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ITALY

FROM THE GULF OF NAPLES

Love and Bullets
WITH THE POPULARITY OF FILMS SHOT IN AND AROUND NAPLES, THE OPULENCE OF
THE VILLA SHOWCASED IN CALL ME BY YOUR NAME — A TRIUMPH AT THE OSCARS —
AND THE SPECTACULAR AERIAL SCENES SHOT FOR THE SPIN-OFF FILM OF GEORGE LUCAS’ STAR
WARS SAGA, ITALIAN FILM COMMISSIONS ARE GROWING FAST, AS IS THEIR INTERNATIONAL
APPEAL. NEW LEGISLATION ACKNOWLEDGES THE IMPORTANT ROLE PLAYED BY AUDIO-VISUAL
PRODUCTIONS IN THE PROMOTION OF THE ITALIAN LANDSCAPE AND OF THE COUNTRY’S IMAGE.

By Camillo De Marco
and Vittoria Scarpa, T was this time the turn of Naples to be crowned At the Venice Film Festival, meanwhile, there were no less
Cineuropa.org undisputed leader of top film locations. Love and than 10 works “made in Campania”, with this particular
Bullets by the Manetti brothers won the accolade of Italian region lending its support to auteur cinema by well-
Best Picture at the David di Donatello Awards this known directors including Mario Martone and Antonietta
I year. The triumphant musical, an enjoyable homage De Lillo, but also to projects with strong commercial
to sceneggiata napoletana, set in a beautiful city full of potential, such as the huge TV hit, I Bastardi di
contradictions, took home an impressive five statuettes Pizzofalcone, and productions with international appeal,
out of the 15 “Italian Oscar” categories for which it was such as L’Amica Geniale, adapted from the bestselling
nominated: along with Best Picture, it also took clinched novel, My Brilliant Friend, by Elena Ferrante. This is all
Best Supporting Actress, Best Music, Best Original Song on account of the new funding initiatives, developed in
and Best Costume Design. But this wasn’t the southern the wake of the regional film law, implemented in 2016,
city’s only appearance: Ferzan Özpetek’s Naples in Veils which has earmarked 4m for 2017, and 5m for the
won two awards (Best Cinematography and Best Three-Year Plan covering the period 2018-2020, to be
Production Design), Cinderella The Cat, also set in Naples channelled into film productions, movie theatres, film
© MANETTI BROS. won the David for Best Producer and Best Visual Effects, allocated to 12 films, 24 documentaries and short films,
societies and festivals. As a result, in 2017, finance was
and from animation powerhouse Mad Entertainment,
and eight online works. “Cinema is at the heart of the
and Holding Hands (La Tenerezza) by Gianni Amelio, won
the award for Best Actor with its lead, Renato Carpentieri.
Strategic Regional Plan on Culture, because this is a field
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