TenTazioni MetroPolitane FILM on AMAZON PRIME and CHILI

TENTAZIONI METROPOLITANE on AMAZON PRIME in USA-UK- Germany and Austria

and/or on CHILI in Italia-Poland-UK-Germany and Austria    

With an unstoppable desire to live Alessandra spreads her wings to start flying again, but every night she has go back to prison…  

 written and directed by GIANNA GARBELLI

with the extraordinary participation of ANNIE GIRARDOT
and with GIANNA GARBELLI – FIORENZA MARCHEGIANI – MAURIZIO DONADONI – NARCISA BONATI – STEPHANE FERRARA DARIO D’AMBROSI – LAURA VISCONTI – JOE KLOENNE – ROSALINA NERI  – ROBERTO MARELLI
 Cinematography by BLASCO GIURATO
music by ROBERT MOUYREN
trailer TENTAZIONI METROPOLITANE

*Any reference to actual people or events is purely coincidental*

more about TENTAZIONI METROPOLITANE  premiere at Mostra Int’l del Cinema di Venezia September 7th, 1993   Panorama Italiano

I wrote for the cinema and directed and performed and so, produced TENTAZIONI METROPOLITANE – the story of an inmate in semi-liberty – with Annie Girardot- Fiorenza Marchegiani- Maurizio Donadoni, Stephan Ferrara, Narcisa Bonati, and many other very good actors of the Piccolo Teatro of Milano- great fame of classic European Theatre.  A privilege to direct such a cast of international excellence and the best Italian theater actors. Original music by the Frenchman Robert Mouyren. Selected for Panorama Italiano at the Venice International Film Festival.
It was an interesting research work for the construction of the characters and so I was inspired by the harshest reality, two prisoners in jail for very different reasons: one is a common prisoner, the other is political. Then in the script, I mixed with my fantasy. Yes, it is a brave story. In 1993 the world was not so ready for a story between women, I would say unconventional. But it’s much more, and I wouldn’t to take away the pleasure of seeing it.
The inspiration was given to me by a girl who lived this illusory experience, a shortcut … Then to write the screenplay, I studied and attended to the whole of humanity involved, on the edge of marginalization. I went in search of real places, to render the authenticity of the social drama, the atmosphere, and the prejudices, to direct the set in the best possible way. With an inexhaustible energy, which is the most evident trait of my personality, I face this very hard story, as raw and crude is the material that stimulated my creativity.

My “inmate” friends and I, extraordinary colleagues, a nice cast, cheerful because it is in the drama that irony finds its best inspiration.
A valuable support, exceptional, recognizable fascinating trait of Milo Manara among the great cartoonists of all time.

Me and Annie Girardot. What an exceptional actress Annie Girardot! As tall as her legend…

From left, Fiorenza Marchegiani, co-star, me and Laura Visconti. Here the case breaks out …

with Fiorenza Marchegiani my co-star, two intense characters.

Maria Gioacchina Stajano Starace Briganti di Panico, was an incredible character! For her time then… My neighbor, when I was living in Roma and I wanted her on the set in Milano. A touch of exaggeration, of outrage, that little bit of added realism. He was the first person to enlighten me about the gay world. The LGBT movement was still far to come, but she lived the time of the avant-garde, a true pioneer, she lived with lightness a world that was only apparently hostile to her, living on art; therefore a world without borders of any kind, she was the news exposing without false hypocrisy. In my film she was necessary to me because her cameo immediately clarified things: she was born a male, and she felt like a woman, so it was easy to place her in the context of women’s prison.

A scene that is hard to bear, here I play with the eclectic Mirton Vaiani, in the role of the Boxer, understood as the mastiff… or even the Kapò, as Gillo Pontecorvo, the then director of the Venice Film Festival, had identified her. He wanted the film the premiere in the Italian Panorama section.

With my legendary director of photography Blasco Giurato. He gave birth to the best films of the last 55 years at least …! A privilege to work together.
On the set of the real prison of San Vittore in Milano, made available by the Ministry of Justice, me in the role of the common prisoner, and Fiorenza Marchegiani was the political prisoner.
The legendary French actress, Annie Girardot who has given and owes so much to the cinema of Italian Luchino Visconti, see “Rocco and his Brothers”.

Gianna Garbelli and Fiorenza Marchegiani. I don’t want to reveal the plot, but from today you can see the whole film on Amazon Prime in the USA – UK- Germany, and Austria. On Chili in Italy and Poland. 

Joe Kloenne in the role of an old friend of the protagonist, Alessandra Albani. Joe Kloenne is a star among the models of great fashion in the world.
Narcisa Bonati and I, Narcisa a great actress of the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, a reference who unfortunately recently left us.

With Fiorenza Marchegiani and Stephane Ferrara in the role of the Corsican gangster.

Blasco Giurato’s fascinating photography underlines the drama and intrigue in the evolution of the story. Giurato’s greatest successes are linked to the director Giuseppe Tornatore. The set designer is by a great architect of cinema, Enrico Tovaglieri, how can we forget the set by Ermanno Olmi, “The Tree of the Hooves” Both underlined the history of the best Italian cinema ever. The set was a nightclub, a cult disco of Milano in the 80s and 90s: The Plastic, owned by  Lucio Nisi. Hair Style by Gino Bianchini.

Fiorenza Marchegiani was already a star in the films of Massimo Troisi, an intelligent, eclectic actress, with whom I had a great time and so in directing her. Intense, in our actor dialogue.

