‘A grande ambição’, set to premiere at the São Jorge cinema, focuses on Enrico Berlinguer (1922-1984), described as “the highly esteemed and acclaimed secretary-general of the Italian Communist Party and his struggle to forge a compromise amidst the diverse and opposing forces within Italian parliamentary life,” according to the event’s organizers.
The 18th Italian Film Festival will commence in Lisbon from April 9 to 17, spanning various theaters and the Portuguese Cinematheque before traveling to a record number of over 20 cities, including Porto, Cascais, Setúbal, Beja, Aveiro, Coimbra, Loulé, Leiria, and, for the first time, Sintra.
This year’s program will also mark the centenary of actor Marcello Mastroianni’s birth (celebrated in 2024), featuring several initiatives, including a photography exhibition at the São Jorge cinema.
Additionally, the documentary ‘Mi ricordo, sì io mi ricordo’, directed by Anna Maria Tatò and filmed in Portugal during the shooting of ‘Voyage to the Beginning of the World’ (1996) by Manoel de Oliveira, in which Mastroianni made his final film appearance, will be screened.
Director Roberto Faenza will attend the event in Lisbon to reminisce about ‘Afirma Pereira’ (1995), filmed in Portugal and starring Mastroianni. The Italian Film Festival will also present, in a national premiere, ‘Marcello Mio’ by Christophe Honoré, a comedy where “Chiara Mastroianni chooses to live as if she were her father.”
Among other premieres scheduled are ‘LoucaMente’ by Paolo Genovese, ‘The Return of Ulysses’ by Uberto Pasolini featuring Ralph Fiennes and Juliette Binoche, and ‘Vermiglio’ by Maura Delpero, which was Italy’s entry for the Oscars.
Antonio Pietrangeli, “a keen and insightful figure in Italian cinema whose work spans the transition between neorealism and Italian comedy,” will be the focus of a retrospective at the Portuguese Cinematheque.
The Italian Film Festival in Lisbon will conclude with ‘Diva Futura – Cicciolina and the Revolution of Desire’ by Giulia Steigerwalt, focusing on “the porno stars of Gianni Schicchi’s entertainment agency who, from the 1980s onward, redefined how sex was viewed and perceived in Italy.”
The entire program can be viewed here.
