MONDAY DECEMBER 7th, 2009
7-9PM
KITCAFFE' In Montclair
Italian Literary Salon
Professional readings in English followed by the Italian version from masterpieces by Italian writers from the past to the present.
Q&A after the reading and refreshments are served.
Focus on Dolce Vita's authors:
Ennio Flaiano + Tullio Pinelli + Federico Fellini
Writer, essayist, playwright Ennio Flaiano will bring us in Via Veneto in the 60s. Ennio Flaiano was a friend and collaborator of Tullio Pinelli, Federico Fellini, among many others. With them he spent legendary nights on Via Veneto, and with them he co-wrote film such as La Dolce Vita, Nights of Cabiria , I Vitelloni, La Strada, 8 e 1/2.
To celebrate the most famous Italian lifestyle as well as the collaboration among these three artists, we'll read pages from I Diari di Via Veneto (The Via Veneto Papers) by E. Flaiano, and from the screenplay of La Strada by Flaiano, Pinelli and Fellini.
Title to be read:
The Via Veneto Papers by Ennio Flaiano
This is the first English language edition of the Italian original, La solitudine del satiro (lit. The Satyr’s Solitude), by Ennio Flaiano. Published in 1973, a year after Flaiano’s death, the book is divided into three sections:
The first, The Via Veneto Papers, evokes the Rome of La Dolce Vita, of the early stages in the writing and the production of the film itself, and, through a series of brilliant little sketches, is a commemoration of the aging Italian poet Vincenzo Cardarelli, a skeptical survivor from an earlier time, representative of an altogether different lifestyle.
Occasional Notebooks comprises the second and longest section: satirical commentaries and diary jottings on diverse subjects, including film, art, literature, world politics, Italy and the Italians, contemporary culture, and travel.
The concluding section is an interview given by Flaiano shortly before his death. Entitled Concerning Satire, Boredom, Faith, it’s a kind of spiritual testament of one of Italy’s most brilliant modern writers.
La Dolce Vita's Writers:
Ennio Flaiano (1910-1972). Best known for the work in conjunction with Fellini, and his most frequent collaborator. Tullio Pinelli, Flaiano penned many scripts during the '50s and '60s. Before coming to film, he was an architect, a professional writer, a drama and film critic, and an author. Fellini appreciated Flaiano's deft humor, dry observations on culture, and subtlety and used the writer to help pen some of his best films including La Strada (1954), La Dolce Vita (1960) and 81/2 (1963). He wrote 57 screenplays and subjects, among them: Too Bad She’s Bad by Blasetti, The Night by Antonioni, Totò and Carolina by Mario Monicelli, and El Verdugo by Luis Garcia Berlanga. He won the first edition of the Premio Strega in 1947 with his novel Tempo di Uccidere (A Time to Kill). His The Via Veneto Papers are also available in English.
Tullio Pinelli began his career as a civil lawyer but spent his free time working in the theatre as a playwright. He first met Fellini in a Rome kiosk in 1947 while they were reading opposite pages of the same newspaper. "Meeting each other," said Pinelli, "was a creative lightning bolt. We spoke the same language from the start.” He was one of the screenwriters of I Vitelloni, La strada, La Dolce Vita and 8½. Pinelli died on March 7, 2009 in Rome.
Federico Fellini, from Rimini, doesn’t need many introductions. Known for a distinct style that blends fantasy and baroque images, he is considered one of the most influential and widely revered filmmakers of the 20th century.
The refreshments are kindly donated by Trumpets Jazz Club
and will include several Italian holiday desserts.
Cost for event includes materials, coffee/tea, desserts and wine. $20 pp
Reserve today!
NJ coordinators: Kristine Massari & Ruth Kunstadter, licensed NJ teachers of Italian.
Hosts: Laura Caparrotti & Marta Mondelli, KIT
FOR MORE INFORMATION
KIT-Kairos Italy Theater: www.kitheater.com
Trumpets Jazz Club: www.trumpetsjazz.com R.S.V.P. via email: KMassari@aol.com
or by calling Trumpets’ reservation line: 973-486-0822
Teachers will receive a certificate for two professional development hours.