(12 January 2017) From Luchino Visconti’s “La terra trema” to Emanuale Crialese’s “Respiro” and Marco Risi’s “Mery per sempre”, and Giuseppe Tornatore’s “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso”. Sicily is what links these films: a very complex region. On the one hand, it is where many migrants arrive and reflects the poverty of Southern Italy and on the other it is also rich in culture and wonderful contrasts due to centuries of foreign domination. Sicily as seen through films that have left a mark on the history of Italian cinema is the focus of the film festival “Cinema delle isole: un viaggio italiano” (Cinema of the Islands: A journey through Italy) organised by the Österreichisches Filmmuseum in Vienna in collaboration with the Italian Cultural Institute taking place from 6 January until 9 February. The history of Sicily- and its people “who only know extremes” as described by Leonardo Sciascia – is at the centre of the cinematic retrospective at the Österreichisches Filmmuseum which presents masterpieces by the most famous Italian directors ranging from mafia crimes such as “Cadaveri Eccellenti” by Francesco Rosi to Neorealist masterpieces such as “Stromboli” by Roberto Rosselini. Also worth mentioning are the films from the Golden era such as the dramas “Il Gattopardo” by Luchino Visconti (1963), “L’Avventura” by Michelangelo Antonioni (1960) and satire such as “Divorzio all’italiana” (1962) by Pietro Germi starring Marcello Mastroianni and Stefania Sandrelli, and “Mafioso” (1962) by Alberto Sordi. Also featured in the film festival are the films of the Sicilian revival of the 1980s such as “Mery per sempre” that echoes naturalism in cinema as well as blockbusters such as “Nuovo Cinema Paradiso”. (red)