Here I am with the eye behind the camera, yes perhaps one of the latest 35mm films. Straddling between consolidated mechanics and new technologies. However, writing the screenplay was instrumental in having clear ideas for directing the film. The vision and the rhythm are so clear and slender and give space for further creativity.

In jail there is nothing in glass, aluminum is not a stretch of water, but it gives the idea …

 Well yes, in prison you keep fit, especially in the “communes”, there is not much else to do to kill time. In that hour of air, the sun, the light are so desired …

My formidable technicians are fast and ready to solve any problem. There is no movie set without them.
I’m with Maurizio Donadoni, perfect in the role of the bourgeois, conformist in love.

Returning home after 7 years in prison, the look is surprised, not always pleasantly. People, places, and things, in short, the world has changed. It’s like waking up after years of a long sleep. But Alessandra doesn’t wake up in a fairy tale… The touch of the make-up artist Vincenza Lambarella is delicate.

Moments of solidarity between the walls of a prison, here with my “inmates”, Aida Cooper great vocalist, with another one, Linda Wesley of the best rock bands.

This is Antonio, in my film he plays, but he is an ex-real-inmate who is part of a theater cooperative. Certain roles, if you can, you have to mix them even with those who have lived them.

Anna Bruna Gola, a seamstress who sewed every detail, all the costumes with her needle and thread. Perfect.

I’m with Clarita Di Giovanni my assistant.
With Fabio Lanciotti my patience cameraman.
Behind the scenes, I am with the cinematographic, a great working mate Blasco Giurato, and Fiorenza Marchegiani.

Gillo Pontecorvo a legendary director and the artistic director of the Venice Int’l Film Festival, wanted to see the film in a screening room in Cinecittà, it was Friday evening when we agreed, Monday at 09:00 AM on time I was back in Roma from Milano, with my director of photography Blasco Giurato. Both were outside the door waiting for the verdict of the maestro Pontecorvo, who came out moved and I could not hold back the tears of happiness, and Blasco Giurato who is taller than a mountain fir lit up like a Christmas tree for joy. The film was included in programming in the Italian Panorama section, in charge by the journalist Claudio Trionfera.

Premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, Italian Panorama section. From left Narcisa Bonati, Annie Girardot, Gianna Garbelli, Roberto Marelli. Marelli replaced Walter Chiari at the last moment, who unfortunately died of a heart attack a few months before the shooting. A desperation not to have him; the irony in the story is all there, but my regret remains, the talent of Walter Chiari would have elicited moving laughter! The feature film came out at the Venice Film Festival with the title: PORTAGLI I MIEI SALUTI, immediately afterward I replaced the title with TENTAZIONI METROPOLITANE.

USA premiere at the Napa and Sonoma Valley Festival, San Francisco, CA. And at the Italian Cultural Institute in Los Angeles. Above, at the Casa Italiana Zerilli / Marimò in New York.

here and there some of the PRESS REVIEW
Italian- French- USA PRESS RELEASE

PARTICIPATIONS IN FESTIVALS and EVENTS IN ITALY and WORLDWIDE

  1. 1993 -premiere of the Venice International Film Festival selection Panorama Italiano-
  2. 1993- France Annecy Festival –
  3. 1993 France Italian Film Festival de Villerupt-
  4. 1998 Egypt: Alexandria Film Festival Best Screenplay, Best Editing –
  5. July 1999 USA Film Festival Napa and Sonoma Valley Mile USA Debut Film, Best Actress-
  6. September 1999 Italian Cultural Institute Los Angeles –
  7. February 2000 Casa Italiana Zerilli Marimò in New York with Alfonso Arau.
  8. March 2000- UK Bradford Film Festival “Shine Features”
  9. March 2001 La Sapienza University of Rome
  10. April 2001 – Palm Spring USA Psychiatric Association of California 13th Annual Meeting – Prof Barry Chaitin
  11. November 2001 Rebibbia prison, Rome Special event, Ministry of Justice
  12. – distributed in cinemas in Italy
  13. -acquired by RTS TV Switzerland
  14. -acquired by TELE +

-acquired by RAI TV – Italian Government TV – but never aired, with the undemocratic justification that with the too beautiful works, they buy and take them off the market. In short, a management that has claimed to create a culture without having the attributes. Courage doesn’t belong only to those who write, direct and play roles, a novelty screenplay,  and so produced. Those who acquire and certainly programming cannot keep without airing and be denied, after having spent public money for the purchase! RAI management is about unsuitable network managers, obedient to the political party they belong to. Without any autonomy of thought, unable to give the public simply a beautiful work, an unpublished story, as well crafted as the press, wherever the film has been presented it, underlined and so did the audience present.

It was atrocious as the author to have my wings clipped …

Consequence: for eight years my film was stopped in the RAI warehouses and with a very bad attempt of plagiarism unsuccessful by RAI Cinema. Who despises buys …

It’s still like these days?  Almost. In Italy, nothing has changed. Corruption is a cancer that devours this Nation. Not the ideology.

What keeps me here? I’m Italian. And don’t you know that Italy is known as one of the most beautiful countries on earth! The more I travel and I have traveled the more I found Italia wonderful.

And finally, fortunately, there is Amazon which has revolutionized the world scene of large retailers since September 14, 2020, is visible! And from today 11 December 2020 also on CHILI Italia.

On the first run, after 27 years of blackout of the conformists of Italian public TV. Being pioneers of thought in this nation is suicide! But AMAZON PRIME USA opened the way and CHILI Italia opened the doors to me: my thoughts be free to hover …

here is the link where the film TENTAZIONI METROPOLITANE is visible on AMAZON PRIME in ITALY-USA-UK- GERMANY-AUSTRIA