an u
Spring 2018 - ISSUE XV
segmento.com.au
PRODUCERS OF LA ZONA I N G CHESHUNT, VA L L E YKING VALLEY, VICTORIA 251 UPPER KING RIVERKROAD, (03) 5729 8220 | INFO@CHRISMONT.COM.AU
CELLAR DOOR | RESTAURANT | LARDER | FUNCTIONS | GUEST HOUSE | WINE CLUB
V I S I T C H R I S M O N T. C O M . A U
CONTENT COVER STORY The ethical traveler Hayley J. Egan
Founder and Managing Director Daniele Curto daniele.curto@segmento.com.au 0418 891 285
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The two appraently distant worlds inhabited by Linda Jean Bruno
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Hayley J. Egan
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ENDORSMENT
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Beyond patterns and habits lurks a land to depict Elaine Bocchini
My big gay Italian wedding, an important message - Jytte Holmqvist
The red wine and the unexpected benefits of moderate drinking Agata Grimaldi Teatro alla Scala ballet company graces Brisbane for the very first time Jenna Lo Bianco
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In conversation with the ‘not’ Italian Susan Alberti Hayley J. Egan
Editor in Chief for Italy and China Elenoire Laudieri Di Biase elaudier@segmento.com.au Creative Consultant Imbarani Poonasamy Photographers Paco Matteo Li Calzi - Daniele Curto Ksenia Belova - Jonathan Di Maggio Giorgia Maselli For features, articles and editorial submissions: segmento@segmento.com.au For advertising equires please contact: marketing@segmento.com.au 0418 891 285 Graphic Artist Elaine Bocchini marketing@segmento.com.au
Put grandma in the freezer, a given crowd-pleaser - Jytte Holmqvist
Contributors
Dogman: Matteo Garrone’s successful return to noir - Jytte Holmqvist
REVIEWS 12 17
Cover photo credits Pixabay Translation Support Jenna Lo Bianco
Quartiere coffee: the sound of reggae all’italiana - Hayley J. Egan The genuinely uncomplicated ‘Pietro e Paolo’ - Nick Fabbri
DISCLAIMER The Editorial-Staff ensures that every details are correct at the time of printing, however the publisher accepts no responsibility for errors and inaccuracies.
Agata Grimaldi Laura D’Angelo Ilaria Gianfagna Archimede Fusillo Ivano Ercole Elizabeth Wisser Enrico Massei Gerardo Papalia Deirdre MacKenna Johnny Di Francesco Elenoire Laudieri Di Biase Omar D’Incecco Daniele Foti-Cuzzola Josie Gagliano Mariantonietta Rasulo Jenna Lo Bianco Bernadette Novembre Santo Buccheri Natalie Di Pasquale Elaine Bocchini Raffaele Caputo Lucia Valeria Alfieri Jytte Holmqvist
ISSUE XV
The challenge to keep the Italian language alive in our homes Jenna Lo Bianco
CINEMA The ambition that drives Lazzaro felice - Jytte Holmqvist
Guy Grossi’s ‘Garum’ brings Roman flavours to Perth Daniele Foti Cuzzola
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The two pigments found in fruits and vegetables that help us in being sharp and intelligent Agata Grimaldi
Associate Editor Ivano Ercole editor@segmento.com.au
DINNER, WINE & THEATRE, La commedia dei golosi
Saturday 20 October Italian 5-course traditional or vegan dinner with paired organic wines encompassing a unique theatrical performance by stage actor Fabio Motta Bookings & info: italianevents.com.au
a series of dinners dedicated to the Italian contemporary cuisine culture and lifestyle
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ITALIAN EVENTS food for thouths
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Hayley J. Egan
THE TWO APPARENTLY DISTANT WORLDS INHABITED BY LINDA JEAN BRUNO
Linda Jean Bruno was once told that if you want to do something well, you have to choose one thing, and stick with it. A piece of advice the actor/restaurateur has firmly rejected.
She has found that combining her passion for acting and the management of her family’s restaurant Zia Teresa has been advantageous to both careers. But how does she do it all? According to Linda Jean, it takes a lot of commitment and perseverance.
‘There was a time when I let people get into my head and convince me that acting is an unstable profession, but I don’t see it that way anymore. Creatively I was missing it.’ Bruno believes that as with any career, there is luck involved, but mostly its hard work and honesty that gets results. ‘In that way, running the restaurant has helped me with my acting business.’ She says.
Above and below Linda shooting photos at her restaurant Zia Teresa in Brunswick East, Melbourne Photo Dhyan Verco
‘For a long time I tried to keep the two worlds separate’ she says. ‘I thought that if I mentioned that I had a restaurant, people would think I wasn’t committed to acting, that I was unavailable… and vice versa. I wanted my team to know that I was there for them.’ Recently however, Linda Jean has come to recognise the important role the restaurant has played in her career as an actor. ‘I never look at a script and think: I don’t know who this character is. And that’s because I’ve seen so many characters coming
Linda playing the role of Gina in DZ Deathrays music video “Gina Works At Hearts” Photo Eye Sea Film
through the restaurant. It’s a wonderful lesson in humanity and psychology. I just love people, watching people, establishing relationships and I think that comes from a lifetime of being in hospitality.’
home for a large part of Melbourne’s Italian commu-
The honesty and humility that Linda Jean speaks
nity, with some regular customers remaining loyal for
of is reflected in Zia Teresa’s mouth-watering menu.
more than 30 years. When preparing the role of Car-
Her mother Teresa Bruno, remains, after more than
Bruno was recently cast in an Italian-speaking
mela, Linda Jean invited Italian women to the restau-
30 years, ‘the heart of the kitchen’ and specializes in
role as immigrant Carmela Colonna in an episode of
rant for linguistic support. ‘I just wanted to converse
regional rustic cuisine. ‘Everything is seasonal and
ABC’s The Doctor Blake Mysteries.
with them, and pick up some of their mannerisms.
organic’, Bruno explains. ‘When figs are out of season
What you get is a mix of a lot of different dialects in
for the Fichi Imprigionati , we use artichokes.’
I was lucky to work with an amazing female director, Fiona Banks on the episode’, Bruno says, ‘who really cared about the authenticity of the language and
one performance’, she laughs. Zia Teresa has been central to Linda Jean’s act-
The Gnocchi Quattro Formaggi, however, is never out of season, which is lucky for movie star Russell
who this woman was. I ended up playing her bigger
ing career from very early on. As a child she would
Crowe, who returned to the restaurant recently to
than the way she was written, inspired by all these
give performances in the restaurant, which remains
order the dish. He remembered it from over twen-
strong characters that I’ve met in my life.
faithful to the actor’s memories of the iconic Lygon
ty years ago, when the movie Proof was shot at Zia
St eatery.
Teresa.
My aunties, and the strength of my Mum and her loving relationship with my Dad.’ When it came to the character’s language, Linda
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Photo Dhyan Verco
‘There had been some changes, but I decided while
Just another seemingly serendipitous crossover
I was starting to looking after the restaurant, that I
of the world of film and television with that of the
Jean was nervous about the use of dialect. Despite
missed the idea of what it was when I was little, and
Brunswick East restaurant. Two worlds inhabited by
her family’s Calabrian heritage, she explains, standard
I brought it back to its rustic origins. (The restau-
Linda Jean Bruno, who isn’t giving up acting for hos-
Italian was always emphasised in their home and she
rant) works really well when we are being true to our
pitality, or vice versa, any time soon.
never learnt her family’s regional dialect. Luckily for
origins. People can really sense that honesty and they
Linda Jean, her restaurant Zia Teresa is a second
appreciate it.’
