The 4th annual Italian Film Festival USA of Milwaukee will screen the local premieres of six recent, critically and publicly acclaimed Italian films at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Union Theatre. Films will be shown in Italian with English subtitles. Sponsored by the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago, the Consulate General of Italy in Chicago, and in collaboration with the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Italian Program.

THE FRIENDS AT THE MARGHERITA CAFÉ • GLI AMICI DEL BAR MARGHERITA Saturday, May 1 • 5:00 pm (Pupi Avati, 90 min., 2009) A comic but realistic tale of the lives of the Bar Margherita regulars in 1950s Bologna as narrated through the eyes of young Taddeo. The director borrowed from his own childhood memories to recreate a magical and nostalgic atmosphere.

THE GIRL BY THE LAKE • LA RAGAZZA DEL LAGO Saturday, May 1 • 7:00 pm (Andrea Molaioli, 95 min., 2007) A police inspector, who recently moved to a small Northeastern town in Italy, must investigate an emotionally charged crime with his younger colleague in this close-knit community. Winner of the 2008 Best Italian Film.

GIOVANNA’S FATHER • IL PAPÀ DI GIOVANNA Saturday, May 1 • 9:00 pm (Pupi Avati, 104 min., 2008) Giovanna is a shy and insecure young girl. Her father is devoted to giving her the best education in order to secure a good future for her, but everything will turn into tragedy when Giovanna becomes insanely jealous of her beautiful and generous classmate.

MID-AUGUST LUNCH • PRANZO DI FERRAGOSTO Sunday, May 2 • 3:00 pm (Gianni Di Gregorio, 75 min., 2008) On the eve of the August 15 holiday, the building manager offers a solution for Gianni’s economic problems—Gianni is to take care of the manager’s mother for a couple of days in exchange for forgiving unpaid fees. But Gianni ends up taking care of not only the manager’s mother but also the aunt and his doctor’s mother in this charming comedy.

IF BY CHANCE • CASOMAI Sunday, May 2 • 5:00 pm (Alessandro D'Alatri, 114 min., 2002) Tomaso and Stefania meet, fall in love and marry. Their love is sincere, passionate and strong. But they slowly become a couple like so many others: they stop struggling and no longer communicate. But their love is not lost.

WE CAN DO THAT • SI PUÒ FARE Sunday, May 2 • 7:00 pm (Giulio Manfredonia, 111 min., 2008) A Milanese businessman, who lost his job, finds himself managing a cooperative of former mental patients. He encourages everyone to learn a trade, inventing a role for each of them that is amazingly adapted to their abilities. Nominated 2009 Best Italian Film.

 

 

 

All films are FREE and open to the general public. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Union Theatre