The Basilisks (I basilischi) by Lina Wertmüller
#FILMFRIDAY
The Basilisks
I basilischi
Award
Best Feature Film, Locarno International Film Festival 1963
Director: Lina Wertmüller
Cast: Antonio Petruzzi, Stefano Satta Flores, Flora Carabella
Italy | 1963 | 84’ | In Italian with English subtitles | DCP | B&W
4/11 (Fri) - 7:45pm
23/11 (Wed) - 7:45pm
Antonio, Francesco, and Sergio are three unemployed young men living in a small, sleepy southern Italian town. They often talk about leaving, but their apathy keeps them trapped in their surroundings. Instead, they spend their days wandering the streets and hitting on women. Antonio eventually moves to Rome for a new cosmopolitan life after an invitation by his aunt, but his friends and his old way of life eventually pull him back.
Lina Wertmüller’s directorial debut is not only the sum of her experiences as an assistant director for her mentor Federico Fellini; it is also a film that firmly belongs in the esteemed school of Italian neorealism films. It is a nuanced and sometimes darkly playful portrait of southern Italy (where her father was from) and in particular, a place that had yet to be touched by modernity. Featuring a score by the legendary Ennio Morricone.
Co-Presenter: Hong Kong Arts Centre, Italian Cultural Institute Hong Kong & Macau
In collaboration with: Consulate General of Italy in Hong Kong
Associated programme: Italy-China Year of Culture and Tourism, Italia Mia