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ISSUE XV
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Elaine Bocchini
BEYOND PATTERNS AND HABITS LURKS A LAND TO DEPICT
Brian Reberger - Photo Daniele Curto
The first time he landed in Rome, he burst into tears of emotion. He was a recently graduated 23-year old. He’d bought his ticket to Italy with his meagre savings and he didn’t even know why he was going, but he went and fell in love.
A love that is renewed each time he goes back, as if he had lived there in a previous life and is simply going home. Born and educated in Australia, Brian Reberger can’t recall any specific reasons why he should have been so fascinated by Italy. It was as though Italy was calling him, and he answered. After this first trip, Italy became a dream to chase, a land to depict. The medium was chalk pastels and oil on canvas.
‘The moment in which you finish your artwork is the greatest moment. You step back, look at it and you feel grateful to have the gift to create something.’
Brian is modest and unpretentious. Pride is more what he feels. Sometimes he finds himself surprised by the outcome of his effort. ‘How could I have possibly done it? Can I do it again?’ he asks himself. ‘Probably not in the same way.’ All of Reberger’s pieces catch corners, moments, views of a country that he is, after more than 20 years, still eager to discover in its more intimate aspects. That’s the beauty of discovery; your receptors are wide open; your feelings and judgmental capabilities are not constrained within any boundaries created by habits and patterns. You are like a child, you see more, hear better, smell more accurately. And you produce your own, fresh, unprecedented perception of the reality you’re watching. If you are an artist, this is then when your creation becomes art.
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One of the many wonderful paintings’, Brian has created
Brian always starts from one of his photos. What is surprising is that he doesn’t follow a specific pattern. He doesn’t go out with the camera to catch the scene to depict, rather, when he needs inspiration, he starts looking into his entire photo collection. He might find inspiration from an image shot years before, something that at the time didn’t mean anything special, but now becomes relevant to express himself. A medium to communicate his vision to the world. The presence of human figures in all Brian’s artworks is never relevant. In some creations they might be more visible, in others completely absent. The scene is never represented in full details. Brian’s aim is to give a starting point for a reflection. He doesn’t seek to give the viewer any answers or strict interpretations, but he provides all the hints one needs to find theirs. There is a kind of open conversation between the artist and the owner, or the observer of the artwork. One can observe a different detail at every single viewing of Brian’s masterpieces, depending on mood, experience, or feeling.
Brian experimentig typographical techniques at Tipografia Grifani-Donati in Cittá di Castello, Umbria
The artist is currently working in black and white. Brian, whose first oeuvres were colourful and bright oils and pastels, is minimalizing his technique to increase the strength of the message. Recently he has added silver and gold leaf, reminiscent of the walls of Italian churches, from the Renaissance Italian painters like Bernini and Cellini. It’s a touch of Italy itself. The artist’s style is now more confidently minimalist. Less details, less colours, more emotions. The technique is not the only aspect that has changed in Brian’s work over the course of time. A milestone of change was, of course, the meeting of his partner 22 years ago. Alfredo is Italian and the desire to live in Italy shared by the couple since the beginning, gave Brian an even more effective push to get closer and go deeper into the Italian reality. Reberger’s creations capture the essence of the scene regardless of whether it is a panorama, a corner of a country village, a piazza or a monument. As an Italian, you immediately recognise the outline, and being able place the subject into its environment, you feel at once at home and wistful. ‘Stray from the beaten path. Leave behind patterns and habits. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, they are accidents that help you to improve. Don’t be afraid to get lost, because this is when you find more’. This is his credo. A philosophy that allows him to achieve the satisfaction of creation, the pleasure to produce masterpieces that don’t shade but complement the environment where they will be placed. Brian now divides his time between Australia and Umbria, where the artist gathers inspiration and creates his masterpieces to share with the Australian community.
Brian Reberger - Photo Daniele Curto
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So, get ready for the next exhibition with new and unreleased oeuvres: from the 29th to the 4th of December at Steps Gallery in Carlton. We will meet Brian there.
distribution
Italian food & products for the hospitality industry import
distribution service ph. 03.9408.0499 info@foodartdistribution.com.au www.foodartdistribution.com.au 7
Photo Pexels
Hayley J. Egan
THE ETHICAL TRAVELER For Australians concerned about their carbon footprint, a trip to Italy presents a few problems. The international flight alone is problematic in terms of environmental impact, so by the time you get there you’ve already got a debt to repay to mother earth.
Italy is also a mass-tourism destination, meaning that there is money to be made from our visits and every measure is taken to get us in and out as conveniently as possible! Unfortunately this means that some of the beautiful sites we go all that way to see are being destroyed by the masses. But what if, instead of contributing to its demise, we could leave Italy even better than we found it? Employing a few ethical travel habits could really make a difference, and leave you with some unexpected benefits. 1. Consider your transport options If you used air travel to get to Italy, your carbon footprint is already significant. Once you are there, though, there are plenty of green options for getting around. Take advantage of Italy’s trains. So they might not be on time, but who cares? You’re on holidays! Sit back and look out the window at the magic of Italy. Once you’re at your destination, consider hiring a bicycle. If pedalling to the top of the historic centro of your chosen town seems a bit daunting, why not make it an e-bike? There are plenty of these available for hire all over Italy.
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2. Be conscious of your accommodation choices For the adventurer on a budget, WOOFing and work exchange opportunities are many in Italy. This is a great opportunity to have a hands-on learning experience on an organic farm, and learn about the production of olive oil, wine, and much more. If manual labour isn’t part of your holiday plans, the Agriturismo (accommodation in an agricultural setting) is a travel concept that has been in practice in Italy for many years. When you choose this rural, often picturesque accommodation option, it means that instead of lining the pockets of a hotel chain, you are supplementing the income of an Italian farmer. You’ll be doing your bit to keep Italian food local and amazing, and you’ll have a more peaceful, authentic experience too!
3. Reduce your waste. Zero waste is a philosophy where the aim is to eliminate the rubbish we generate on a daily basis, the vast majority of which comes from food and product packaging. The movement is based on the 5 Rs. Refuse (unnecessary packaging), Re-use (whatever you can), Repair (instead of replacing) Rot (food waste to make compost) and Recycle (as a last resort). You probably don’t want to be thinking about making a compost heap during your Italian vacation, but the other steps are suprisingly easy if you come prepared. In Italy, wine, oil and beer on tap are readily available. It’s common to buy bottled water in Italy, Photo Pixabay
but there is no need to. The tap water is drinkable, a stainless steel water bottle is easy to rinse out and refill for free at public water fountains. If you prefer filtered mineral water, there are plenty of dispensers around where bottles can be refilled inexpensively. Most towns will have a weekly market, where unpackaged products can be placed directly into reusable produce bags. Bars and cafes (especially in beach kiosks and tourist areas) have begun to serve drinks in single use plastic cups. Take your keep cup and refuse the plastic.
A huge amount of plastic ends up in the landfill every day in Italy. In mass tourism areas in high season, council workers are unable to keep up with bin emptying, and a lot of waste is blown away, ending up in forests and beaches. Your contribution to the problem can be avoided with a small kit of reusable products that could fit into a small backpack. Consider taking: A keep cup, a pack of reusable produce Photo Pixabay
bags, a canvas tote, a stainless steel drink bottle, and a Tupperware container. 4. Learn to recycle- the Italian way!
