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TENTAZIONI METROPOLITANE on Amazon Prime in USA-UK-GERMANY-AUSTRIA
- English subtitles in USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J4DXZ1X
- English subtitles in the UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08J4CM6QG
- Deutsche Untertitel in DEUTSCHLAND und ÖSTERREICH https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08J8FYHLZ
With an unstoppable desire to live Alessandra spreads her wings to start flying again, but every night she has to go back to prison…
written and directed by GIANNA GARBELLI
with the extraordinary participation of ANNIE GIRARDOT
and with GIANNA GARBELLI – FIORENZA MARCHEGIANI – MAURIZIO DONADONI – NARCISA BONATI – STEPHANE FERRARA DARIO D’AMBROSI – LAURA VISCONTI – JOE KLOENNE – ROBERTO MARELLI
*Any reference to actual people or events is purely coincidental*
more about TENTAZIONI METROPOLITANE premiere at Mostra Int’l del Cinema di Venezia September 7th 1993 Panorama Italiano
I wrote for the cinema and directed and performed and so, produced TENTAZIONI METROPOLITANE – story of an inmate in semi-liberty – with Annie Girardot- Fiorenza Marchegiani- Maurizio Donadoni, Stephan Ferrara, Narcisa Bonati, and many other very good actors of the Piccolo Teatro of Milano- a great fame of classic European Theatre. A privilege to direct such a cast of international excellence and the best Italian theater actors. Original music by the Frenchman Robert Mouyren. Selected for Panorama Italiano at the Venice International Film Festival.
It was an interesting researching work for the construction of the characters and so I was inspired by the harshest reality, two prisoners in jail for very different reasons: one is a common prisoner, the other is political. Then in the script I mixed with my fantasy. Yes it is a brave story. In 1993 the world was not so ready for a story between women, I would say unconventional. But it’s much more, and I wouldn’t to take away the pleasure of seeing it.
The inspiration was given to me by a girl who really lived this illusory experience, a shortcut … Then to write the screenplay, I studied, attended the whole humanity involved, on the edge of marginalization. I went in search of real places, so as to render the authenticity of the social drama, the atmosphere, the prejudices, to direct the set in the best possible way. With an inexhaustible energy, which is the most evident trait of my personality, I face this very hard story, as raw and crude is the material that stimulated my creativity.
A valuable support, exceptional, recognizable the fascinating trait of Milo Manara among the great cartoonists of all time.
From left, Fiorenza Marchegiani, co-star, me and Laura Visconti. Here the case breaks out …
with Fiorenza Marchegiani my co-star, two intense characters.
Maria Gioacchina Stajano Starace Briganti di Panico, was an incredible character! For her time then… My neighbor, when I was living Roma and I wanted her on the set in Milano. A touch of exaggeration, of outrage, that little bit of added realism. He was the first person to enlighten me about the gay world. The LGBT movement was still far to come, but she lived the time of the avant-garde, a true pioneer, she lived with lightness a world that was only apparently hostile to her, living on art; therefore a world without borders of any kind, she was the news exposing without false hypocrisy. In my film she was necessary to me, because her cameo immediately clarified things: she was born a male, she felt like a woman, so it was easy to place her in the context of women’s prison.
A scene that is hard to bear, here I play with the eclectic Mirton Vaiani, in the role of the Boxer, understood as the mastiff… or even the Kapò, as Gillo Pontecorvo, the then director of the Venice Film Festival, had identified her. He wanted the film for the premiere in the Italian Panorama section.
On the set of the real prison of San Vittore in Milano, made available by the Ministry of Justice, I in the role of the common prisoner and Fiorenza Marchegiani as political prisoner.
Gianna Garbelli and Fiorenza Marchegiani. I don’t want to reveal the plot, from today you can see the whole film on Amazon Prime Video.
Joe Kloenne in the role of an old friend of the protagonist, Alessandra Albani. Joe Kloenne is a star among the models of great fashion in the world.
Narcisa Bonati and I, Narcisa a great actress of the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, a reference who unfortunately recently left us.
With Fiorenza Marchegiani and Stephane Ferrara in the role of the Corsican gangster.
Blasco Giurato’s fascinating photography underlines the drama and intrigue in the evolution of story. Giurato’s greatest successes are linked to the director Giuseppe Tornatore. The set-designer is by a great architect of cinema, Enrico Tovaglieri, how can we forget the set by Ermanno Olmi, “The tree of the hooves” Both underlined the history of the best Italian cinema ever. The set was a nightclub, a cult-disco of Milano in the 80s and 90s: The Plastic, owned by Lucio Nisi. Hair Style by Gino Bianchini.
Fiorenza Marchegiani was already a star in the films of Massimo Troisi, an intelligent, eclectic actress, with whom I had a great time and so in directing her. Intense professional in our actor dialogue.
Here I am with the eye behind the camera, yes perhaps one of the latest 35mm film. Straddling between consolidated mechanics and new technologies. But writing the screenplay was instrumental in having clear ideas in directing the film. The vision and the rhythm are so clear and slender and give space for further creativity.
