Italian Literature on the Silver Screen

SAN FRANCISCO - After the meeting with some national successful writers – among them Rampini, Giordano, Veronesi – for the presentation of their novels to the American readers, the Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco, located in 814 Montgomery Street , has featured every Tuesday of May a film inspired or based on novels by great Italian authors.

The film series opened with the movie "Quiet Chaos" by Antonello Grimaldi (2007) adapted from the novel by Sandro Veronesi, "Premio Strega" in 2006, The author was at the Institute for the presentation of his international bestseller on May 2. The book was translated in English by Michael F. Moore. The Tuscan writer discussed about the complexity of the creative process that is behind the birth of a novel and of the importance of a faithful translation, based on the same creative ideas, and made possible thanks to shared and common stylistic rules.

Veronesi also explained the reasons why he refused to write the movie screenplay, as it was something far from both his professional training and his stylistic ambitions. Sometimes funny and dark, unexpectedly compelling and extremely realistic, "Quiet Chaos" is the emotional story of a man who saves a woman's life at the same time when his wife suddenly dies. The second appointment was on May 17 with the movie "The Solitude of Prime Numbers", by Saverio Costanzo (2010) presented at the last 67th "Mostra Internazionale d'Arte of Venice".

The script was written in collaboration with the author who wanted to prevent the film from becoming a mere copy with images of his book. Then the series followed with "I am not scared" by Gabriele Salvatores (2003), based on the omonymous novel by Niccolò Ammaniti who also wrote the screenplay together with Francesca Marciano. The movie was the winner of a "David di Donatello" and even oscar-nominated .

The last Tuesday meeting on May 31 at 6:30 p.m., will be with the movie "Romanzo Criminale" by Michele Placido (2005) whose source of inspiration, even if rather freely is the omonymous novel by Giancarlo De Cataldo, which is about the controversial and popular story of the "Banda della Magliana", a big criminal organization. The facts and the characters' names in the book and in the movie, were changed, but they talk about events that really happened in Rome during the 70's and 80's. Many important actors played in the movie: Pierfran-cesco Savino, Kim Rossi Stuart, Claudio Santamaria, Stefano Accorsi, Riccardo Scamarcio, Jasmine Trinca, and thanks to them the movie won eight "David di Donatello", five "Nastri d'Argento", and two "Ioma" during the year 2006.

Roberto Natalini
Istituto Italiano di Cultura di San Francisco