Italy, and the Earth, will thank you for your ethical travel. But there are some other benefits to this type of travel. The first is that it requires more interaction with the people around you.
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Visit http://www.retezerowaste.it/ to learn more about Zero Waste in Italy.
Recycling is complicated in Italy! Recyclables are divided into vetro (glass), carta (paper), organico (Compost), metallo (Metal), and plastica (plastic). Everything else is indifferenziato.
Asking for a plastic-free lunch is a great way to practice your Italian and start a conversation with the locals! But if that doesn’t convince you, maybe this will: many of these suggested travel habits will save you some Euros. So why don’t you kick back with a glass of local wine and watch the sunset over the piazza for an extra couple of nights?
Photo Pixabay
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Agata Grimaldi
Guy Grossi at his new restaurant ‘Garum’ in Perth - Photo SHOTBYTHOM
Daniele Foti Cuzzola
GUY GROSSI’S ‘GARUM’ BRINGS ROMAN FLAVOURS TO PERTH
Celebrity chef and media personality Guy
When one thinks of Roman cuisine, dishes such
While Grossi will continue to travel between
as Pasta Cacio e Pepe and Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Perth and Melbourne to manage his restaurants
immediately come to mind. Few would immediate-
he has entrusted Mario Di Natale as Head Chef
ly think of Garum, the ancient Roman fish sauce for
at Garum. ‘Mario’s been with us for about eight
which Grossi’s Perth restaurant is named. But it is
Italian eateries that have shaped the gastronomi-
years and he’s been Head Chef of the Grill (at
Grossi’s ability to showcase both the well-known
cal landscape of Melbourne.
Grossi Fiorentino), and he’s done other projects
and more obscure Italian dishes in his established
with us. He’s a very capable young man and he
eateries that has made him one of Australia’s top
loves his food and he loves the approach of just
restaurateurs, and Garum is no exception.
fresh ingredients and local producers. I think it’s
Grossi is arguably Australia’s Godfather of Italian cuisine. Over 60 years ago, Grossi’s late father Pietro opened the first of a series of renowned
in good hands’. Guy Grossi’s extensive knowledge of authentic
Grossi describes Garum’s offerings as a combi-
Italian regional cuisine, along with his ability to put
nation of Classic Roman cuisine with some An-
his knowledge into practice, have put restaurants
cient Roman influence. ‘it’s not about bringing
Grossi Florentino and Merchant Osteria Veneta on
cuisine of Grossi Florentino and the dishes of his
Melbourne to Perth’, explains Grossi. ‘it’s about
the map. Grossi, the presenter of The Italian Food
mother’s birthplace Veneto at Merchant Osteria
highlighting and showcasing the great producers
Safari, has recently established the restaurant
Veneta, Grossi is yet to open a restaurant that
of Western Australia, the great ingredients here
Garum marking his first Australian venture outside
focuses on Southern Italian regional cuisine or his
and doing it through, I guess, a Roman eye’. Classic
of his native Melbourne. Located in Perth’s historic
late father’s Apulian heritage - but he hasn’t ruled
dishes on the menu include Bucatini all’Amatricana,
Hibernian Place as part of the new Westin Perth
it out.
Fettucine alla Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe, while
Hotel precinct, Garum pays homage to Roman
the ancient Roman influences seeps through in the
cuisine.
Garum and Colatura sauces, Pagnotta, (an Ancient
With the Roman flavours of Garum, the Tuscan
Roman shaped bread loaf) and offal. ‘Roman cookGrossi reveals it was the historic Hibernian Hall, where Garum is situated, that inspired him to pursue a Roman-themed restaurant. ‘The Old Hibernian Hall was built in 1902, and has a big connection to the Irish Catholic community and Roman Catholic community’, says Grossi. ‘Hibernian was the
ing has a special plate for offal and we’ve got the Vaccinara on at the moment which is with oxtail, sultanas, pine nuts and chocolate. We had some people going, ‘oh it won’t sell very well’ and we’ve gone, ‘you know what, we’ll give it a crack’. And it’s been selling well’, he says beaming.
name that the Ancient Romans called the Irish, so this place kept on giving me this bit of a Roman feel and it’s also very Italian in its architecture, so
through on the cocktail list, with Grossi’s personal
I thought ‘it’s a Roman restaurant’. I have always
favourite, the Posca. ‘It’s inspired by the Ancient
liked Roman food and because of the place and the
Romans who used to mix vinegar and give it to
concept and how it all evolved, I think it’s a really
their soldiers. It was their drink, so we created it as
nice way to just have an Italian restaurant that is
a little cocktail and it’s really refreshing’, he says.
really specialised’.
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The ancient Roman emphasis even seeps
‘My father was from Puglia, so you know I have an affiliation with the food there…I really love the food of the South. There are no plans at the moment but that is something that I think would work really well’.
In addition to running a string of highly successful restaurants, Grossi has also shared his extensive knowledge of Italian cuisine on a number of television programs including Italian Food Safari and My Kitchen Rules, and has also penned a series of successful cookbooks including Love Italy and Recipes from My Mother’s Kitchen. While the popular chef remained tight-lipped about any future television projects, he is launching a new cookbook that focuses on another of his Melbourne establishments, The Cellar Bar. ‘Cellar Bar in Melbourne has a more broader sort of type of Italian cooking. It’s mainly focused on pasta, so pasta is from many regions’. The book which is due out in October boasts 80 authentic Italian recipes from the Melbourne hotspot.
For someone who has been surrounded by the hospitality industry all his life, Grossi seems just as passionate as ever. When asked what continues to inspire him in the kitchen, he responds,
‘Working with great professionals and people that enjoy quality, and that whole aspect of doing something that pleases other people delivering hospitality and delighting people’.
Grossi believes it’s an exciting time in the hospitality industry where patrons Australia wide are showing a renewed interest in food and cooking marking an exciting time for Australia’s gastronomical landscape.
‘People are definitely more interested as time goes on. I think we’ve become a very busy society at some point and I think people sort of stopped worrying about cooking and moved away from the family table.
But I think the whole country has really shown that there’s a push back towards, great food. Once upon a time, people didn’t have time for it, whereas now people are making time for it”.
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Guy Grossi with Mario Di Natale, Head Chef at ‘Garum’ - Photo SHOTBYTHOM
View of ‘Garum’ restaurant‘ - Photo SHOTBYTHOM
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Agata Grimaldi
THE RED WINE AND THE UNEXPECTED BENEFITS OF MODERATE DRINKING Several studies confirm that drinking wine in moderation benefits brain and its functions. In particular, it protects the brain from memory loss, dementia and cognitive decline. In a study which involved more than 365,000 participants,
In Anglo-Saxon countries, the guidelines are: one glass for women, two for men. Despite the fact that the definition of moderate drinking is still unclear, we know that a regular moderate consumption of wine has neuroprotective benefits, the excess of it have neurodegenerative consequences.
the risk of experiencing memory problems, dementia, or Alzheimer’s diseases was reduced by 23% by drinking wine in moderation. (Loyola University Health System. “Moderate drinking may protect against Alzheimer’s and cognitive impairment, study suggests.” ScienceDaily, 19 August 2011)
But, what does ‘drinking in moderation’ mean?
