ITAKER – VIETATO AGLI ITALIANI

Meeting with the director TONI TRUPIA, the main actor FRANCESCO SCIANNA  and the cinematographer ARNALDO CATINARI

Projection: 08/09/2013 at Auditorium of Savoca (ME)

Synopsis:

Itaker is the story of a trip from Italy to Germany in 1962. A strange trip: Pietro, 9 years old and orphaned by his mother, leaves to find his emigrated father whom he hasn’t heard from in a long time. He travels with Benito Stigliano, a young man claiming to be his father’s friend who is searching to settle a personal score at any cost. During their journey, Pietro and Benito find themselves in different worlds: in a Bochum factory where the Italian community (the Itaker, or “wops”, one of the many names given to Italian immigrants in Germany); the world of the magliari and smuggling – made of packages and little tricks – where the cohabitation between Italians and Germans isn’t always easy. Little bits of different cultures looking for an identity. On the backdrop of an important but often forgotten story, this is a coming to age tale of the struggle between survival and sensitivity.

Biography:

Toni Trupia was born in Agrigento on May 6^th, 1979. In 1996, after earning his diploma, he moved to Rome where, in 2001, after various experiences in cinema and television, he enrolled in the Experimental Center of Cinematography. To date, he has already directed a few shorts, including Rigor Mortis (Arcipelago 1998) and Punti di vista: Favara Sconosciuta. In 2003 he was a director’s assistant for Mario Monicelli for the short L’appello di un amico. His later work includes Fazzu tozza e jettu‘o ventu (2001 – Arcipelago 2002), La morte del vecchio (2002 – Taormina Film Festival; European Film Festival), Za La Mort (CortoLazio 2003), Tita (Anteprima Spazio Giovani – Turin Film Festival). Cari amici vicini e lontani (2004), released in theaters, was his film thesis. In 2005 he was a director’s assistant for Michele Placido for the film Romanzo Criminale. L’uomo Giusto is his first full-length feature. He has taught directing at NUCT – International School of Cinema and Television in Cinecittà. He is among the authors of the film Vallanzasca – Angels of Evil, directed by Michele Placido featuring Kim Rossi Stuart.

Festival:

BIF&ST BARI – VITTORIO VENETO FILM FESTIVAL – MAGNA GRAECIA FILM FESTIVAL – COSENZA FILMFESTIVAL – LOS ANGELES ITALIA – CAPRI HOLLYWOOD – BAFF BUSTO ARSIZIO FILM FESTIVAL (Award for Best Film, Best Actor, Best Producton, Best Editing) – FESTIVAL DELLE CERASE – ISCHIA GLOBAL FILM & MUSIC FEST (Award for Best New Director) – FESTIVAL DEL CINEMA CITTA’ DI SPELLO – EST FILM FESTIVAL – PROCIDA FILM FESTIVAL – SOCIAL WORLD FILM FESTIVAL (Award for Best Actor, Best Script and Best Film) – PREMIO FLAIANO – CINERAMNIA TERAMO – FESTIVAL DES FILM DU MONDE DI MONTREAL.

THE FILM WAS ALSO NOMINATED FOR BEST ACTOR BY THE SILVER RIBBON, FOR BEST FILM BY CIAK AND FOR BEST SCRIPT BY THE ITALIAN GOLDEN GLOBES.