By Alexa Magdalenski
ROME, 25 Sept. - Cinema should
be done by people who love cinema. 
So says film director Alessandro Piva, whose first film “La Capagira,” (“The Head is Spinning”) introduced Filmitalia’s “Best of Youth” Film Series to John Cabot University on Monday night.
Piva’s love of cinema was evident in his honest portrayal of life in the Puglia city of Bari where his film is set. Also evident was his warm desire to let others in on how he made it.
Photo: Film director Alessandro Piva introduces his film as President Franco Pavoncello looks on.
The evening started with a well-attended courtyard reception that allowed students and faculty to meet Piva, as well as Dino Abbrescia and Paolo Sassanelli, two of the film’s main actors.
Franco Pavoncello introduced the film to students and faculty, stressing the importance of John Cabot as a bridge between the United States and Europe and, he said, this film series will be an important way of introducing foreign students to Italian cinema.
Introduced was Filmitalia President Irene Bignardi, who expressed her excitement to share the “Best of Youth” Film Series with the John Cabot community. Then Piva introduced his film to the audience.
The plot of “La Capagira” is as gritty as Bari, its urban setting in Southern Italy. The story line follows the delivery of a mysterious package to Puglia, and it followed the interactions of the drug pushers, the users, and families who come in contact with it. The movie ties together the local with scenes of drugs, violence, and humor.
The film was followed by an informal question-and-answer session with Piva. Piva answered questions with a warm, encouraging tone, illuminating the world of film and Italian culture.
When asked what attracted him to the rough Barresse street life in his film, Piva said, “The city is like an open air theater, every day.”
The personalities of actors
Abbrescia and Sassanelli mirrored that of their characters in the film;
they were honest, humorous, and mischievous, getting the audience laughing
with their stories from the set and playful fighting with each other.
What was most impressive was
their method of getting into character. They grew up with people like
them, so they began to live as those people in character.
The way Piva and his actors warmly opened “La Capagira” to the audience made for a successful opening night for a film series dedicated to open minds and to Italian cinema.
Comments