Anyway, the reasons why wine, and alcohol in general, in moderation is beneficial, are not clear. Most researchers believe that it’s due to the anti-inflammatory action of antioxidants.
Wine is a very complex beverage, containing a large number of compounds and antioxidants, includ-
On the Greek island of Ikaria, most people even into
ing phenolics. Scientists at the University of Reading
their nineties, drink between two and four glasses of
have proven that phenolics can benefits spatial mem-
red wine each day. In other countries, that would be
ory, the part of memory responsible for recording
considered alcoholism.
information about one’s environment and orientation. Photo Pexels
In particular, the phenolic compounds intervene by modulating the signals within two regions of the brain, hippocampus and cortex. These two regions are also responsible for learning. Other compounds that empower the brain are quercetin and resveratrol. These two antioxidants have neuroprotective benefits against ischemia, poor blood flow, oxidative stress, and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Red wine in particular plays an important role in the
The benefit of moderate consumption of wine,
diet of people in most of Blue Zone, pockets of lands
especially when associated with a social environ-
with the highest percentage of centenarians, such as
ment and the presence of good food, impact also the
Ikaria, Loma Linda in California, and Barbagia region
neurotransmitters. responsible for de-stressing and
of Sardinia.
relaxation. Alcohol in general increases temporarily GABA, a calming neurotransmitter, which instructs the brain to relax. Everyone has heard the jokes about stress turning hair gray, apart from that, chronic stress could shorten our life span. In fact, according to new research, stress damages our DNA. When the DNA is affected, informations on how to behave could be wrongly sent to cells. This means that the cells could reproduce incorrectly and open the doors to cancer and other life-shortening diseases.
Review
Photo Daniele Curto
Research suggests that having a circle of friends and connecting with them on a regular basis leads to a longer life and keeps the brain engaged. Sharing interests, and simply taking care of other people gives a sense of purpose, increases happiness and reduces stress. So, if you want to reach 100, apart from consuming beans, greens, nuts, olive oil and whole grains, keeping the portions of meat and processed food small, invite your buddies to hang out at happy hour.
QUARTIERE COFFEE – THE SOUND OF REGGAE ALL’ITALIANA by Hayley J. Egan
Quartiere Coffee band At centre stage of Italy’s reggae scene is a Tuscan group called Quartiere Coffee, its name a tribute to the coffee shops of Amsterdam, and its members united by a love of Reggae and Rastafarian culture that goes back to their school days. The group has been recognised as one of the strongest groups in the Italian Reggae genre, earning points for its fresh, European sound, as well as the representation of the Reggae genre throughout time, including elements of Roots, Dancehall and Rocksteady genres. The 2017 album ‘Conscience’, in fact is a nod to each of these subgenres and is enriched by several collaborations that diversify the album’s sound. ‘Hey Girl’ featuring fellow Italian Reggae artist Mistilla, is a cheerful, cheeky ska track about a bickering couple, where Mistilla’s husky vocals shine and the horn section challenges the listener to stay in their seat.
The title track ‘Conscience’ is another gem. The track has a laid-back feel (it’s Reggae!) and Quartiere Coffee’s singer Rootsman shares the mic with Sardinian singer RootsmanI, whose toasting (that’s Jamaica’s answer to Rap) is second to none. The message is clear and it’s distinctly Reggae. ‘Clean up your conscience’. The group finally fulfils the long-held aspiration of a Jamaican collaboration on track 4, ‘Illusion’ where Utan Green makes an appearance. The track slows it down with a nod to the roots era, but the additions of sampling and autotune, give the genre that new European sound that Quartiere Coffee have made their own. There’s something about Reggae that really does make you feel that every little thing’s gonna be alright. Quartiere Coffee’s ‘Conscience’ is no exception. This album contains all the good Caribbean vibes of the genre, but Quartiere Coffee bring something else to the table. There is something about the sound that transports the listener to a summer festival. It’s the sexy but cheerful sound of a beach party, of lunch with wine in the sun. It’s the sound of Reggae all’Italiana.
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La Scala Ballet - Don Quixote - Photo Marco Brescia and Rudy Amisano
Jenna Lo Bianco
TEATRO ALLA SCALA BALLET COMPANY GRACES BRISBANE FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME I was just 15 years old when I first stumbled into La Scala opera house in Milan. Truth be told, I had lost my way from the outstretched corridors of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and was in search of directions – no romantic story here at all. After having been distracted by the statue of Leonardo da Vinci sitting proud and tall in Piazza della Scala, I walked into the first building I could find.
With the name comes a legacy of quality and excellence, steeped in tradition and history. To know the work of La Scala is to know world-class performance.
Little did I know I had found La Scala by accident. To be honest, it was quite an unassuming building – it looked like so many other palazzi that line the streets of Italy’s major cities. Nothing about it screamed ‘Come one! Come all! Come visit one of the world’s greatest opera houses!’ As I entered the lobby I was quickly intercepted by a custodian who jumped at the opportunity to stop me in my tracks. Dumbfounded that I didn’t know where I was, he immediately took it upon himself to show me inside the theatre. I remember gasping loudly as we entered the famous theatre hall, leaving the drab grey tones of Milan and its concrete jungle behind us. It suddenly hit me. I knew perfectly where I had ended up. And it was all mine! I was overwhelmed by the size, the grandeur. A burst of light and colour erupted and corrupted my senses. My eyes needed a moment to adjust to the confusion of gold and red…and then, I looked up. I have never felt as small, drab and insignificant as I did in that moment.
The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) initiated its ‘International Series’ in 2009, bringing the world’s best and brightest performing arts companies to Brisbane. The International Series has seen the likes of the Bolshoi Ballet, the American Ballet Theatre and The Royal Ballet grace Brisbane with their greatness. And that’s just naming a few! Now it’s La Scala’s turn to show Australia how it’s done – and I promise you, you won’t be disappointed.
La Scala, which opened in 1778, is arguably one of the world’s most iconic creative spaces. Boasting a capacity of over 2000, this truly is the place to see and be seen. La Scala is exceptionally versatile in the creative endeavours it brings to its audiences: theatre, ballet, opera, concerts, symphonies and recitals.
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Now, I am no aficionado when it comes to such creative pursuits – I do after all have two left feet - however, I do know beauty and skill when I see it. For those of you who have never met, allow me to introduce you to the Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company. And guess what? It’s coming to visit us ‘Down Under’ for the very first time.
QPAC and the Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company are proud to present a Brisbane-only season of Giselle and Don Quixote in November.
This incredible series is brought to you by the Teatro alla Scala’s Principal Dancers, Nicoletta Manni and Claudio Coviello, alongside an enviable lineup of guest artists. Expect to see Principal Dancer of the American Ballet Theatre, David Hallberg, and Leonid Sarafanov, Principal Dancer at Mikhailovsky Theatre - and that’s just the beginning. Giselle is a beautifully haunting tale of love, joy and despair. The narrative unfolds revealing two contrasting worlds – a sunny happy world, set against a dark gloomy kingdom.
It is in this milieu that the characters, Giselle and Prince Albrecht, exist. The choreography requires significant shifts in expression and technique from the artists, as the characters ebb and flow between the two experiences. Presented in this QPAC International Series is the original Jean Coralli – Jules Perrot choreography, first performed by French prima ballerina Yvette Chauviré in 1950 at La Scala. This rendition is so beloved by Teatro alla Scala that it is presented in memory of the late Chauviré.
