Mario Brenta

The smile of the cat

A look at reality as it appears today in the streets and cities as an image of the crisis and decline of western society in the era of globalization. Between wealth and poverty, between homologation and loss of identity, between reality and illusion, nothing more than a great fairy tale, a deception, a collective lie of which the representation of daily life becomes its disturbing metaphor. As disturbing as the smile of Alice's Cat in Wonderland, who, at the girl's request for help to find the way that leads her out of the woods, replies with her characteristic grin: "It all depends on where you want to go". The narrative voice is by Marco Paolini.

The smile of the cat

A look at reality as it appears today in the streets and cities as an image of the crisis and decline of western society in the era of globalization. Between wealth and poverty, between homologation and loss of identity, between reality and illusion, nothing more than a great fairy tale, a deception, a collective lie of which the representation of daily life becomes its disturbing metaphor. As disturbing as the smile of Alice's Cat in Wonderland, who, at the girl's request for help to find the way that leads her out of the woods, replies with her characteristic grin: "It all depends on where you want to go". The narrative voice is by Marco Paolini.

The Wind Blows Round

The aging, conservative population of a small, sleepy village in the Italian Alps are surprised to see that a former French professor has settled there with his young wife and their three children to produce goat cheese, in order to escape the wrongs of civilization. At first they are suspicious of his unconventional ideas and lifestyle, then are conquered by the enthusiasm, kindness, helpfulness of the young family and start to see in them a possible rebirth of the place. But little by little misunderstandings, envy and conflicts take over.

Follow the Shadows

The young Carabiniere Gatta is sent to barracks in the Naples area. It's 1946 and the war is still hanging in the air even if the small community doesn't seem to have been affected that much by it. Even so, certain suspicions take root in the brigadier's mind. The hotel in the town was the setting for unexplained deaths and crimes that had been covered up. Gatta decides to investigate. Fragments begin to emerge, killers and their victims take shape and speak to each other from different times. There's the hotel owner, a grief-striken mother, a weak son and long-suffering sister, an orphan and two woman who were violently killed. Pain, indifference and shame cast a shadow over everything.

Follow the Shadows

The young Carabiniere Gatta is sent to barracks in the Naples area. It's 1946 and the war is still hanging in the air even if the small community doesn't seem to have been affected that much by it. Even so, certain suspicions take root in the brigadier's mind. The hotel in the town was the setting for unexplained deaths and crimes that had been covered up. Gatta decides to investigate. Fragments begin to emerge, killers and their victims take shape and speak to each other from different times. There's the hotel owner, a grief-striken mother, a weak son and long-suffering sister, an orphan and two woman who were violently killed. Pain, indifference and shame cast a shadow over everything.

Porto Marghera gli ultimi fuochi

This remarcable film describes the struggles in the petrochemical complex of Porto Marghera between 1955 and 2004 - from the point of view of some militant workers. Together with students and intellectuals they formed a group that was active under different names between the early 1960 and the 1980ies. They fought against the bosses, but also against the destruction of the workers health and environmental contamination.

Barnabo of the Mountains

The year is 1919 and it's forest rangers versus poachers in the Dolomite mountains in this Italian drama based on a morality tale by Dino Buzzati. The first scene, which contains no dialog, depicts the murder of a young ranger in the snowy peaks. Barnabo is a taciturn young ranger new to the mountains. He is a pacifist and is uncomfortable carrying his rifle. Upon his hand is a stigmata that periodically bleeds. The poachers murder another ranger. This time it is the commanding officer. The rangers organize a patrol to find them, but they are unsuccessful. It is Barnabo who locates them. They escape because he is unable, or afraid to shoot them. He is dishonorably discharged and now finds it hard to escape the label of coward. He leaves the mountains and becomes a farm-hand. While he labors, he reflects upon the experience and those of his life. A internal moral struggle ensues as he tries to make sense of it all and find some inner peace.

Maicol

Maicol's mother Anita (Sabina Regazzi) is distracted by too many concerns to pay him much mind, so Maicol (Simone Tessarolo) seeks fulfillment in his inner life, which is very busy and rich. The five year-old has made a world for himself populated by situations and people from the movie Dune, and anything he says to anyone is unlikely to refer to anything else. When his unmarried working mother takes him with her to the train station for her rendezvous with her lover, he occupies himself during their long wait by exploring everthing in sight. Unused to dealing with anything but his fantasy life, after he gets himself lost he is of no help to the police in their search for his mother.

Snapshot of a Crime

When Luca's girlfriend Mirna inexplicably dumps him, he finds solace in the arms of two fashion models, Stefania and Claudia. When Stefania mysteriously disappears after photographing herself having rough sex with Luca, Mirna begins sending him the negatives -but to what end? Meanwhile, Claudia searches for her missing friend...