ITALIAN CULTURAL CENTER OF SAN DIEGO NON – PROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage PAID San Diego, CA. ITALIAN CULTURAL CENTER OF SAN DIEGO Permit No. 1869 1669 Columbia Street San Diego, CA 92101 – 2584 www.icc-sd.org phone (619) 237-0601 e-mail: [email protected] return service requested photo by Andrea Scott The San Diego Italian Film festival, thanks to major supporters such as ICC, storms back in October with a great line-up, beginning with a powerful retrospective of Paolo Virzi’ films, the modern heir of commedia all’italiana SCHEDULE (All films at the museum of photographic arts, unless otherwise specified, all start 7 p.M.) Thurs., Oct. 15 La bella vita (Living It Up), Paolo Virzi’, 97 min., 1994 Fri., Oct. 16 Ferie dagosto (August Vacation), Paolo Virzi’, 110 min., 1996 Thurs., Oct. 22 Ovosodo (Hardboiled Egg), Paolo Virzi’, 100 min., 1997 Fri., Oct. 23 My name is Tanino, 124 min., Paolo Virzi’, 2002 Sat. 31 Oct. Notte blu cobalto, Daniele Gangemi, 80 min., 2006 (Halloween Special) Sun. 1 Nov. Uno su due, Eugenio Cappuccio, 100 min., 2006 Mon. 2 Nov. Basta un niente, Ivan Polidor, 95 min., 2008 Tues. 3 Nov. Se fossi in te, Giulio Manfredonia, 101 min., 2001 Wed. 4 Nov. Apnea, Roberto Dordit, 85 min., 2005 Thur. 5 Nov. L’estate di mio fratello, Pietro Reggiani, 82 min., 2005 Fri. 6 Nov. La vera leggenda di Tony Vilar, Giuseppe Gagliardi, 93 min., 2006 * Sat. 7 Nov. La seconda notte di nozze, Pupi Avati, 103 min., 2005: GALA For up-to-date information, please check the SDIFF website: www.sandiegoitalianfilmfestival.com * The festival is currently negotiating a possible alternate for the funny musical La vera leggenda di Tony Vilar, and the Director may join the audience, so please do check for updates. For other questions about the festival, volunteering, or the Gala, please email: [email protected] 16 Piccola Italia Italian Cultural Center of San Diego Newsletter Vol. 10, N. 4 | October – November – December 2009 | quarterly publication ALIEN INVASION San Diego Italian Film Festival Meets Giffoni Film Festival by Victor Laruccia UPCOMING EVENTS Sept. 10: Book Presentation by Vincenza Scarpaci Sept. 12 : Children Classes Begin Sept. 18: Abruzzo Hearthquake Fundraising Dinners I Sept. 26: Amici Ball Sept. 28: Adults Classes Begin Oct. 16: Abruzzo Hearthquake Fundraising Dinners II Nov. 7: Gala For SDFF Nov. 13: Abruzzo Hearthquake Southern Italy, for more than 2500 years scene of alien invasions, once again Fundraising Dinners III played out the ancient game of conquest and plunder. But this time the invaders arrived in the guise of children, celebrities, and media, and the plunder was mainly stolen hearts. The Giffoni Film Festival, educating children through international films, stages this invasion every year, but in the end everyone is victorious and everyone is conquered. This year, thanks to a generous grant from the Linnie Cooper Foundation, the San Diego Italian Film Festival joined the Giffoni Film Festival to send four San Diego teens as jurors to Giffoni, which is also a town in an emerald valley about 15 miles northeast of Salerno in Regione Campania. Towns in this valley provide the host families for the jurors who come from over 40 different countries, grouped according to age and selected especially to see and vote on their favorite films in competition. continues on page 3 1 CARI SOCI, L’estate calda e accattivante di San Diego ci invita alle vacanze e ci attira verso le spiagge. Tuttavia, le nostre lezioni sono ricominciate con un sostanzioso numero di studenti per ogni livello d’insegnamento. Quale migliore momento per leggere un libro in Italiano o ascoltare la musica della lingua di Dio? Abbiamo avuto fin ora un’estate eccitante e pregna di eventi. Il 6 giugno 2009, 35 maestri Alpini hanno celebrato la Festa della Repubblica in presen- za di circa 500 persone e con la partecipazione straordinaria del Console Generale di Los Angeles, dr. Nicola Faganello. Per la prima volta in San Diego l’Italian Cultural Center, la House of Italy, l’Italian American Civic Association, le tre associazioni piu’ rappresenta- tive di San Diego, si sono unite per celebrare la Festa Repubblica Italiana. Il successo e’ stato tremendo. ITALIAN CULTURAL CENTER OF SAN DIEGO Inoltre, le nostre organizzazioni hanno inviato una rappresentanza di 4 ragazzi al festival del Film per Bambini a Giffoni (Salerno). Leggete il report del nostro”Francis Ford Cop- pola” Laruccia di seguito in questo numero. Ma non ci fermiamo qui: il 26 settembre, sotto l’auspicio della chiesa della Madonna del Rosario in Little Italy, ci sara’ l’Amici Ball con la partecipazione di tanti Italo-americani delle nostre organizzazioni. Visitate in nostro sito per maggiori informazioni. ITALIAN CULTURAL CENTER OF SAN DIEGO Non mancate! Cari Soci, ICC Newsletter The warm and captivating summer of San Diego invites us to vacation and lures us to Published quarterly the beaches. Even so our classes begin again with a large