La Scala Ballet - Giselle Photo Marco Brescia and Rudy Amisano
Don Quixote is a far stretch from Giselle, both in spirit and pace. The performance takes place in Spain, and is a colourful frolicking adventure complete with matadors and gypsies. It’s a story of friendship and adventures, both in love and war, and is based on the novel Don Quixote de la Macha by Miguel de Cervantes. The presented performance is that of Rudolf Nureyev, which marks the 25th anniversary of his death, and the 80th anniversary of his birth. His performances and choreography remain so cherished by La Scala and audiences the world over, that it is presented true to the 1966 version which premiered at the Vienna Opera Ballet. Beyond the artists, dancers, sets and costumes lies one other crucial element, rendering this a truly once in a lifetime opportunity: the live music. Performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra in spectacular fashion, the original scores by Ludwig Minkus (Don Quixote) and Adolphe Adam (Giselle) are truly brought to life on the stage. This blend of the ‘local’ and ‘foreign’ is what makes the QPAC International Series such a revered program, and such a unique artistic experience for performers and audiences alike.
La Scala Ballet - Don Quixote - Photo Marco Brescia and Rudy Amisano
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The QPAC International Series season of Teatro alla Scala is not simply a nod to artistic tradition and skill, it’s a celebration of Italian talent and passion for the arts. Experiences such as this stand to represent just how powerfully Italian culture can transcend ‘the expected’, and delight and surprise in new and profound ways. For many of us, this will be the closest we ever get to experiencing work of La Scala in the flesh, let alone its principal dancers and guest artists. Catch this incredible season while you can, as it will be gone before you know it.
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Hayley J. Egan
IN CONVERSATION WITH THE ‘NOT’ ITALIAN SUSAN ALBERTI Melbourne businesswoman and philanthropist Susan Alberti is not Italian, but she delights in being mistaken for a native speaker. ‘I feel good when I speak in Italian and they respond, and they think I’m Italian. That’s how you know you’re doing it right’, she says.
She makes clear that her aim is to see equality in sport rise, not through force, but through education, where men and women’s teams compliment each other, and everyone benefits. So how has Susan managed as a woman in the male-dominated worlds of finance, business and sport? Her inspiration comes from an unlikely role model. Angelo’s mother Giorgia immigrated to Australia from Friuli after Susan and Angelo were married, and Susan formed a warm and lasting relationship with her mother-in-law. Giorgia was, as Susan puts it, a born businesswoman and entrepreneurial spirit, surviving as a widow in post-war Italy by growing vegetables to barter within the village and feed her three children.
Susan learnt the language from her late husband Angelo Alberti, an Italian migrant who arrived in Melbourne at the age of 19. ‘Smart, kind, firey, patriotic, and a great provider’, is how Susan describes Angelo. She tells of his arrival in Australia, the way he ‘worked like a dog’ as a tradesman, and eventually, after losing an eye in horrific work accident, became an entrepreneur. Susan worked side by side with her late husband until he was killed in a road accident in 1995.
Susan, when reflecting on her embracing of the Italian culture, (including the mastering of a mean ravioli con ragù!), credits her relationship with Giorgia. ‘It was about my desire to say “Welcome to Australia”, she says. Impressed by her family’s efforts to assimilate (Angelo became an Australian citizen months after their marriage), Susan felt that it was up to her to reciprocate, adapting aspects of the Italian culture and making them a part of her way of life.
That’s when Susan took over their business entirely, and became responsible for over 300 employees. As far as business goes, there’s only one way to do it, according to Susan: The Italian way.
‘We’ve always treated our employees like family’, she says. ‘It works. My door is always open. If there’s a problem, my employees come and see me. We’re Team players. I’m only as good as the team around me.’
Her other passion is AFL. Former vice-president of the Western Bulldogs, Susan is known for her generous contributions providing opportunities for women in the sport.
To Susan, these passions are interconnected. ‘Women represented in sport means that little girls are turning up to games with their favourite female player’s number on their backs’, She explains. ‘Girls are training alongside boys at Aus-kick, and we are seeing more families at the stadium.’ This is all part of Susan’s plan, as she is concerned by the number of children in Melbourne who are suffering from obesity, a dangerous precursor to type 2 diabetes, different from the disease Danielle suffered from, Susan explains, but also a serious health issue.
Review
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Susan has known immense tragedy. In 2001, she lost her daughter Danielle to complications from her type 1 diabetes diagnosis, the disease to which her philanthropy is now largely directed. Susan now chairs the Susan Alberti Medical Research Foundation, dedicated to fundraising for health awareness and medical research.
Nowadays she has numerous trips to Italy under her belt, and says she has always felt at home in her adopted country. Back home she remains a part of the Italian community, speaking at various functions and enjoying any opportunity to practice her language skills, now that her main confidante, Giorgia, has passed away. ‘At these events I’ll get talking to people, like the musician from the band, and they’ll ask, “Sei Italiana?”, Susan recounts. Her response sums up her relationship with Italy. ‘I’m proud to say “No I’m not, but I speak your language. And I love your country.”
Susan Alberti Medical Research Foundation is dedicated to raising money for medical research and other worthy causes, through a series of annual fundraising events. DONATE - www.susanalbertifoundation.org.au
Calamari Sant’ Andrea Photo Daniele Curto
THE GENUINELY UNCOMPLICATED ‘PIETRO E PAOLO’ by Nick Fabbri Everything about Pietro e Paolo – a busy but unassuming Italian restaurant in Montague St, South Melbourne – relates back to family. Run by Andrea Mantese and his partner Kellie, and attended by genial and attentive staff, the restaurant has the nostalgic feel of an Italian grandmother’s home. Situated next to the bluestone of St Peter and Paul’s
church, Pietro e Paolo is set in a converted school hall with red-brick terracotta, replete with an expansive, almost Tuscan outdoor area perfect for taking in the summer sun while enjoying some of the best Italian cuisine in Melbourne. The menu is tastefully drawn up in chalk on a blackboard, its dishes and ingredients changing to reflect the seasons and availability from suppliers. The food and coffee are exquisite: wholesome, uncomplicated and constructed with only the freshest produce. This ‘unfussiness’ is what typifies the menu at Pietro e Paolo. Beginning with an entrée of their signature dish – ‘Calamari Sant Andrea’ – one marvels at the depths of flavour and texture able to be evoked from lightly battered calamari on a bed of rocket with a reduced balsamic dressing. Complementing this is a stunning apple fennel salad with an invigorating mint and lemon dressing. The artisanal bread and pastries are made fresh daily by Andrea, who began his career as a pastry chef and baker.
Pietro & Paolo restaurant - Photo Daniele Curto
The bread is some of the best in Melbourne, with a crisp and smoky exterior giving way to a soft and fleshy crumb. For mains, one can’t go past the tagliatelle con
funghi, which is comprised of parmesan, parsley, and freshly-picked pine mushrooms with a rich, woody taste. Due to its small kitchen and invariably strong demand from customers, service is often slow, which can make one’s dining experience frustrating given how dissimilar it is to other Melbourne eateries. The dining room is cavernous and can feel cold and draughty in winter. However, none of this detracts from the overwhelmingly positive experience of dining at Pietro e Paolo, which is rightly a favourite of the South Melbourne community, and which ought to be more widely celebrated amongst Melbourne’s culinary scene.
