“Captain’s Log”, Third Evening

Maremetraggio, Act Three. The packed summer arena set up in the City Park was the venue for one of the interesting evenings as far as the film program is concerned. An overture “in crescendo” with “L’uomo più buono del mondo” – The Best Man in the World – by Edo Tagliavini, a multi-faceted talent, who is destined to grow.

The star of the film short is a young man elected the best man in the universe, who for eight years rushes from one end of the city to the other to save humanity from a terrible bomb. The ending is funambulatory, caustic and fulminating. The film, as a whole, is a genuine jewel of visual communication.

The genre and nature of the fifteen minutes of the next film short “Regalo di Natale” – Christmas Present – written and directed by Daniele Del Plano from Viareggio are completely different. It is a bright and self-ironic work that describes the many clichés of Southern Italian culture through the experiments of an elderly man, Natale,  behind a video camera. The cast is charming and the knick-knacks of the dialect used become a linguistic gag. The trio of the evening’s film shorts reached its conclusion with the imposing production with a lavish budget “Rosso fango” – Red Mud – by the 32-year-old director Paolo Ameli. It is a leap back into history to the period just before WWI. The film’s message lies in an old saying that goes “If Cleopatra’s nose had been shorter, the course of history would have changed.”

The Ippocampo section was faithful to the saying “you can’t have two without three”. After “Al cuore si comanda” – You Can’t Command Your Heart – and “Io no” – Not Me – it was the turn of another excellent Italian film short: “Prendimi e portami via” – Take Me Away – by Tonino Zangardi. The film’s controversial subject is the relation steeped in conflict between the proletarians of a Roman suburb and the nomads of a gypsy camp. Seen through the eyes of the two children who are the film’s protagonists, the story is rich in food for thought and it unfolds with painful understanding; a special mention goes to the beautiful Valeria Golino and to Rodolfo Laganà as a very credible “dead-beat”.

The morning of Monday, July 5th, registered the meeting at the Savoia Excelsior with Simona Izzo and Ricky and Gianmarco Tognazzi, involved in the full-length film “Io no” – Not Me.

It was an excellent opportunity to get to know better this “family of movie-makers” which is loved by the public even for its great availability in interacting with the audience.
The meeting lasted almost two hours. If, on the one hand, Simona Izzo disclosed her intention to open a dubbing school in Rome, Gianmarco Tognazzi pointed out the human contacts established in Trieste, a city which has always been marked by a stimulating cultural liveliness. There were many questions on the film “Io no” – Not Me – which was seen as a work with an autographic undercurrent. The actress from Trieste, Ariella Reggio, was present at the meeting as well. She recently shot a film short with Ricky Tognazzi. It was produced by the Maremetraggio Association on the occasion of the celebrations of Trieste’s return to Italy.

Finally, plenty of laughs, applauses and autographs for everyone in a truly informal light-hearted atmosphere. The morning ended with the meeting with the representatives of the A.I.U.T.O. humanitarian association, which, starting from  Turin, are campaigning around Italy to forward an important project for the safeguard and protection of the elderly. The city of Trieste definitely provided fertile ground for an initiative of this kind.

The next appointment is set for Tuesday evening with the scheduled film shorts and the film “Il Natale rubato” – Christmas Stolen – by Pino Tordiglione.

Riccardo Visintin