Saturno contro

Colour, 35 mm
Italy, France, Turkey, 2007, 110 min
IP – International premiere
Section: Official Selection - Competition

Synopsis

A group of friends meet up for dinner. The hosts of these regular gatherings are the dynamic Lorenzo and his life partner, the successful writer Davide. The somewhat uptight Angelica is helping to prepare the food, while her Antonio has yet to appear. Also on the guest list is the abrasive Neval and her husband Roberto, Davide’s embittered ex Sergio, the spirited Roberta, and a new arrival, the budding writer Paolo. This is one of the evenings during which these 40-somethings will remember the carefree existence of the past two decades, now edged out by everyday concerns and the somewhat perplexing spectre of the beginning of the rest of their lives. Brilliant group portrait artist Ferzan Ozpetek brings his characters towards a critical moment when they are forced to cast off their stiffened masks and to return to the very essence of the friendship which unites them. Leading Italian actors give themselves up to the sensitive guidance of a director whose originality lies in his ability to view life in all its melodramatic dimensions, naturally without resorting to cheap sentiment.

About the director

Ferzan Ozpetek (b. 1959, Istanbul) left to study art history and film direction in Italy at the age of 19. As assistant director he worked on films by Italian filmmakers such as Maurizio Ponzi, Massimo Troisi and Ricky Tognazzi. In 1997 he debuted with the film Hamam, which was screened at Cannes in the section Directors’ Fortnight and enjoyed critical acclaim both in Italy and abroad. Two years later, the Cannes programme Un Certain Regard included another of Ozpetek’s films in its programme, Harem Suare. In 2001 the director competed for Berlin’s Golden Bear award with the film Le fate ignoranti. Two years after that, he enjoyed huge success in Karlovy Vary, where his film Facing Window won Best Direction, Best Actress and the Crystal Globe. Ozpetek’s latest offering Saturno contro follows the film Cuore sacro, starring Slovak actress resident in Italy, Barbora Bobulová.