A retrospective film festival “Omaggio a Massimo Troisi, ‘o miracolo napoletano’ “
Directed by Robert Benigni and Massimo Troisi (Italy, 1984 – colore, 111’ min. Comedy. Language: Italian, subtitles in English)
Starring Amanda Sandrelli, Roberto Benigni, Massimo Troisi, Livia Venturini, Loris Bazzocchi
Saverio and Mario both work at the same primary school, one as a teacher while the other as a janitor. On their way back home they decide to take a shortcut, ending up on the wrong road. The pair find themselves in 1492. After the expected initial fright, they start to live together and to integrate themselves in that community, becoming part of it as a consequence of their misfortunes.
The film has many comic flashbacks and the leap into the past is brilliant. During that period both Benigni and Troisi were two rising stars of the Italian Cinema. Benigni won the Oscar award in 1999. But the untimely death of Troisi has deprived us of an excellent author and interpreter of the Italian Cinema.