For this year's edition of the fabulous Italian Film Festival, the curators Renee Mark and Paolo Rotondo found a clear inspiration for New Zealand, and in fact the world, from the Italian film industry.
As they both prepared their curation, it was clear that the place of Italian women in film and television has truly evolved.
Just last year, the biggest hit from Italy was There’s Still Tomorrow, about the emancipation of Italian women.
This year, Greta Scarano directs the charming, heartfelt Siblings, about a sister caring for her autistic brother.
Daniel Porto co-directs My Place is Here, a story of the crumbling of the patriarchy in rural Calabria when women won the vote.
Director Giulia Louise Steigerwalt Diva Futura tackles the birth of pornography in Italy in the 1990’s.
Ginevra Elkann takes a sardonic look at a Rome sweltering in excessive climate change in I Told You So.
Giorgia Farina has crafted a very Jojo Rabbit-style coming-of-age story in fascist Italy.
Fuori tells the story of Goliarda Sapienza, the author of 'The Art of Joy' and the friendships with the women she met in prison.
The Tasters is the true story about an extraordinary group of women in an impossibly difficult situation as tasters for Hitler’s food.
Diamonds is a visually stunning story of the brilliant woman who created lavish costumes for the Italian Film industry in the 1970s.
Even both the Italian Westerns were chosen because they have feminine protagonists at the centre of the story.
So, there has never been a better reason to dive into this swathe of female-focussed Italian storytelling!!
Click HERE to book tickets and to share and spread the word.
Renee and Paolo have kindly offered up three double passes to the festival!
The first three people to email us at office@wiftnz.org.nz with the answer to this simple question will win a double pass:
QUESTION: Name the phenomenal Italian filmmaker behind westerns Once Upon a Time in the West and The Good, The Bad and the Ugly.
Buona Fortuna!