Official Selection - Competition 2005 / Alla luce del sole / Italy 2005
Over ten years ago, the Mafia did away with Father Puglisi, who endeavoured in his parish on the outskirts of Palermo to prevent the inevitable transformation of street kids into members of the ‘honourable society’. Director Faenza, returning in his film to the last three years of the priest’s efforts, provides an unobtrusive, arresting look at the life of a fascinating figure.
“I came back in order to help good people step out with their head held high”, stated Father Giuseppe Puglisi, appointed by the archbishop of Palermo to his native parish of Brancaccio, a suburb of the Sicilian metropolis; there, three years later on his birthday, he was shot by the Mafia. In his new film, director Roberto Faenza turns his attention to the troubled time when the Mafia stepped up its aggression towards the Italian state and, by carrying out bomb attacks in Rome, Florence and Milan, also demonstrated its influence outside Sicily. After more than ten years since the priest’s violent death, Faenza returns to Puglisi’s threeyear attempt to prevent street kids from being gradually transformed into members of criminal organisations. The director avoids superficial glorification of the hero and provides almost surprisingly laconic testimony to his character and endeavours. The subtle urgency of the film is underscored by Luca Zingaretti’s excellent starring performance.
90 min / Color, 35 mm
International premiere
Director Roberto Faenza
/ Screenplay Roberto Faenza
/ Dir. of Photography Italo Petriccione
/ Music Andrea Guerra
/ Editor Massimo Fiocchi
/ Producer Elda Ferri
/ Production Jean Vigo Italia srl
/ Cast Luca Zingaretti, Alessia Goria, Corrado Fortuna, Giovanna Bozzolo, Francesco Foti, Piero Nicosia
/ Contact Jean Vigo Italia srl, The Works Film Group
www: www.allalucedelsole.it
Roberto Faenza (b. 1943, Turin, Italy) studied at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia. He works in various genres — apart from film direction, he has also experimented with new technology (e.g. radio broadcasting) and has written several books analyzing the mechanisms of news media. He has lectured at universities in the United States and in Italy. Selected filmography: H2S (1969), Forza Italia! (1978, doc.), Copkiller (1983), The Bachelor (Mio caro dottor Gräsler, 1990), Jonah Who Lived in the Whale (Jona che visse nella balena, 1993), According to Pereira (Sostiene Pereira, 1995), Lost Lover (L’amante perduto, 1999), Soulkeeper (Prendimi l’anima, 2002).
Jean Vigo Italia srl
Via del Colosseo 2/a, 00184, Rome
Italy
Phone: +39 06 678 0003
Fax: +39 06 693 806 00
E-mail: [email protected]
The Works Film Group
5th Floor, Fairgate House, 78 New Oxford Street, WC1A 1HB, London
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 207 612 1080
Fax: +44 207 612 1081
E-mail: [email protected]
Elda Ferri
Producer
Roberto Faenza
Film Director, Film Director
Clare Crean
Sales Agent
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