Film Countries Archives: Italy

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Two men stand on a narrow street; they look deeply into each other’s eyes. One man has his hand on the other's shoulder.

Born For You Nata per te

  Fabio Mollo

  Italy      2023    

Synopsis

Luca has long dreamed of becoming a parent. When the newborn Alba, who has Down syndrome, is abandoned at the hospital, Luca is determined to fight against an archaic set of laws and societal expectations for his right, as a gay man, to adopt and care for her. Inspired by true events, this tender tale is a testament to love and family enduring against all odds.

 Italian with subtitles 
  113 minutes

Screenings & Events

Sponsors

Film Partner

Logo: Italian Cultural Institute - 200x100

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Maria

  Pablo Larraín

  Italy, Germany, United States     123 minutes

Synopsis

Directed by Pablo Larraín (ChicagoIFF selections Spencer, Jackie, Neruda, The Club) and starring Academy Award®-winner Angelina Jolie as Maria Callas, Maria presents a tumultuous and beautiful depiction of one of the world’s most renowned artists and reimagines the legendary soprano in her final days in Paris, as La Callas negotiates the blurred boundaries between her public image and private self. The film also stars Pierfrancesco Favino, Alba Rohrwacher, Haluk Bilginer and Kodi Smit-McPhee.

 English, Greek with subtitles

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Juan de Dios Larraín, Lorenzo Mieli, Jonas Dornbach, Pablo Larraín
  •   Steven Knight
  •   Angelina Jolie, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Alba Rohrwacher, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valeria Golino
  •   Christian Vesper, Andrea Scrosati, Seb Shorr, Steven Knight

Sponsors

Film Patron

Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation

With Support From

Logo: Cinecittà 288x60Logo: Italian Ministry of Culture 179x80Logo: Italian Cultural Institute - 200x100

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A close up of a man and woman, their faces barely making it entierly into the frame.

The Time It Takes Il tempo che ci vuole

  Francesca Comencini

  Italy, France     110 minutes

Synopsis

A filmmaker immerses his daughter in the magic of cinema, where chaos meets fantasy. This creates a deep bond that will sustain them through good and bad.

 Italian, French with subtitles

In Focus: Italy on Screen

the flag of ItalyThis film is part of the 60th Chicago International Film Festival’s In Focus: Italy on Screen collection, celebrating Italian cinema by harkening back to the best of the country’s filmmaking traditions while showcasing vibrant new work.

Learn more about this collection

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Simone Gattoni, Marco Bellocchio, Beppe Caschetto, Bruno Benetti
  •   Francesca Comencini
  •   Francesca Calvelli, Stefano Mariotti
  •   Luca Bigazzi
  •   Fabrizio Gifuni, Romana Maggiora Vergano
  •   Fabio Massimo Capogrosso
  •   Kavac Film, Rai Cinema, Les Films du Worso, IBC Movie, One Art

Sponsors

With Support From

Logo: Cinecittà 288x60Logo: Italian Ministry of Culture 179x80Logo: Italian Cultural Institute - 200x100

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A woman in church looks over her shoulder

Vermiglio

  Maura Delpero

  Italy, France, Belgium     120 minutes

Synopsis

The majestic vistas of the Italian Alps make for a stunning backdrop, but Vermiglio is more concerned with studying the intimate landscapes of the human face than it is in admiring the view. Set in the final days of WWII, this handsomely realized period drama from director Maura Delpero (Maternal) chronicles a harrowing year in the life of three sisters, the daughters of a schoolteacher in a remote mountain village.

When Pietro, a deserter fleeing the approaching German army, arrives in their village, the sisters’ lives are forever changed — that of eldest daughter Lucia, who marries the handsome stranger, especially. But her younger siblings are affected by watching Lucia’s joys and struggles as a young, pregnant bride as well. Fresh off of its debut at the Venice Film Festival, Vermiglio is an affecting testament to the strength of women and the ties that bind.

 Italian with subtitles

In Focus: Italy on Screen

the flag of ItalyThis film is part of the 60th Chicago International Film Festival’s In Focus: Italy on Screen collection, celebrating Italian cinema by harkening back to the best of the country’s filmmaking traditions while showcasing vibrant new work.

Learn more about this collection

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Francesca Andreoli, Carole Baraton, Tatjana Kozar
  •   Maura Delpero
  •   Luca Mattei
  •   Mikhail Krichman
  •   Tommaso Ragno, Giuseppe de Domenico, Roberta Rovelli, Martina Scrinzi
  •   Cinedora, Charades Productions, Versus Production

Sponsors

International Competition Program Patron

Jacolyn and John Bucksbaum Family Foundation

Film Patrons

Mary and Joseph Plauché

With Support From

Logo: Cinecittà 288x60Logo: Italian Ministry of Culture 179x80Logo: Italian Cultural Institute - 200x100

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Two women with matching hair, sunglasses, and bathing suits lie head to head by a pool.

Wishing on a Star

  Péter Kerekes

  Italy, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Austria, Croatia     99 minutes

Synopsis

Luciana, a trusted Italian astrologer, promises her clients a way to make their dreams come true: All they need to do is take a special birthday trip to a destination determined by their astrological profile. Sitting behind her computer, Luciana quickly types in some data. Out comes a client’s wish-fulfilling location, be it Taipei, Beirut, or Alaska. As Luciana’s customers — from fun-loving twins to an elderly woman — venture out, they discover fulfillment in the unlikeliest of places.

Mixing deadpan wit and bittersweet poignance, Slovak director Péter Kerekes (ChicagoIFF winner Cooking History) returns to the Festival with a wondrously stylized documentary that is as surprising and idiosyncratic as its central psychic. No matter what you think of Luciana’s practice, Wishing on a Star offers an authentically sensitive and universal portrait of the human desire for happiness—and the lengths people will go to find it.

 Italian, Friulian with subtitles

In Focus: Italy on Screen

the flag of ItalyThis film is part of the 60th Chicago International Film Festival’s In Focus: Italy on Screen collection, celebrating Italian cinema by harkening back to the best of the country’s filmmaking traditions while showcasing vibrant new work.

Learn more about this collection

Screenings & Events

Media

Film Credits

  •   Erica Barbiani, Lucia Candelpergher, Péter Kerekes, Vit Schmarc, Ralph Wieser, Vanja Jambrovic, Stefano Centini
  •   Erica Barbiani, Péter Kerekes
  •   Marek Šulík
  •   Martin Kollar
  •   Luciana de Leoni d’Asparedo, Valentina Angeli, Alessandra Fornasier, Barbara Lutman, Giovanni Rugo, Adriana Vangone, Giuliana Vangone
  •   Lucia Chuťková
  •   Videomante, Kerekesfilm, Artcam Films, Mischief Films, Restart, Volos Films

Sponsors

Comedy Program Partner

Documentary Program Partner

Logo: WTTW (2019)

Documentary Program Patron

Cynthia Stone Raskin

With Support From

Logo: Cinecittà 288x60Logo: Italian Ministry of Culture 179x80Logo: Italian Cultural Institute - 200x100