number of students at all levels Editors of instruction. What better moment to enjoy an Italian book or to listen to the musical Barbara Carra language of God? Victor Laruccia And we have had a very exciting summer full of events. Graphic Design On June 6, 2009, 35 master musicians of the Italian Alpini Chorus celebrated the Festa Tiziana d’Agostino Della Repubblica Italiana before 500 people at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. The ICC OFFICERS event even drew the Consul General of Los Angeles, Dr. Nicola Faganello, an extraordi- nary appearance for our representative of the Italian state. All the organizers received top President congratulations from all performers, the Consul General, and most of the audience for a Roberto Ruocco grand success, a success which required at least five curtain calls for the chorus. Vice-President Operation For the first time the House of Italy, the ICC and Italian American Civic Association, Cynthia Waage the three major organizations of Italian Americans of San Diego, united to celebrate this event. The success has been tremendous. Vice-President Programs Serena Camozzo Furthermore, our organizations sent a crew of 4 teens to the Giffoni International Children’s Film Festival (Salerno). Please read “Francis Ford Coppola” Laruccia’s report Treasurer further in this issue. Donald Stadelli But we do not stop here. On September 26, 2009, Our Lady of the Rosary Church will Secretary feature the Amici Ball with the participation of many Italian Americans of San Diego. Roberto Ruocco Visit our web site for more information. Don’t miss it. Active Board Members Saluti a tutti, James Bianchi, Barbara Carra, Roberto Ruocco Father Stephen Grancini, Victor Laruccia, Nicola Faganello Consul Silvia Metzer, General of Italy, Hannu Donald Santamaria, Mikkonen, President, House Graziella Spinelli Kehrenberg, of Pacific Relations, and Lawrence Zaino, Roberto Ruocco, President Andrea Zarattini. of Italian Cultural Center during the Alpini Chorus Festa in Balboa Park 2 Alien Invasion — continued from page 1 More than a year ago the SD Italian like the Italian families who were moment had to be critical. The Film Festival had decided that Giffoni their hosts, although Roby’s friends chaperones, Janice and Victor Laruc- would attract younger people to its kept insisting she was really Italian. cia, stumbled breathless into the Jury own programs. This year the San Di- Roby’s response: “Can’t they see Office. “What’s the matter, how bad ego teens all fell into the Generator + I’m American?” is the wound?” The “wound” was 13 group. The children spearheading Joe was not eating. Well, for an Ital- Most of our teens had some familiar- our part of the invasion were Fabrizio ian mother that is a catastrophe, but ity with Italian, but only enough to Ellis, Joe Fabiani, Roby Ruocco and Joe himself was really taken aback: whet their appetites. For example, Giuliano Verdicchio, age range from “What??? I eat what I always eat, Giuliano listened carefully to his fam- 13 to 15, all proud representatives what’s the problem?” Eventually ily’s Nonno narrate his experiences in of San Diego and the U.S. And their tranquility reigned when Signora De Salerno during the 1943 Allied inva- Italian roots opened hearts even Cristofaro, who has a grand reputa- sion; Giuliano understood some but wider for them. tion as a cook, hit upon carpaccio; wanted to understand it all and ask Joe almost devoured a dish meant for Each group of children had one main questions. And he told us of another the whole table. series of tasks: watch and discuss all story: The paparazzi flew around in films, meet celebrities, and ultimately hordes, one group cornering Giu- Some problems interfered with vote their favorites. Our group was liano. Thinking they were asking him looting and plundering. Time ad- split three to one for the main Gen- what he thought of Italy, he said, justments, obviously; also for many erator +13 winner, Broken Hill, an “Beautiful and hot.” Later he learned children this was the first time away American/Australian production. they were asking what he thought of from family, in a foreign country, and This simple description misses the Eva Mendes, who in fact is beautiful with only strangers to turn to. As the real energy, delight and richness of and hot, especially at 10 feet. children swirled through their various the experience. events, learning who their new friends Some misunderstandings, however, were, the comforts of home gave way The travel part was exhausting, but would be familiar to any Italian to the excitement of new relation- when we met a child actor from India parent. One morning the San Diego ships. Roby at one point said, “These or a juror from Korea, who endured chaperones got a frantic call from German guys are cute.” A few Egyp- worse travel conditions, it was clear the Jury Office: “You must come tian guys, too, it was later discovered, that the exhaustion, like boot camp, quick.