“An Italian School” [Una scuola italiana, 2010, 75′] by Angelo Loy and Giulio Cederna opens the “5 Pieces Not So Easy To Play”. Contemporary Italian Documentary Series.
A theatrical laboratory is taking place in a kindergarten. The teachers are telling the story of Dorothy’s adventures in the magical Land of Oz. The audience is composed of children aged three to five, all of whom were born in Italy to non-Italian parents. They attend the Carlo Pisacane kindergarten, located in the heart of Torpignattara, an old, working-class section of Rome that today is inhabited by a growing number of immigrant families: a factor that increases the unrest. And as the theatrical laboratory continues, the school becomes an item of national interest.
ANGELO LOY, documentary director, as a PhD fish biologist he worked as researcher at the University of Rome. In 1996 he co-produced Emanuele Crialese’s first feature film, an experience that made him drop a promising university career to jump into the uncertainty of filmaking. Since then, he’s been working in directing social documentaries (among others, the feature length ‘Black Pinocchio’ and ‘An Italian School’).
Starting from 2000 he collaborates with AMREF (the African Medical and Research Foundation) where he promoted, along with Giulio Cederna and John Muiruri, a participatory video (PV) training within the AMREF street children rehabilitation project in Nairobi, Kenya. Here he directed several awarded participatory films for national and international TVs (such as TV Slum, African Spelling Book, Millennium News, The Turkish Glance). Besides Nairobi, he has been running PV workshops in Italy, France, Switzerland and Morocco.
GIULIO CEDERNA, journalist and documentary film maker; for years he has dealt with problems related to cooperation and development. Since 1998 he is in charge for the Research and Communication Section of the NGO AMREF Italy, dealing with audio-visual communication projects, dossiers, conferences, news and leaflets.
He is author of various documentaries about Africa broadcasted by RAI (“The African Spelling Book” and “Big Brother AIDS”) and Tele+ (“TV Slum – The Nairobi street boys”). He published “The Black Pinocchio Adventures of a street boy” (ed. Giunti 2005).
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The screening of “An Italian School” will be preceded by a bried introduction by teachers Toby Mestitz and Francesca Mariani from Brunswick South Primary School (http://brunswicksouthps.vic.edu.au/)
Toby Mestitz has been teaching English at Brunswick South Primary School, an Italian and English bilingual primary school for four years. He describes himself as passionate and open-minded.
Francesca Mariani has been teaching Italian in the bilingual Italian/English program at Brunswick South Primary School for two years.
Multiculturalism is a primary aspect of the teaching and learning at Brunswick South Primary School. As well as the obvious Italian link, the staff try to consider a range of perspectives and cultural lenses when teaching all subjects, particularly in humanities.
Free event. RSVP essential: E iicmelbourne@esteri.it;T 9866 5931
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Dates of the next screenings
15th November: Agostino Ferrente e Giovanni Piperno, “Le cose belle” [2013, 88’]
22nd November: Andrea Segre, Dagmawi Ymer, “Come un uomo sulla terra” [2008, 60’];
Stefano Liberti, Andrea Segre, “Mare chiuso” [2012, 60’]
29th November: Roberto Minervini, “The other side” [2015, 92′]
6th December: Alina Marazzi, “Vogliamo anche le rose” [2007, 84’]
Reservation no longer available