Feb. 4 – In her transition from theater to film, Emma Dante didn’t lose her aptitude for success. “Via Castellana Bandiera” is her first work as film director, after a long and prosperous career as theater actress and director. The film sees her star as the main character, alongside Elena Cotta and Alba Rohrwacher. The production recently won at the Festival of Gothenburg the Ingmar Bergman International Debut Award, the prize awarded to the best international first or second film by any director. The story focuses on Sicily, and enthralled “cold” Northern Europe. The festival, held in the Swedish city from 24 January to 3 February, is one of the highlights of the northern European film market. The Bergman jury commented on the film, “a superbly told story of human futility, where the space and temporality sensitivities are of equal importance.” The film, which saw Elena Cotta win the Venice Volpi Coppa, and while both Cotta and Alba Rohrwacher received the Pasinetti Award, was extremely successful in Italian cinemas, and is proving to be just as captivating for international audiences, with screenings applauded in the past months at the BFI London and in Pusan, Tokyo, and Belgrade.
