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Italian Film Series

Bringing Contemporary Italian Film to the U.S.

Italian Film Series is back and going strong! Thank you to all who’ve attended our films and told their friends.

Our August 27th, Italian Film Series premiered our first movie in three years! It was a huge success as we welcomed old friends and made new ones. Most importantly, we were pleased and proud to introduce our partnership with Frank DiMino Casa Italiana at Nazareth University. We cannot say thank you enough to Nazareth University for their generous support and the use of the Nazareth Arts Center Peace Theater—our beautiful new home that made the return of Italian Film Series possible.

The University’s commitment and support of Italian Film Series means a lot to us. We will continue to showcase the best of Italian cinema—films in Italian language with English subtitles that promote Italian culture and heritage.

So, please continue to join us monthly for a great film and great fellowship with fellow film afficionados. And remember, film sponsorships and ticket sales make these wonderful movies possible. Please continue to invite your friends to attend and sponsor (and join us for dinner after showings)!

For information on how your organization can become a sponsor of Italian Film Series, please contact Paul H. Bush at paul@rochesterresume.com. To learn how your organization can support Nazareth University Frank DiMino Casa Italiano, contact Dr. Joelle Carota at casa@naz.edu

We need your help. If you can spare an hour or two a month, we need a new volunteer or two to help with planning for future movies, poster distribution and set-up for dinner. Contact Paul H. Bush at paul@rochesterresume.com if you can help. Thank you.

Showing on Saturday, January 27th, 4:00 PM

Peace Theater at Nazareth University Arts Center, 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618. Free parking.

Perfetti Sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers)

In Italian with English subtitles.

We all have three lives: A public, a private and a secret life. Once the secret life was well hidden in the archives of our minds, today it’s in our sim cards. What would happen if that tiny card started to talk?

Today our secret life passes, inevitably, through our cell phones. Smartphones have become a fundamental object. It is the only device that we always carry with us. It’s become our “black box.” Perfetti Sconosciuti is a movie where nothing is what it seems, where each person can share their own experiences and can establish the confines between right and wrong, correct and incorrect, disreputable or not.

During the course of a dinner, which has gathered together a group of friends, at a certain point the hostess, Eva, says that she is convinced that many couples would separate if their respective spouses looked at the contents of their respective cell phones. And so, begins a sort of game, and everyone must place their cell phones on the table and let their messages, chats or phone calls be heard by all. What at the onset seems an innocent game slowly turns into target practice and we learn that we don’t always know people as well as we think we do. As the evening proceeds, progressively, the secret sides of our players will be revealed, leading up to an unexpected ending, no doubt bitter and cynical and ready to stimulate various reflections.

Each of the characters, through the game, will begrudgingly admit and make the others do likewise, to an important secret, something “unsaid.” Most importantly, the characters will grow in the awareness that although they’ve known each other for a long time they will find themselves “perfect strangers.”

For many years, this movie was prevented from being shown in the U.S. in its original format or language due to contractual obligations with a major Hollywood producer. That matter has been resolved and we were finally able to acquire the screening rights.

Directed by: Paolo Genovese (The First Day of My Life [shown here in August 2023], The Place [shown here in November 2023] and Supereroi [streamed on June 19, 2022])
Subject by: Paolo Genovese
Released: 2016
Length: One hour and 37 minutes

ABOUT PAOLO GENOVESE: Born in Rome in 1966, Paolo Genovese earned a degree in Economics and Business. He began to work in advertising with McCann Erickson Italiana, realizing commercials that won awards at various domestic and international events. He directed more than three hundred commercials, winning numerous domestic and international awards. In 2003 he was elected best advertising director of the year by a panel nominated by magazines in the field.

With respect to moviemaking, in 2001, together with Luca Miniero he wrote and directed the movie Incantesimo Napoletano, which was awarded a David di Donatello and two Golden Globes. Working again with Miniero, in 2003, he wrote and directed Nessun Messaggio in Segreteria. In 2006, he turned his attention to Viaggio in Italia with Licia Maglietta and Antonio Catania, an experimental film broadcast in 20 micro-episodes. Three years later, in 2008, he returned to writing and directing with Miniero, for Buena Vista, Questa Notte è Ancora Nostra. That same year he directed Amiche Mie, a mini-series.

In 2010, Genovese began a particularly fruitful period with highly successful comedies that won a gold ticket and two silver tickets: La Banda dei Babbi Natale (December 2010) with Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo, box office hits that grossed more than €23M, Immaturi (21 January 2011) and Immaturi – Il Viaggio, both of which were box office hits. In 2012 he made Una Famiglia Perfetta with Sergio Castellitto, Claudia Gerini and Marco Giallini, which, in addition to winning the Ciak d’Oro for the best comedy, received awards from numerous international festivals and was a candidate for the David di Donatello, the Nastri d’Argento and the Golden Globes.

In 2013, he wrote and directed Tutta Colpa di Freud with Marco Giallini and Anna Foglietta, which was highly successful and acclaimed by the critics. In 2014, he wrote and directed the comedy Sei Mai Stata sulla Luna? Perfect Strangers (2016) was his tenth full-length feature film.

Ticket prices: $15.00 advance purchase. $16.00 at the door. $12.50 for seniors, students and military advance purchase. $13.50 for seniors, students and military at the door. Casa Italiana members $10.00. Nazareth University students and faculty are free.

Advanced ticketing is strongly recommended for this event.

Round out the day by joining us after the film for a delightful Italian meal across the parking lot in the Frank DiMino Casa Italiana Building. Tickets are an additional $20. Dinner reservations close on the Thursday before the showing at 12:00 PM . Please do not wait until the last minute to confirm. We cannot guarantee that last-minute walk-ins can be accommodated for dinner as we must provide the caterer with a guest count three days in advance. Thank you for understanding.

Please note: This is a Saturday showing – a first for Italian Film Series. We look forward to welcoming our regulars and new friends. Please feel free to invite other people that would enjoy first-run Italian cinema.

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Our Sponsors

The Italian Film Series is a unique opportunity to explore contemporary stories through the eyes and insights of celebrated Italian filmmakers. The following sponsors are actively engaged in the success of the Italian Film Series. Thank you all so much for your support.

Ahrens Benefits Company