Nanni Moretti and his idea of ​​Cinema in his lost illusions

(from Cannes Luigi Noera and Marina Pavido – Photos are courtesy of the Cannes Film Festival)

COMPETITION

THE SUN OF THE FUTURE by Nanni MORETTI

Synopsis. Giovanni, a famous Italian director, is about to start shooting a political film. But amidst his marriage in crisis, his co-producer on the verge of bankruptcy and the rapidly evolving film industry, everything seems to be working against him! Always on the edge, Giovanni will have to rethink his ways if he wants to lead his little world towards a bright tomorrow.

Existential drama. Film within the film. Hypocritical imaginative reenactment of the PCI of the years. ’50. Nanni Moretti has returned to represent himself, his obsessions and passions, The protagonist is in fact Giovanni (Moretti himself), Roman director, from the complicated private life that he is shooting a film set in Rome in 1956, the year of the Hungarian invasion.

Lots of self-referential quotes, Moretti with his famous TIC will find his fans again after the disappointing performance of TRE PIANI (but we liked it because it finally delves into the human soul).

This, however, is an ideological film with no possibility of escape in which there are many know-it-all jokes that cause laughter in the audience.

Among the many quotes, the one that seems worth sharing concerns the sad reality of Italian cinema without a Star System.

But the length of the film makes us wonder if at least three films could not have been made from the material presented. However, it is a captivating film that exploits the beautiful music of singer-songwriter Franco Battiato. If in Hitchcock's films the author was present at the moment you least expect it , Moretti's presence here, however, is cumbersome.

The director feels so omnipotent that he would even like to change the course of history such as the case of the invasion of Hungary in '56 by the "brother" Soviets!

It is certainly an admission of failure of a certain policy of the old PCI and acknowledgment and recognition of humility must be given to the great Italian director so loved by Cannes.

Noteworthy is the decidedly Fellini-esque final scene which is the most interesting and symbolic shot at the Imperial Forums with the Colosseum in the background which everyone envies us in the world!

How lucky we were to be able to shoot a film in Rome that everyone envies us and for this reason the film proceeds narratively through metaphors on what the left could be like at the time of the Cold War and everything that followed in the years of Red Brigade terror..

It's nice to see all the characters again, but precisely everyone who was part of Moretti's cinema, or rather Moretti's Lost Illusions!

THE PASSION of DODIN BOUFFANT di TRAN Anh Hun

Synopsis: 1885. The incomparable cook Eugenie works from 20 years for the famous gourmet Dodin. Over time, the practice of gastronomy and mutual admiration have turned into a romantic relationship. From their association dishes are born, one more delicious than the other, which confuse even the most illustrious chefs in the world. But Eugenie loves her freedom and never wanted to marry Dodin. So he decides to do something he's never done before: cook for her.

France, nineteenth century. Eugénie has been an esteemed chef for more than twenty years, partner and colleague of the famous gastronome Dodin Bouffant. By spending time together in the kitchen, An undeniable feeling is born between the two. My Eugenie, to maintain his freedom, she always refused to marry her Dodin.

Delicate film about the nouvelle Cousine after the French revolution: Eugene is the French assistant of a famous chef of the time and together they prepare refined delicacies for the critics of the culinary industry.

In the kitchen there is a probationary apprentice helper Pauline who demonstrates talent but not enough for the expectations of the two renowned Chefs.

Being French cuisine there is a very delicate soupe, a very delicate flan (gatò) and a memorable slice of meat cooked over a very slow flame, but also fish-based dishes.

If it weren't for the fact that cinema only makes us share images and sound, the imagination of the spectator whose mouth waters as he witnesses the loving preparation of the two Chefs does the rest and we feel the delicate flavors on our palate and savor the scent of the dishes.

Their kitchen is a hushed environment although there is a lot to do there is room for tranquility. You don't eat out of hunger but out of taste and with oden the dishes become works of art to be enjoyed calmly. Over two hours of pure peace for food lovers.

The relationship between the two is also amorous and the French verve helps the screenplay. We won't tell you the ending which talks about a great love between two human beings but also for life. The result is a pleasant film which lacks only the aromas and flavors but as mentioned the spectator's imagination will come to the rescue.

IN SOME PERSPECTIVE

THEN AFTER (THE MOTHER OF ALL LIES) my name is EL MOUDIR

Synopsis: A young Moroccan woman's search for the truth is intertwined with a web of lies in her family's history. As daughter and director, Asmae blends personal and national history as she reflects on the Bread Riots of 1981, drawing connections with contemporary Morocco.

A family's web of lies and a young girl's quest to find the truth. Through his voice, Asmae, daughter and director, fluctuates between national and personal history to chronicle the bread riots of 1981 in Morocco and shows how this event connects with contemporary Moroccan society.

Autobiography of the director who uses a stage of puppets mixed with live footage. His first memory is of a children's party being photographed.

It is the director's father who created the puppets that represent real people such as the grandmother, Mother, two friends of the father to remember the times gone by.

An intimate film about the director's family with an unusual language but also about the Moroccan people and their past massacre of 1981.

Sit in the parents of the children murdered on this occasion in Rabat in front of the monument that commemorates the massacre so as not to forget yet another massacre of defenseless citizens among other things young people and therefore the hope of the Nation.

In the shrine the names of the martyrs are written on the tombstones (600) massacred.

Cannes is a showcase for human rights and this touching documentary proves it once again.

Give voice to the reconstruction of that Saturday 20 June 1981 when the tragic events occurred. It is painful for those who were there to remember but necessary. The martyrs were buried in a football field now transformed into a cemetery.

Using the model neighborhood, the director encourages her family to explore the geography of their memories and face questions they had never been able to face before. Chief among these is why there are no photographs of a child. In front of her daughter, her mother unearthed a single group photo showing young Asmae in the background. Although both parents are present in the documentary, the dominant figure is his paternal grandmother, Zahra. It was the furious little Zahra who banished the photographs from the family home, declaring them “haram” or forbidden. At the end, however, the film represents a sort of conclusion for the director and her family. Zahra has so far refused to describe her niece as a filmmaker, preferring to label her as a “journalist”.

luigi Noera