By Zsarlene B. Chua

MOVIEMOV, the Italian Film Festival — back for its fourth iteration — will be presenting 10 films which tackle the “crisis of the Italian youth” during its run starting Nov. 12-16 to be held at the Cinematheque Centre Manila.

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“Many of the themes are focusing… [on the] first generation of youths who are not facing a better future than their parents. Those who don’t have surety in their future [and are facing] crisis in employment and crisis in values widespread in Europe,” said Goffredo Bettini, founder of the film festival, during a press conference held on Nov. 2 at the residence of the Italian Ambassador in Makati City.

Films in the lineup are:

• Perfetti Sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers), a 2016 film by Paolo Genovese about a dinner party with friends who decided to play a game where all texts and calls are made public, which leads to them discovering how little they know of each other;

• Fiore (2016), directed by Claudio Giovannesi, is a story about two people in a youth detention center who fall in love;

• Veloce Come Il Vento (Italian Race), a 2016 film by Matteo Rovere about a racing family returning to their roots at the track and win, while escaping their demons and learning what it means — and how hard it is — to win as a family;

• 2Night (2016), by Ivan Silvestrini, is about two strangers meeting at a nightclub in Rome who planned to go home and have sex — but difficulties in finding parking spaces leads them to conversations revealing an intimacy that will force them to change their plans;

• La Ragazza del Mondo (Worldly Girl), a 2016 film by Marco Danieli is about a difficult love story between two people belonging to very distant social environments;

• Indivisibili (Indivisible), a 2016 film by Edoardo de Angelis, is about Siamese twin sisters known for their beautiful voices but who are kept isolated from the rest of the world by their father who exploits them. Their life turns upside-down when one of them falls in love for the first time and they discover that they can be separated;

• Piuma (2016), by Roan Johnson, is about a couple who became new — and struggling — parents;

• Lo Chiamavano Jeeg Robot (They Call Me Jeeg), a 2015 film by Gabriele Mainetti, is about a lonely and misanthropic small time crook who suddenly gains superpowers and uses them to chase down a crazy gangster called the “gypsy”;

• Vangelo (2016), by Pippo Delbono, is a film about the director’s trip to a refugee center and shows their daily life shuttling between painful memories and uncertain future; and finally,

• Un Bacio (One Kiss), a 2016 film by Ivan Cotrone about three childhood friends who are deemed outsiders in their city. Their friendship is steadfast until one day when everything changes.

Mr. Bettini described the film festival as not “just a festival but a full-blooded one” as he said that Italian film directors and their cast members will be coming to the Philippines to grace the red carpet and will be exchanging ideas with the public.

Changing the venue — the 2014 festival was staged at the Shangri-La Plaza Mall in Mandaluyong — was an important part of the whole event, according to Mr. Bettini who explained that “it is important to change the venue… [and for the festival] to be shown in the temple of Philippine cinema.”

Moviemov, the Italian Film Festival, will be running from Nov. 12 to Nov. 16 at the Cinematheque Centre Manila, 855 Kalaw Ave., Ermita, Manila. Admission is free and is on a first come, first served basis.

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