Well yes, in prison you keep fit, especially the “communes”, there is not much else to do to kill time. In that hour of air, the sun, the light are so desired …
My formidable technicians, fast and ready to solve any problem. There is no movie set without them …
I’m with Maurizio Donadoni, perfect in the role of the bourgeois, conformist in love.
Returning home after 7 years in prison, the look is surprised, not always pleasantly. People, places and things, in short, the world has changed. It’s like waking up after years of a long sleep. But Alessandra doesn’t wake up in a fairy tale… The touch of the make-up artist Vincenza Lambarella is delicate.
Moments of solidarity between the walls of a prison, here with my “inmates”, Aida Cooper and another great vocalist of the best rock bands.
This is Antonio, in my film he plays, but he is an ex-real-inmate who is part of a theater cooperative. Certain roles, if you can, you have to mix them even with those who have really lived them.
Anna Bruna Gola, a seamstress who sewed every detail, all the costumes with her needle and thread. Perfect.
I’m with Clarita Di Giovanni my assistant.
With Fabio Lanciotti my patience cameraman.
Behind the scenes, I am with director of photography, my great working/mate Blasco Giurato and Fiorenza Marchegiani.
Gillo Pontecorvo great director and the artistic director of the Venice Int’l Film Festival, he wanted to see the film in a screening room in Cinecittà, it was friday evening when we agreed, Monday at 09:00AM on time I was back in Roma from Milano, with my director of photography Blasco Giurato. Both outside the door waiting for the verdict of the maestro Pontecorvo, who came out moved and I could not hold back the tears of happiness, and Blasco Giurato who is taller than a mountain fir, lit up like a Christmas tree for joy. The film was included in programming in the Italian Panorama section, in charge by the journalist Claudio Trionfera.
Premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, Italian Panorama section. From left Narcisa Bonati, Annie Girardot, Gianna Garbelli, Roberto Marelli. Marelli replaced Walter Chiari at the last moment, who unfortunately died of a heart attack a few months before shooting. A desperation not to have him; the irony in the story is all there, but my regret remains, the talent of Walter Chiari would have elicited moving laughter! The feature film came out at the Venice Film Festival with the title: PORTAGLI I MIEI SALUTI, immediately afterwards I replaced the title with TENTAZIONI METROPOLITANE.
USA premiere at the Napa and Sonoma Valley Festival, San Francisco, CA. And at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles. Above, at the Casa Italiana Zerilli / Marimò in New York.
here and there some of the PRESS REVIEW
- 1993 -premiere of the Venice International Film Festival selection Panorama Italiano-
- 1993- France Annency Festival –
- 1993 France Italian Film Festival de Villerupt-
- 1998 Egypt: Alexandria Film Festival Best Screenplay, Best Editing –
- July 1999 USA Film Festival Napa and Sonoma Valley Mile USA Debut Film, Best Actress-
- September 1999 Italian Cultural Institute Los Angeles –
- February 2000 Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò in New York with Alfonso Arau.
- March 2000- UK Bradford Film Festival “Shine Features”
- March 2001 La Sapienza University of Rome
- April 2001 – Palm Spring USA Psychiatric Association of California 13th Annual Meeting – Prof Barry Chaitin
- November 2001 Rebibbia prison, Rome Special event, Ministry of Justice
- – distributed in cinemas in Italy
- -acquired by RTS TV Switzerland
-acquired by RAI TV – Italian Government TV – but never aired, with the undemocratic justification that with the too beautiful works, they buy and take them off the market. In short, a management that has claimed to create culture without having the attributes. Courage doesn’t belong only to those who write, direct and plays roles, an novelty screenplay, and so produced. Those who acquire and certainly programming cannot keep without airing and be denied, after having spent public money for the purchase! RAI management is about unsuitable network managers, obedient to the political party they belong to. Without any autonomy of thought, unable to give the public simply a beautiful work, an unpublished story, as well crafted as the press, wherever the film has been presented it, underlined and so did the audience present.
It was atrocious as author to have my wings clipped …
Consequence: for eight years my film was stopped in the RAI warehouses and with a very bad attempt of plagiarism unsuccessful by RAI Cinema. Who despises buys …
It’s still like in these days? Almost. In Italia nothing has changed. Corruption is the cancer that devours this Nation. Not the ideology.
What keep me here? I’m Italian. And don’t you know that Italy is known as one of the most beautiful country on earth! The more I travel and I have traveled the more I found Italia wonderful.
And finally, luckily Amazon have revolutionized the world scene of large retailers!
here the link where my film TENTAZIONI METROPOLITANE is visible on AMAZON PRIME in USA-UK- GERMANY-AUSTRIA
- English subtitles in USA https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08J4DXZ1X
- English subtitles in the UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08J4CM6QG
- Deutsche Untertitel in DEUTSCHLAND und Österreich https://www.amazon.de/dp/B08J8FYHLZ
