INDIANAPOLIS — The Italian program in the Department of World Languages and Cultures at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis will host the Italian Film Festival, April 12 through May 10. The festival showcases nine films, including two documentaries.
“Once again the program in Italian brings a taste of Europe to IUPUI and Indianapolis with this year’s edition of the Italian Film Festival, showing the best in recent Italian filmmaking,” said professor Marta Anton, chair of the Department of World Languages and Cultures, part of the IU School of Liberal Arts at IUPUI.
Indianapolis is one of 11 cities participating in the festival. All films will be presented with English subtitles and are free and open to the public. The Indianapolis series is sponsored by Fiat and the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago in collaboration with IUPUI and the IUPUI Italian Club.
The films will be shown at either the Lilly Auditorium of the IUPUI University Library, 755 W. Michigan St., or the IUPUI Campus Center Theatre, 420 University Blvd.
The films, times and locations are:
- “Viva L’Italia,” 2 p.m. Saturday, April 12, IUPUI University Library, Lilly Auditorium. A sudden illness results in politician Michele Spagnolo saying anything that comes into his head and doing whatever he wants, with hilarious consequences. (Comedy, 111 min)
- “Gli Equilibristi” (“Balancing Act”), 4 p.m. Sunday, April 13, Lilly Auditorium. A critical error causes Giulio’s life to unravel. Through a series of events, Giulio discovers how thin the line truly is between well-being and poverty. (Comedy, 100 min)
- “Bianca Come Il Latte, Rossa Come Il Sangue” (“White as Milk, Red as Blood”), 2 p.m. Saturday, April 19, Lilly Auditorium. Leo is a typical 16-year-old who finds school agonizing. Then, a new teacher encourages him to follow his dreams, which include an unattainable fellow student with fiery red hair. (Drama, 102 min)
- “Viva La Liberta” (“Long Live Freedom”), 7 p.m. Friday, April 25, IUPUI Campus Center Theatre. When the leader of a political opposition party disappears, his wife and assistant turn to his identical twin brother, who was recently released from a psychiatric hospital. Will anyone notice the switch? (Drama, 93 min)
- “Il Rosso E Il Blue” (“The Red and Blue”), 4 p.m. Sunday, April 27, Lilly Auditorium. Set in a Roman school are the stories of an art history professor who has lost his passion for the job, a young substitute who is trying to save a rebel student and a stern head mistress who is forced to deal with a student who has been forgotten by his mother. (Comedy, 98 min)
- “Teorema Venezia” (“The Venice Syndrome”), 7 p.m. Saturday, May 3, Campus Center Theatre. Venice, the world’s most beautiful city, has 48,000 residents, and there are fewer every year as the city is becoming almost uninhabitable. The film shows what remains of Venetian life. (Documentary, 80 min)
- “La Migliore Offerta” (“The Best Offer”), 7 p.m. Friday, May 9, Campus Center Theatre. An antiques expert is appointed to oversee the sale of a beautiful heiress’s priceless art collection and is soon engulfed by a passion that rocks his bland existence. (Drama, 124 min.)
- “Women Workers’ War,” 5 p.m. Saturday, May 10, Campus Center Theatre. A documentary about two women: one who leads the longest factory sit-in by women in Italy, the other who operates a cookie factory that also encourages cultural and personal growth among the workers. (Documentary, 54 min)
- “Il Gioellino” (“The Jewel”), 7 p.m. Saturday, May 10, Campus Center Theatre. The founder of an international conglomerate places his closest relatives and trusted managers in key positions, but they are unfit to face the challenges of today’s market. (Drama, 110 min)
For more information, view the event flier or contact professor Cristiana Thielmann at 310-989-2810 or cthielma@iupui.edu.