New Italian Documentary (2004-2014)

Cultural clashes, emigration, Mafia, unemployment, and job insecurity are crucial themes often studied by young Italian documentary filmmakers. From the beginning of the 21st century to the present day, the documentary or more properly, “narrative” or “authorial” documentary filmmaking, is experiencing an extraordinary period of rebirth in Italy. It has become an essential part of an aesthetic and cultural revitalization within Italian cinema. However, inadequate distribution has unfortunately hindered public awareness and recognition. This course will thus seek to bring to light and examine the Italian documentary film of the last decade, beginning with the important lessons set forth by Vittorio De Seta, and concluding with Gianfranco Rosi’s, Sacro Gra, winner of the Golden Lion at the 2013 Venice Film Festival.

This course will be complemented by a laboratory seminar. This section will explore the technical aspects of Professor Taviani’s documentary films, especially her most recent work, still in progress, entitled, Essere donne: un viaggio in Europa e nel mondo. This documentary takes a look at four generations of female filmmakers, such as the Californian Kathryn Bigelow and Sofia Coppola.

Required Texts:
L’idea documentaria. Altri sguardi dal cinema italiano, a cura di Marco Bertozzi, con la collaborazione di Gianfranco Pannone, Lindau 2003 (scelta di brani).
Il documentario, Scrivere, realizzare e vendere cinema della realtà nell'era dell'artificio, di Alessandro Bignami, Laterza 2011.