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VENICE 2011 Competition

L'ultimo terrestre, an alien film on the Italian scene

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Directing debut for Gian Alfonso Pacinotti, better known by comic book and graphic novel lovers as ‘Gipi’. Pacinotti has brought L'ultimo terrestre [+see also:
trailer
film profile
]
to the Venice Film Festival, a small film which brings a breath of fresh air to the Italian film scene.

Loosely inspired on the graphic novel “Nessuno si farà del male” by his colleague Giacomo Monti, L'ultimo terrestre is a comedy with a touch of science-fiction. Loyal to the idea that in order to tell the truth in a faithful way you have to be deeply totally unfaithful towards it, Gipi describes an Italy steeped in economical crisis, that is disillusioned, resigned, incapable of feelings or emotions.

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It stars Luca Bertacci (emerging actor Gabriele Spinelli), young misogynist and misfit who works in a bingo hall and is secretly attracted to Anna’s (Anna Bellato) neighbour. The country is waiting for aliens to land at any time, an event which is at most met with indifference but that awakens hopes of change and mystic-religious phenomena.

The aliens, who are very similar to those in Incontri ravvicinati del terzo tipo, finally arrive and reveal themselves capable of, as Anna hopes, understanding the difference “between good and evil”.

L'ultimo terrestre resembles the corrosive satire of the Ennio Flaiano of Un Marziano a Roma, but adds with a certain lightness all the cynicism, the superficiality and the amorality of modern times, well illustrated by the listener who intervenes on a radio programme at the beginning of the film, claiming to be concerned that only the most prosperous football teams will be able to buy the aliens.

The film will be distributed in Italian cinemas from tomorrow by Fandango.

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(Translated from Italian)

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