Spettacolo
Directed by Jeff Malmberg & Chris Shellen
USA | 2017 | Documentary | 91 min | Italian w/English subtitles
Film Source: Grasshopper
Awards / premier festivals: Hot Docs; SXSW
Sponsors: 05401 / 05401PLUS
*Post screening Q&A with directors Malmberg and Shellen – Sat screening*
Also showing Wednesday, October 25 at 2:30PM
Villagers in the tiny Tuscan town of Monticchiello come up with a remarkable way to confront their issues: they turn their lives into a play. Every summer, their piazza becomes a stage and residents of all ages play a part — the role of themselves. Founded in the 1960s to honor the village’s stand against Nazis during World War II, the theatrical company used to write works tackling sexism, corruption and workers rights. Now the villagers spend each year searching for new angles on the region’s ongoing economic decline and tackling the problem addressing the fact that most of its members are on the verge of retirement or death. The town is a major tourist attraction, set in a natural landscape for Instagram, and the film’s structure, divided into four seasons, represents the varying fairy-tale landscapes. But this fly-on-the-wall documentary is primarily focused on process and the interweaving of the fictional characters with their real-life counterparts. Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen, whose superb documentary Marwencol played at VTIFF in 2010, have produced a bittersweet look at the passing of traditions and efforts to adjust and cope. ~OY