The Tel Aviv and Jerusalem Cinematheques are offering movie lovers a much-needed slice of modern and classic Italian cinema with the program “From White Phones to Smartphones: Media and Humor in Italian Cinema.”
The program is already in place in Tel Aviv and will begin in Jerusalem on December 31st. “White Telephone Cinema” is the name of a popular escapist comedy in Italian cinema in the 1930s.
The highlight of the series is “There’s Still Tomorrow” directed by Paola Cortelesi. This is a fascinating black-and-white film about a woman in post-World War II Rome who struggles with her violent husband and searches for a way to control her own destiny. .
Cortelesi is known as an actress, singer, comedian, and screenwriter, and this film in which she stars will be her directorial debut. Although it may sound like a grim subject, she manages to create a moving and often humorous story that is both graceful and surprisingly upbeat.
The film had its world premiere at the Haifa International Film Festival in early October, where Colteledge attended as a guest. It was later released in Italy, where it surpassed Barbie at the box office and became the year’s most popular movie. The CineEurope website calls it “the country’s film event of the year.”
classic and modern movies
Davide Minella’s The Perfect Dinner is a romantic comedy/crime comic about Carmine, a kind-hearted gangster who runs a money-laundering restaurant and meets Consuelo, a chef who seeks the perfect dish. The two are drawn together by a love of food and a dream of achieving a Michelin star.
Thank You Guy, directed by Riccardo Milani, is a drama based on the fact that an unemployed actor takes a job in prison directing Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot.
Milani’s other film, Run to You, is a comedy about a ladies’ man who pretends to be disabled to attract women, but ends up in trouble when he falls in love with a woman who actually needs a wheelchair. It’s a drama.
“The Order of Time,” a new film directed by 90-year-old Liliana Cavani, best known for “The Night Porter,” starring Charlotte Rampling, will appear on the show. It’s the story of a group of friends who gather every year to celebrate their birthday, only to find out that this time they may be hours away from the end of the world.
In addition to contemporary films, some classic films will also be shown. A tribute to Vittorio De Sica, a master director of neorealism who was also active as an actor, will be held. In Mario Camerini’s 1935 film I’ll Give a Million, he played a millionaire who disguises himself as a homeless man in order to meet people who care about him, not money.
Other classics on the program include Mario Mattori’s 1939 film, “Imputato, Alzatevi!” The story is about an Italian who works as a pediatric nurse in Paris, but when he tries to become an entertainer, he gets involved with a gang. Alessandro Blasetti’s 1935 film The Old Guard is set in 1922 and depicts the struggle between the fascist Blackshirts and rival socialists.
For more information and to order tickets, please visit the Jerusalem Cinematheque website (https://jer-cin.org.il) and the Tel Aviv Cinematheque website (cinema.co.il).