Archive of films Facing Window / La finestra di fronte

Italy / United Kingdom / Turkey / Portugal
2003, 106 min

Section: Official Selection - Competition
Year: 2003

The most successful Italian film of last year describes an unusual encounter between a young woman stuck in a somewhat stereotypical marriage and an 80-year-old man whose life is marked by a tragic event from the Second World War. This highly intimate work is also a tribute to the recently deceased legend of Italian cinema Massimo Girotti.

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).

Contacts

Celluloid Dreams
2, rue Turgot, 75009, Paris
France
Tel: +33 149 700 370
E-mail: [email protected]
www: www.celluloid-dreams.com

R&C Produzioni
Via Del Commercio, 32, 00154, Rome
Italy
Tel: +39 06 572 885 91
Fax: +39 06 573 033 28
E-mail: [email protected]

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About the film

Color, 35 mm
International premiere

Section:	Official Selection - Competition

Director:	Ferzan Ozpetek
Screenplay:	Gianni Romoli, Ferzan Ozpetek
Dir. of Photography:	Gianfilippo Corticelli
Music:	Andrea Guerra
Editor:	Patrizio Marone
Producer:	Tilde Corsi, Gianni Romoli
Production:	R&C Produzioni
Cast:	Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Massimo Girotti, Raoul Bova, Filippo Nigro, Serra Yilmaz
Contact:	Celluloid Dreams, R&C Produzioni

www:	www.lafinestradifronte.com

Guests

Ferzan Ozpetek

Film Director, Film Director

Roberto Cicutto

Film Institution Rep.

Tilde Corsi

Producer