It’s not really news that italian cinema it is very expensive in our country. Perhaps it is the similarity of the temperament of the two Mediterranean peoples, perhaps also the similarity of the socio-political configuration (somewhat late urbanization, post-war reconstruction, movements, modern crisis, immigration, etc.) that traditionally underlie cinema; from a neighboring country usually attract attention, which was proven last year by the great success of the first tribute “Movie made in Italy/Athens”which was organized by the Film Archive of Greece.

A few days later (October 21-27) the mini-festival returns to the cinema library headquarters in Gazi in collaboration with the famous Cynecita and the Italian Educational Institute of Athens. Twelve films of the latest production with the participation and awards at major festivals of new and old directors bring us the atmosphere of Italian cinema. Among them is veteran Marco Bellocchio, who will be presented at the awards ceremony with his latest film, the deeply personal Marx Can Wait, a family documentary that explores a trauma that remains open to him to this day. After watching the film, it is impossible not to be touched by the director’s indictment, as well as other (many) family members, in connection with the untimely death of his brother, who committed suicide in 1968. The film’s enigmatic title It explains a documentary that reveals a universe of guilt that spans decades and influences, among other things, Bellocchio’s film career. After all, episodes from his own works are inserted in the film, which indicate precisely this constant presence of trauma.

However, the presence of young filmmakers is even more prominent at the event, which “promises to offer an eclectic journey into Italian cinema, starting with a great omen: half of the selected films, six out of twelve titles, are first directorial creations, major debuts, stories of both geographical and emotional change . The coming-of-age novels, each in their own way about balancing exercises into adulthood, are exciting and adventurous,” says Chinecita’s Carla Catani.

The tribute opens with the Greek premiere of Mario Virci’s dystopian film The Drought, starring Monica Bellucci and Silvio Orlando.

From the rest of the tribute, we’ll focus on two films known to us, one completely modern and one classic. The first is The Princess by Roberto De Paolis, which we saw at the opening of the Horizons section of the last Venice Film Festival. The protagonist is a young illegal immigrant from Nigeria who, along with several other girls, sells her body for several tens of euros on the outskirts of a big city. In the daily hunt for survival, her ally and refuge is the neighboring forest, which seems to her closest to home. Until a mysterious man enters her life, who is trying to destroy the wall of cynicism erected by harsh reality and redeem her. It’s worth watching De Paolis’ film, which begins with a completely modern tragic situation, to convey a message to humanity without even taking the easy (and formulaic) route.

The easy way was definitely not preferred by the great Michelangelo Antonioni, whose “Adventure” will also be shown as part of the Italian cinema. There is not much to say about this particular film, except that it is the first part of the so-called “alienation trilogy” that made its creator one of the greatest post-war European filmmakers. Finally, it’s worth noting that the tribute opens with the Greek premiere (by invitation only) of The Drought, Mario Virci’s dystopian film starring Monica Bellucci and Silvio Orlando, which will be repeated to the general public on 25/10.

Detailed information and online pre-sale of all films of the tribute can be found at tainiothiki.gr.