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The Circle – The World Through Children’s Eyes

19 September 2023 Rebecca Yeo

The Italian Film Festival is 23 years young and kicking off in your town. And it’s not just films with a dramatic flair but several documentaries will feature this year, including Il Cerchio – The Circle.

Directed by Sophie Chiarello, The Circle chronicles the journey of Italian primary school students over a five-year period, capturing their unique outlook on the world. The Circle is the winner of best documentary at the 2023 David di Donatello and screening at this year’s Italian Film Festival.

Over five years, students share their thoughts and feelings on a range of topics during circle time. From parents’ separation to Santa Claus, Sophie has given these children a safe space where they are listened to without judgement. As an audience, we get to watch these opinions develop as we watch the children grow.

Through The Circle, Sophie has reminded us that children know much more than we often think. She shows that through a supportive environment, we can gain some unique perspectives from children. It was surprising at times to hear a variety of subjects tackled with maturity. As an audience, we are privileged in a way to learn what is going on inside the minds of children.

The discussion of Christmas clearly indicated the end-of-year holidays and each year flows as you watch the children grow into a new school year. As the children grew, the topics became more advanced, which kept interest as it was insightful to hear a child’s thoughts on a particular topic. The visuals of the playground, while these topics were being discussed, were another reminder that these were young children. They may have had this sense of maturity in their thoughts and feelings, but they also enjoyed playing with their friends.

Something that really stood out about this documentary and school was how supportive they all were of each other. Even if they disagreed with one another, they still gave each other a chance to express their feelings. We also watched the children as they dealt with the impact of COVID on the Italian community and how it completely changed the way we did things beforehand.

For a chance to see the world through primary school children, The Circle is a documentary to watch. The Circle can be seen at this year’s Italian Film Festival from 19^th Sept to 25^th Oct, although check the dates for regional variations. Check out the movie session times in your local area on the Italian Film Festival website. Ciao Bella!

This review also appears on It’s On The House.

Burning Hearts – Italian Film Festival

6 September 2023 Rebecca Yeo

The Italian Film Festival is in its 23rd year after its founding at the turn of the millennium in 2000. Since then, the festival has grown in popularity to become the most significant public celebration of Italian cinema outside Italy.

A feature of this year’s festival is a special presentation of New Italian Cinema’s – Burning Hearts – which takes place in the picturesque region of Puglia. This gripping crime tale reignited an age-old feud between two rival families as a forbidden love story unfolds. Burning Hearts is directed by Pippo Mezzapesa and was the Best Cinematography winner at the 2023 Nastro d’Argento Awards.

Based on a non-fiction book by Carlo Bonini and Giuliano Foschino, Burning Hearts is inspired by the true story of Rosa Di Flore. Mafia rival clans, the Malatesta and the Camporeale, have a history of bloody feuds. After a fragile truce, Andrea, Michele Malatesta’s son, falls in love with Marilena, the wife of fugitive Santo Camporeale. The affair becomes public, leading to a murder that will renew war between the rival clans. Andrea, driven by vengeance, returns home determined to eliminate the Camporeales.

Singer Elodie makes her acting debut in Burning Hearts as one-half of the forbidden lovers, Marilena Camporeale. As an acting debut, Elodie gave us a very solid performance. Francesco Patane played Andrea Malatesta and gave us a convincing performance of a loving son turned cold-blooded killer set on vengeance. Another stand-out performance was that of Lidia Vitale, who played matriarch of the Malatesta clan, Teresa.

The style choice from Pippo Mezzapesa was apparent throughout the film and reminiscent of the Film noir style. The black and white tones add to the story’s crime element and make action scenes more intense. This choice adds depth to the characters’ expressions. However, strangely, there were a few instances during the movie when the sound or music seemed out of sync with the story being told.

Andrea Malatesta’s character arc in the film serves as a cautionary tale about the corrupting influence of power and the potential consequences it can bring. I did not read the book before watching this film, so I cannot comment on any differences between the book and the film. If you are a fan of crime dramas or Italian cinema, then this is one to watch at the 2023 Italian Film Festival.

The Italian Film Festival runs from the 19th Sep to the 25 Oct, although check the dates for regional variations. Check out the movie session times in your local area on the Italian Film Festival website. Ciao!

This review also appears on It’s On The House.

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