Italian and Italian-language Films
Allegro Non Troppo: a suite of animation shorts of breath-taking imagination and originality, and much food for thought
Bruno Bozzetto, “Allegro Non Troppo” (1976) A spoof of and tribute to Walt Disney’s famous
Tag: Animated Films
Pony: a dark little story about the loss of innocence in a banal setting
Dony Permedi, “Pony” (2006) “Pony” is a short animated film made by Permedi as an
Spirited Away: a lavish film representing the peak of Studio Ghibli’s creativity and the start of its decline
Hayao Miyazaki, “Spirited Away” (2001) In many ways, “Spirited Away” represents the peak of Studio
Anomalisa: an incompletely developed film on alienation and the struggle to live in an oppressive conformist society
Charlie Kaufmann and Duke Johnson, “Anomalisa” (2015) Not often does a film come along that
Sõda: political satire as animal fable takes on a dark tone
Riho Unt and Hardi Volmer, “Sõda” (1987) It has the look of a political satire
Kapsapea: an entertaining parody of action adventure / romance films
Riho Unt, “Kapsapea / A Cabbage” (1993) A stop-animation parody of action adventure films like
The Wind Rises: a dishonest, cowardly film that supports current Japanese militarism
Hayao Miyazaki, “The Wind Rises / Kaze tachinu” (2013) Miyazaki’s swansong film is a fictional
Memoria: a tight closed narrative loop with no chance of forgiveness or redemption
Elísabet Ýr Atladóttir, “Memoria” (2013) A creepy psychological character study, “Memoria” is very depressing to
The Backwater Gospel: a darkly grim Gothic satire on religious fanaticism, mob rule and the fear of death
Bo Mathorne, “The Backwater Gospel” (2011) In a total running time of just over nine
The Kinematograph: a familiar and bittersweet story done better by others
Tomek Baginski, “The Kinematograph” (2009) Here is a bittersweet story of a lone inventor labouring