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Jenna Lo Bianco
THE CHALLENGE TO KEEP THE ITALIAN LANGUAGE ALIVE IN OUR HOMES I recently found myself at a checkout with my crying 10-week-old son. I spoke to the cashier in English then tended to my son in Italian, soothing him and using diminutive Italian forms of his name. The customer waiting behind me in the queue looked at me quizzically. As I walked away from the scenario I wondered if shifting between languages depending on the situation and audience is such an odd thing. Perhaps, to that lady, it was. Code switching is the name of the game: alternating between languages to suit the context and purpose of the exchange. I find myself doing this all day long. It’s a conscious active process, as I attempt to surround and immerse my son in as much Italian as possible. What we are aiming for is a bilingual child, raised in a bilingual home. ‘But he’s only 10 weeks old! What could he possibly be absorbing and understanding at this age?’ The answer: lots. The execution: challenging. Australia’s multi-cultural background is the ultimate playing ground for the establishment and maintenance of heritage and community languages at home. This is certainly the case for Italian. The post-WWII Italian migrants provided the first significant shift in the acceptance of Italian as a community language in Australia. The dialects of these migrants began the first chain reaction of Italian being spoken in the home, passed on from generation to generation. Italian speaking households in Australia are still extremely common, despite the fact that we have moved into the third generation of Italian-Australians. It’s logical to expect that the further away we move from the migrant generation, the more diluted the Italian experience will become. Irrespective of this, we haven’t completely moved away from the world of Italian dialects spoken at home with ‘i nonni, mamma e papà’. Thanks to the most recent wave of young Italian migrants, which has already proven to be greater than that of the post-War period, we are still speaking lots of Italian in Australian homes. But how does one go about creating bilingual experiences in the home? Is it feasible? Time consuming? What’s the reality? It depends on many factors. What we know is that the younger you start, the greater the outcome and the easier the transition will be for the child. As language cognition develops in the brain, children are more readily able to absorb and process what they hear and experience around them. As we have often heard, their minds are like sponges. Before you can start the process of providing bilingual experiences in the home consider the kind of outcome you are hoping for. Are you hoping for the child to know key terms and vocabulary they can ‘insert’ into their daily English lives? – latte, acqua, grazie, prego, nonno/nonna; or is the goal greater fluency and the ability to converse in both Italian and English? Both are indeed enriching experiences, though the latter requires more exposure to the language, consistency and thoughtful consideration. Put quite simply: the greater the target language input, the greater the target language output. It’s very challenging, both in purpose and resourcing, to maintain that consistent input, but the effort is worth the time and energy. Bilingual households come in all shapes and sizes: heritage speakers; native speakers; speakers who have learned the language through study; speakers who don’t speak the language, but their partner does; grandparents and great-grand parents who care for children, and so on. It may be that the child is exposed to one language via one parent or guardian, and the other provides the English exposure. Irrespective of the situation, exposure of any kind is a wonderful gift to provide that child. The Victorian Government’s ‘Speak the language you know best’ campaign speaks volumes on this matter:
Photo Jenna Lo Bianco
the first school in Victoria to offer a bilingual education IN ITALIAN
“English is important, but it is also important for children to learn their parents’ language. Your child will learn English faster if you speak, read and write with them in the language you know best – your home language. Speaking two or more languages will make your child a better thinker and communicator, giving them advantages at school and in life.” - Department of Education and Training, 2017.
Language and culture are so deeply connected that they cannot be separated. Knowledge of languages broadens the mind and provides scope for cultural understanding and tolerance. English Psycholinguist Frank Smith said: “Language is not a genetic gift, it is a social gift. Learning a new language is becoming a member of the club – the community of speakers of that language.” Providing Italian bilingual experiences is the best way for us to ensure a continued presence of spoken Italian in our homes, as well as keeping Italian culture alive and well on Australian soil.
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Cinema
SPECIALE LAVAZZA ITALIAN FILM FESTIVAL 2018 See our film analyst Jytte Holmqvist’s review of four of the most awarded movies
THE AMBITION THAT DRIVES LAZZARO FELICE place, all uncertain of what the future holds and scraping by hand-to-mouth. Lazzaro, who everyone believes has died, reappears in a Christlike disguise, adding further surreality to the story as we learn from real news extracts referred to by the characters, how the L’Inviolata farmhands had been exploited by their former patrons or bosses, where the Marchesa Alfonsina de Luna, or in more colloquial terms “The Queen of Cigarettes”, proves the most notoriously exploitative and ruthless of them all.
Lazzaro felice (Happy as Lazzaro) is a cinematic feat that spans across time and place and is rich in complexity. Winner of Best Screenplay at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and starring director Alice Rohrwacher’s sister as one of the supporting characters most instrumental for the development of the second part of the narrative, the film ambitiously tells the tale of a rural community and the ordeals its members are subjected to over the years. Hard to box into a specific genre, Lazzaro felice is initially set in a pastoral landscape in the village L’Inviolata (the etymological irony of the name becomes apparent when we later discover that the villagers in focus are anything but “inviolable”, “uninjured”, or “unhurt” ). Scenes and images are peaceful and appealing at first sight. As the story unfolds, however, a deeper social message becomes apparent and gone is the idyll that greeted us at the beginning of the movie, when cracks are starting to show in the seemingly perfect façade. Young and hardworking Lazzaro, a kind and almost otherworldly man who displays a number of positive traits, steps forth as the innocent protagonist, ever servile and helpful towards others, with big eyes and an open face that expresses benevolence and a caring attitude. He develops an unlikely friendship with blond, ethereal-looking young nobleman Tancredi, of higher social ranking and standing and yet the two connect and draw mutual pleasure from being in each other’s company. A turn of events triggered by Lazzaro tumbling off a cliff as if pushed by a larger force, whereby he is accompanied by a silent wolf in surreal scenes where Lazzaro lies surrounded by nature in an apparently comatose state, takes us from Italian idyll to a sudden utopian/ dystopian urban environment. Through powerful scenes and images the film gains complexity and with that it becomes more interesting and multifaceted as the story enters its second and final lengthy half.
A scene in which we witness members of the former L’Inviolata rural community make their way on foot towards the city against the backdrop of a vast open landscape could be viewed as symbolic of physical refugee movements with people displaced, shuffling their bodies from the place they used to call home to an uncertain destination. The postmodern “hunter’s utopia” that Zygmunt Bauman talks of is useful as a metaphor by which to define Rohrwacher’s characters as they push on steadily, some of them young and able, others old and spurred on by the strength of the younger, all hunting for a new life in a new
The story goes from pastoral tale to refugee narrative, to an urban utopia that is in reality a dystopia and where an ageless Lazzaro reunites with his former fellow villagers, their new home a decrepit silo located next to a railway track. And all along Lazzaro is like an empty vessel seemingly without a real personality of his own, impressionable and apparently naïve (or is it saintly innocence?), supposedly shaped by new experiences coming his way although he never really seems to change that much nor does he age. Everyone else does, including the very Tancredi, found by Lazzaro during one of his urban explorations, and by now a man in his late 50’s or so it appears. In the meantime, Lazzaro defies aging in a film which itself defies normal conventions relating to time and space. Slow-moving and drawn out in its first part, Lazzaro felice is a very ambitious project that grows more interesting and engaging as the almost impossible story unfolds. The viewer is left impressed yet with the lingering task of figuring out what they had just been watching while having to recall different scenes from the movie and connecting the dots, with Lazzaro himself eventually becoming one with the wolf that is his alter ego. Rohrwacher’s film is both an intellectual achievement and a narrative masterpiece which demands the viewer’s full and undivided attention from beginning to end.
