Facing Window

Colour, 35 mm
Italy, United Kingdom, Turkey, Portugal, 2003, 106 min
Section: Official selection
Oficiální stránky: www.lafinestradifronte.com

Synopsis

Giovanna has not yet reached thirty but she already has several years of a somewhat “tired” marriage with Filippo behind her. She divides her time between a tedious job, two small children and extra work as a baker for a local café. The only way for her to relieve her stress is the occasional night-time observation of an attractive young man living in the flat opposite and the fabrication of dreams. Giovanna’s stereotypical life is disturbed by an old man Filippo brings home one evening. Her initial mistrust turns to increasing fascination with a person swathed in mystery whose layers she gradually begins to peel away. The strange life of the eighty-year-old Davide influences Giovanna’s life more than she is prepared to admit. Ozpetek’s new film, depicting the force of an unusual encounter which offers hope for a new and happier life, won five Davids at the Italian National Film Awards, including one for Best Film, Best Actress (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) and Best Actor (Italian film legend Massimo Girotti, who died in January 2003).

About the director

Ferzan Ozpetek (b. 1959, Istanbul) left his native country at the age of 19 for Italy to study art history and film, focusing on film direction. He has worked with Julian Beck and the theatre association Living Theater. As assistant director he worked on films by various Italian directors (Maurizio Ponzi, Massimo Troisi, Ricky Tognazzi and Marco Risi). In 1997 he debuted with the film Hamam, which was selected for Cannes´ prestigious Directors Forthnight section and enjoyed critical acclaim in Italy and abroad. Two years later he took part in the Cannes festival with another film Harem Suare, this time selected for the section Certain Regard. In 2001 his film Le fate ignoranti was entered for the main competition at the Berlin IFF. Filmography: Hamam (1997), Harem Suare (1999), Ignorant fairies (Le fate ignoranti, 2001), Facing Window (La finestra di fronte, 2003).