.janusfilms.com/films/123
DIVORZIO ALL’ITALIANA (Divorce Italian Style)
Directed by Pietro Germi, Italy, 1961, 105', Italian version with English subtitles
Baron Ferdinando Cefalù (Marcello Mastroianni) longs to marry his nubile young cousin Angela (Stefania Sandrelli), but one obstacle stands in his way: his fatuous and fawning wife, Rosalia (Daniela Rocca). Germi’s hilarious and cutting satire of Sicilian male-chauvinist culture is an absolute classic commedia all’italiana.
Restored in 2018 by Cineteca di Bologna at L’Immagine Ritrovata laboratory from the original negative. With permission from Janus Films.
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/divorzio-allitaliana/
http://www.janusfilms.com/films/123
Sunday, March 24, 1pm - The Music Hall, Loft
Introduction by Piero Garofalo, Department of Classics, Humanities and Italian Studies, UNH
TOUKI BOUKI (The Journey of the Hyena)
Directed by Djibril Diop Mambéty, Senegal, 1973, 88', Wolof version with English subtitles
With a stunning mix of the surreal and the naturalistic, Djibril Diop Mambéty paints a vivid, fractured portrait of Senegal in the early 1970s. In this French New Wave–influenced fantasy-drama, two young lovers long to leave Dakar for the glamour and comforts of France, but their escape plan is beset by complications both concrete and mystical. Characterized by dazzling imagery and music, the alternately manic and meditative Touki bouki is widely considered one of the most important African films ever made.
Restored in 2008 by World Cinema Project of The Film Foundation at Cineteca di Bologna’s L’immagine Ritrovata Laboratory in May 2008. Distributed in the US by Janus Films
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/touki-bouki/
http://www.janusfilms.com/films/188
TOUKI BOUKI (The Journey of the Hyena)
Directed by Djibril Diop Mambéty, Senegal, 1973, 88', Wolof version with English subtitles
With a stunning mix of the surreal and the naturalistic, Djibril Diop Mambéty paints a vivid, fractured portrait of Senegal in the early 1970s. In this French New Wave–influenced fantasy-drama, two young lovers long to leave Dakar for the glamour and comforts of France, but their escape plan is beset by complications both concrete and mystical. Characterized by dazzling imagery and music, the alternately manic and meditative Touki bouki is widely considered one of the most important African films ever made.
Restored in 2008 by World Cinema Project of The Film Foundation at Cineteca di Bologna’s L’immagine Ritrovata Laboratory in May 2008. Distributed in the US by Janus Films
http://festival.ilcinemaritrovato.it/en/film/touki-bouki/
http://www.janusfilms.com/films/188
Sunday, March 24, 7pm - UNH, Memorial Union Building, Theater 2
Introduction by Nicole Gercke, Department of Classics, Humanities and Italian Studies, UNH
INDAGINE SU UN CITTADINO AL DI SOPRA DI OGNI SOSPETTO (Investigation of a Citizen above Suspicion)
Directed by Elio Petri, Italy, 1970, 112’, Italian version with English subtitles
In this Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Language Film a highly regarded Italian police inspector (Gian Maria Volonte) murders his mistress, only to become part of the homicide investigation that follows. The inspector proceeds to plant clues at the crime scene as his fellow officers either ignore or fail to recognize his obvious tampering. But all is not as it seems. While the killer may have an inside track on fabricating his own innocence, he also seems to be testing the competence and integrity of Italian law enforcement. With a soundtrack by Ennio Morricone.
Restored in 2012 by Sony Pictures Entertainment, together with Cineteca di Bologna, with fundings from The Film Foundation and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Distributed in the US by Swank.
https://www.criterion.com/films/27911-investigation-of-a-citizen-above-suspicion
INDAGINE SU UN CITTADINO AL DI SOPRA DI OGNI SOSPETTO (Investigation of a Citizen above Suspicion)
Directed by Elio Petri, Italy, 1970, 112’, Italian version with English subtitles
In this Oscar-winner for Best Foreign Language Film a highly regarded Italian police inspector (Gian Maria Volonte) murders his mistress, only to become part of the homicide investigation that follows. The inspector proceeds to plant clues at the crime scene as his fellow officers either ignore or fail to recognize his obvious tampering. But all is not as it seems. While the killer may have an inside track on fabricating his own innocence, he also seems to be testing the competence and integrity of Italian law enforcement. With a soundtrack by Ennio Morricone.
Restored in 2012 by Sony Pictures Entertainment, together with Cineteca di Bologna, with fundings from The Film Foundation and the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Distributed in the US by Swank.
https://www.criterion.com/films/27911-investigation-of-a-citizen-above-suspicion