PUT GRANDMA IN THE FREEZER A GIVEN CROWD-PLEASER Nastro d’Argento award-nominated black comedy Put Grandma in the Freezer (Metti la nonna in freezer, 2018), codirected by Giancarlo Fontana and Giuseppe G. Stasi, is one of the highlights in this year’s Lavazza Film Festival. The film displays all the attributes required to make it a commercial and audience success: a sleek and impressive cinematography with an immediately captivating opening credits scene that is as stylish as any Bond movie (Valerio Azzali has done a terrific job experimenting with different cinematic angles and perspectives, with his high-angle shots and dissolves the most impactful and impressive), regular close-ups Almodóvar style, stark colour schemes, a dynamic plot, quick, witty and engaging dialogues, constant absurd and farcical moments that spice up the script effectively played out on screen, and references to current politics – with a brief yet telling commentary on Trump which firmly inserts the narrative into our fragmented and unpredictable present. Focusing on two characters, in particular, who become an unlikely duo driving the story on, Put Grandma in the Freezer additionally contains a number of secondary characters also conducive to the plot development. Still, the real protagonist in this highly entertaining movie, is – as the title suggests – a dead woman, Nonna Brigit, her body at least temporarily hidden in a freezer by her granddaughter Claudia (Miriam Leone) who keeps cashing in incoming retirement checks, thereby managing to fool the system and to herself stay alive after the system itself has stuffed her around by delaying payment for one of her recent government projects. The female corpse glistening by ice is removed from the freezer at appropriate times, plonked down next to characters that are all the more alive and kicking, and put on full display; allowing for the dead to physically accompany the living (Claudia’s staff are accomplices to the crime and receive their share of the retirement money).
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When tax police officer or “guardia di finanza” Simone Recchia (Fabio de Luigi) starts smelling a rat – when he enters Claudia’s home the semi-thawed corpse leaves behind a trail of water that reveals the real situation, the freezer leaks suspiciously, etc. – there is mounting visual evidence against the women and their collective fraud yet a clever twist in the plot changes the narrative development. Put Grandma in the Freezer apparently draws specific inspiration from Pedro Almodóvar’s Volver (2006), which similarly revolves around a corpse stuffed into a freezer (in this film an abusive husband is effectively killed off by his wife armed with a kitchen knife, in one of the very opening scenes of the movie whereby the dead body becomes a silent witness to the absurd turn
of events to come – from inside the freezer). Inspired also by Almodovarean pastiche by the look of it, Put Grandma in the Freezer, too, draws from different genres, ranging from thriller to melodrama, farce and black comedy. The story is a cocktail containing regular elements of suspense, an odd and rather unexpected love story between the female lead character and the – at least initially – easily seduced tax agent, and a number of clever twists and turns that keep us entertained from beginning to end. The final scene opening up to further financial opportunities for the protagonists, this comedy is sure to give Melbourne audiences their money’s worth.
DOGMAN - MATTEO GARRONE’S SUCCESSFUL RETURN TO NOIR Attention-grabbing and non-conventional Dogman (2018) by Matteo Garrone is one of the films included under Special Presentations in this year’s Lavazza Italian Film Festival, and rightly so. Winner of a Cannes Award for Best Actor - awarded Marcello Fonte for his performance starring as a character with the same name ̶ Garrone’s film is sleek, rich in noir-like images presented in muted and drab colour schemes, with external scenes from a location in southern Italy that often seems as if taken from a poster-like, still Edward Hopper-painting ̶ screened images that are equally flat and void of depth. Set in a desolate no-man’s-land in the outskirts of Naples, or what Deborah Young calls “Gomorrah country” or the “Camorra-ridden hinterlands around Naples” , Dogman follows the (low)life of odd-looking but kind-hearted antihero turned involuntary criminal Marcello - superbly played by Fonte whose often expressionless poker face reflects a downtrodden man’s quiet resilience in the face of sudden adversity - and there are plenty of things that go wrong in his life. Marcello gets by as a dog groomer and accommodates a number of cherished pets in his own home; a makeshift space shared by dogs and a caretaking Marcello in equal measure. The roll-up aluminium door that temporarily shelters Marcello and animals from any potential threat from outside - with hostility lurking in the shadows outside - separates his humble hovel of a home where dark puddles fill the clayey cavities in the ground outside the shabby houses in this area of town, from the fancier looking buildings envisaged along the horizon only a stone’s throw away. Opposite Marcello’s tiny and rather scruffy looking abode in this non-descript place, buzzing cars smoothly make their way through the street, zigzagging their way around the corner while headed for some undefined destination. Almost femininely doe-eyed although in a rather unappealing sense, naïve-looking 40-something Marcello (Fonte’s angular face lends itself perfectly to a character who seems to have stepped out of a cubistic Picasso painting) is a scrawny and sinewy little man who goes about his days harmlessly enough until we realise he is being taken advantage of by criminal brutes in the neighbourhood, time and time again, and that he gets personally dragged into their shady business. Every time they approach him he ends up offering a sense of relief to a precarious situation. His own life uncertain enough, Marcello is initially thrown into trouble when in one of the very first scenes of the movie a couple of unscrupulous criminals force criminals force Marcello to act as driver as they brutally ransack an apartment in one of the fancier areas of town then quickly head back to where they came from, after having effectively shut the family pet up by stuffing it into the freezer and leaving it there. Bragging about their cruel “feat”, the thugs soon let Marcello in on their secret.
The scene where Marcello nurses injured brute Simone a heartless and manipulative man played by a superb Edoardo Pesce who is here again cast in a role where his character displays a number of unappealing traits ̶ at Simone’s mother’s home after he has been shot by a passing-by driver in full flight, is priceless and wildly entertaining. The elderly Italian woman initially expresses concern for her Hulk-look-alike son but when she discovers Simone is still engaged in cocaine-sniffing habits she explodes and delivers a series of scolding remarks, her maternal tenderness gone in an instance. Stereotypically represented, the woman effectively symbolises the epitome of the Italian “mama”, filled with compassion for her son only to in the next moment explode in a fit of rage when she learns of his drug wheeling and dealing and feels that he has betrayed her trust.
He later returns alone, scaling facades to reach the apartment reduced to a chaotic state, finds the tiny dog stiff in the freezer (a collective gasp is heard through the audience as we witness this absurd chain of events), thaws it up and in a matter of seconds skilfully manages to nurse it back to life while whispering sweet nothings into the dog’s ears. An odd-looking man who tries to get by on his own terms, Marcello is portrayed as a solitary individual, seemingly destined to live alone without a family of his own. His life is lead in what comes across as a surreal parallel universe to the vibrant, happening Italy that often forms the backdrop to contemporary narratives depicting Italian towns and cities as dynamic and full of life and often focusing on the tourist aspects of the country today. And yet, it turns out Marcello has produced an offspring after all: into Garrone’s unconventional narrative steps Marcello’s young daughter, fruit of his previous relationship with a woman depicted only in passing. While Garrone chooses only to momentarily linger on the relationship between father and daughter, it is clear the two enjoy a close bond and that Marcello makes the most of every moment spent with his child of whom he shares custody. Their effortless interaction forms a subplot running parallel to the main story although in the bigger scheme of things this secondary narrative could possibly have been done away with altogether. In saying that, it adds a sense of tenderness to a film where the males stepping forth as Marcello’s “mates” are portrayed as depthless and rather comical stock characters.
