Castro (Castro)

Showings

Vogue Theatre Thu, Nov 9, 2017 2:15 PM
Film Info
Category:Documentary
Country:Italy
Year:2016
Running Time:86 min.
Language:Italian
Credits
Director:Paolo Civati
Producer:Tangranfilm
in collaboration with IRP-Infinity Road Pictures and Studio Empire Digital
Screenwriter:Paolo Civati
Giulia Moriggi
Cinematographer:Valentina Summa
Editor:Andrea Maguolo
Sara Zavarise
Music:Valerio Camporini Faggioni
Cast:Claudio Prevost Capuozzo
Deborah Tiso
Roberto Cappelli
Francesco Guarini
Assunta Pasquire
Luigi Pasquire
Amedh Habbechi Khalil
Janis Corso
Sara Bendekhil
Saba Naomi Gamal Ismail
Elnsheeli Ibrahim
Sabrina Casali
Filomena Amadio

Description

In the San Giovanni quarter of Rome, families and individuals live in close community in an old, decaying school building with tall ceilings and light. They illegally occupy every nook and cranny of the space they call “Castro,” while celebrating birthdays, watching each other’s children, feeding the building’s cat (also named Castro), and sharing other small but precious events. Paolo Civati deftly directs this documentary about the everyday lives of a rich cast of characters, all of whom know that their beloved building is destined for closure. Roberto, in his 70s, frequently calls for the cat, who regards Roberto with the unresponsive eyes of a sphinx. Claudio, a muscular man under house arrest, and Deborah, who wears his tattoos, are in love. Francesco, an older man, shutters his windows and closes this chapter in his life as he prepares to move. Assunta and her son Luigi talk about sports and the ever-present subject of finding work. This graceful, award-winning documentary (Festival dei Popoli 2016 Best Italian Documentary Award), lovingly unfolds, weaving together the stories of the building’s inhabitants. There may be poverty here, but through the exquisite lens of cinematographer Valentina Summa, dignity, love, and beauty abound. –Nancy Fishman

Additional Information

Paolo Civati (born in Como in 1977), debuted as a theater director with LUOGO DI NIENTE,winning the Claudio Gora award. He won the Teatro Vittorio's Salviamo i Talenti Attilio Corsini Award with EMOTICONS.In 2014, he was a finalist for the Solinas Award for documentary films with a short version of Castro, from which he made his first film, the feature-length documentary CASTRO.