The Stuff of Dreams (La stoffa dei sogni)

Showings

Castro Theatre Wed, Nov 8, 2017 6:30 PM
Film Info
Category:Competition
Country:Italy
Year:2016
Running Time:101 min.
Language:Italian
Invited Guest(s)::Director Gianfranco Cabiddu
Credits
Director:Gianfranco Cabiddu
Producer:Paco Cinematografica
Rai Cinema
supported by MiBACT
White Pictures
in association with Videoprogetti
with the support of Region Sardegna
Sardinia Film Commission
Cinematographer:Vincenzo Carpineta
Editor:Alessio Doglione
Music:Franco Piersanti
Cast:Sergio Rubini
Ennio Fantastichini
Alba Gaïa Bellugi
Teresa Saponangelo
Renato Carpentieri
Francesco Di Leva
Ciro Petrone
Luca De Filippo
Jacopo Cullin
Nicola Di Pinto
Anna Paglia

Description

A fateful shipwreck casts a group of convicted Camorra criminals and a handful of itinerant actors on a prison-island, where the embittered warden (Ennio Fantastichini) lives with his young daughter Miranda (Alba Gaïa Bellugi). When the gangsters infiltrate the theatrical troupe, the warden commands Campese (Sergio Rubini), the head of the company, to stage a performance of Shakespeare’s THE TEMPEST in a bid to distinguish the thespians from the miscreants. Director Gianfranco Cabiddu creates an intriguing comedy that mirrors the plot of THE TEMPEST and transports the audience and the prisoners via the magic of theater. Amidst a stunning, pristine landscape evocative of Mediterranean colors and scents, a simple stage offers the performers the chance to transcend their personal, wretched lives and touch a deeper dimension of their characters. Based on Eduardo De Filippo THE ART OF COMEDY and his translation of THE TEMPEST, Cabiddu’s work invites reflections on the universal themes of guilt, revenge, redemption, and forgiveness. This profoundly human drama also features a budding romance between one of the criminals and the warden’s daughter, excellent ensemble acting, a uniquely Sardinian shepherd (Cabiddu’s version of Caliban), and gorgeous cinematography of the island of Asinara. Winner of the Davide di Donatello for Best Adapted Screenplay. –Franca Cavallaro

Philippa Kelly (PhD), Resident Dramaturg for the California Shakespeare Theater, Resident Dramaturg for Napa Shakes, and Production Dramaturg for many theaters including the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, will join screenwriter Salvatore De Mola for the Q&A after the film.

Co-presented by SFFILM and California Shakespeare Theater

Join us after the film for our Opening Night Party!
8:30pm-11:00pm
Location: San Francisco Italian Athletic Club
1630 Stockton Street (between Union and Filbert)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Film & Party (or Party only): $25 general public; $20 for Italian Cultural Institute and San Francisco Italian Athletic Club members

Additional Information

Director, scriptwriter, and musician Gianfranco Cabiddu (born Cagliari, 1953) worked in the theater with such greats as Eduardo De Filippo and Carmelo Bene, and began his career in cinema as a sound specialist. He debuted as a director in 1997 with Il figlio di Bakunin, followed the year after by Disamistade.His filmography is considered part of a literary and artistic “nouvelle vague” that includes elements of Sardinia’s grassroots indigenous film culture. Among his documentaries, notable are Passaggi di tempo and Faber in Sardegna. The Stuff of Dreams was awarded the 2017 David di Donatello for Best Screenplay and the 2017 Globo d’Oro as Best Feature.