The story unfolds quickly, each scene captivates, and the shots are cinematographically stylish and oddly appealing. Marcello is taken on a shaky journey from a safe and predictable everyday existence where he is appreciated by pet-owning clients who stream into the premises and leave their furry friends in his care, to a sudden situation where he finds himself an involuntary accomplice to crime. Serving a one-year prison sentence after refusing to turn Simone in after the latter has violently broken into a neighbouring store, using Marcello to assist him, Marcello returns to his dilapidated home a changed man by the look of it. The narrative turns from here, with Marcello cleverly gaining the upper hand in his toxic friendship with Simone and taking his sweet revenge in response to past injustices. In scenes that seem to borrow elements from both Kill Bill (2003 and 2004) and No Country for Old Men (2007), Marcello drags a fallen Goliath into the vast nothingness that is the abstract shooting location in Garrone’s film. And yet, the men’s almost symbiotic relationship again becomes apparent in final scenes where Marcello returns to his neighbourhood bringing severely scorched burn victim Simone with him as a trophy in the hope that he may gain respect from neighbours who have all turned on him. An open-ended dark tale finishes here. The film is hopeless in feel with final images drenched in equally drab colours as those in the opening scenes. A circular narrative provides us with no conclusions as we witness how Marcello is now both physically isolated and psychologically alienated and ostracized by members of his local community. And still, the lingering sense of despair which Marcello himself seems to accept stoically and in a matter of fact manner, perfectly summarises Garrone’s successful return to noir in a film shot in 2018.
MY BIG GAY ITALIAN WEDDING AN IMPORTANT MESSAGE Alessandro Genovesi’s Italian box office success Puoi baciare lo sposo (2018) translated into English as My Big Gay Italian Wedding (Zwick’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding inevitably springs to mind as a similar title to draw from but Genovesi’s film is based on the long-running Broadway hit by Anthony Wilkinson) is a light-hearted, feelgood comedy which despite its initial somewhat cringeworthy sentimentality builds nicely and is bound to leave audiences entertained and exiting the cinema with a smile on their lips. Embracing homosexuality and same-sex marriage, as well as transvestism as alternative preferences to the norm, the more we delve into Genovesi’s visual narrative, screened at the Seattle International Film Festival earlier this year, the more we realise how current and valuable this film is – at a time defined by its inherent fluidity and where sexuality is expressed in multiple ways, with gay love becoming increasing fearlessly exhibited and gay marriage accepted also in countries that used to be hesitant and even rejective of homosexual gender and identity expressions, including Italy which is steeped in a conservative Catholic tradition (and which, only last year, saw the release of another film exploring a similar topic albeit in a rather more elegant and subtle manner, Luca Guadagnino’s superb Chiamami col tuo nome).
My Big Gay Italian Wedding opens with lead character Antonio (played by a smooth Cristiano Caccamo) expressing his love for his male partner Paolo (Salvatore Esposito). Antonio’s is the only face initially in focus as we watch him openly recall the first time he was approached by Paolo, verbalising his feelings while he takes
us down memory lane. Antonio’s open declaration of love and affection for Paolo soon leads to marriage proposal which is when Paolo first enters the scene, the camera zooming in on his moved facial expression. From here on we get to know a quartet of friends (including Paolo’s exuberant female flatmate and an older Italian eccentric whose crossdressing tendencies are a perfect ingredient in this somewhat goofy yet charming romantic comedy) who set out on a journey that soon becomes a road trip, from Germany to Italy - on a mission: Antonio must gain the marriage approval from his unsuspecting parents who have previously been introduced only to girlfriends. His mother big enough to see the bigger picture and with a parental blessing to back him up, Antonio can openly become one with his “new” gender identity. A number of narrative twists and turns later the film has reached a positive outcome for all and in a final scene that takes us into the musical genre, My Big Gay Italian Wedding ends on a satisfying, happy note. Timely and with an important message, Genovesi’s film strikes a chord with audiences nationally and abroad – no doubt also with Melbourne Lavazza Italian Film Festival goers.
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Agata Grimaldi
THE TWO PIGMENTS FOUND IN FRUITS AND VEGETABLES THAT HELP US IN BEING SHARP AND INTELLIGENT According to the latest research, lutein and zeaxanthin, two pigments commonly found in fruits, eggs and vegetables, especially spinach, kale and turnips, can play an important role in boosting cognitive skills.
When there is a strong presence of these pigments in the diet, they accumulate in the central retina, and function as a filter against the damaging blue components of light. The exposure to natural and artificial light, as well as the metabolic processes, produce free radicals. The free radicals damage cells through a process called oxidation. Their benefit against light-induced oxidative damage like cataracts for instance is well-documented and established. Women who consume more lutein experience less vision problems like blurriness, glare, and even cataracts. Emerging research shows a connection between the concentration of lutein and cognitive performance in adults and children. A study conducted in 2013 discovered the correlation between the
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concentration of lutein in the retina, with its presence in the brain [1]. The region of the brain where
tests to determine their brain function and re-
control cognition and hearing.
peated same number of tests every four months.
A study reported in the International Journal of
After one year of supplementation with lutein and
Nutritional Neuroscience measured the level of lu-
zeaxanthin, participants showed improved complex
tein in the eyes of 49 school-age children. The ones
attention, executive function and mental flexibility.
with high level of lutein reported higher academic
These studies conducted on children and adults
performances than those with a lower lutein con-
are not conclusive, and don’t intend to prove that
centration [2-4].
the level of lutein is the cause of the cognitive
Another study conducted by the University of
performance. However, there is an indication that
Georgia showed that adding lutein and zeaxanthin
lutein may play an important role in cognition, and
improved cognitive function in older women and
further studies will be required. In any case, for
men. The researchers randomly assigned 62 adults
most people, increasing green vegetables in the
over age 60 into two groups. The first took a lutein
diet can only be a good thing!
and zeaxanthin supplement, and the control group took a placebo.
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Participants completed a number of cognitive
lutein accumulates is responsible for speech, vision,
1. Vishwanathan R, Neuringer M, Snodderly DM, et al. (2013) Macular lutein and zeaxanthin are related to brain lutein and zeaxanthin in primates. Nutr Neurosci 16, 21–29. 2. Barnett, S.M.; Khan, N.A.; Walk, A.M.; Raine, L.B.; Moulton, C.; Cohen, N.J.; Kramer, A.F.; Hammond, B.R.;Renzi-Hammond, L.; Hillman, C.H. Macular pigment optical density is positively associated with academic performance among preadolescent children. Nutr. Neurosci. 2017, 8305, 1–9. [CrossRef] [PubMed] 3. Walk, A.M.; Khan, N.A.; Barnett, S.M.; Raine, L.B.; Kramer, A.F.; Cohen, N.J.; Moulton, C.J.; Renzi-Hammond, L.M.; Hammond, B.R.; Hillman, C.H. From neuro-pigments to neural efficiency: The relationship between retinal carotenoids and behavioral and neuroelectric indices of cognitive control in childhood. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 2017, 118, 1–8. [CrossRef] [PubMed] 4. Hassevoort, K.M.; Khazoum, S.E.; Walker, J.A.; Barnett, S.M.; Raine, L.B.; Hammond, B.R.;
ISSUE XV
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