Thursday 16 May, 7pm
NAPLES ’44: Evocative Portrait of a Great City in Wartime
Documentary by director Francesco Patierno
Introduced by producer Francesca Barra
In English and Italian with English subtitles
Actor Benedict Cumberbatch gives life to the words of British officer Norman Lewis, whose remarkable memoir of post-World War II Naples form the basis for this haunting evocation of a ravaged land, and later a city of infinite charm. Lewis entered Naples as part of an invasion of Nazi-occupied Italy. His memories and his return many years later are recalled with magnificent warmth and wit.
Filmmaker Francesco Patierno combines riveting archival war footage with clips from movies set in Naples from the 1950s and 60s to evoke a city that was as much a victim of the war as any individual – but that has come back to life with all the dynamic charisma of Vesuvius, its very own volcano.
Based on the book Naples ’44: A World War II Diary of Occupied Italy (1978) by Norman Lewis. Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch. Produced by Davide Azzolini and Francesca Barra. Cinematography by Gianni Troilo. Edited by Maria Fantastica Valmori. Original soundtrack by Andrea Guerra. (2017, 85’).