The Past is a Foreign Land (Italian Film Festival)

Sat 18 Apr 2009 – Sat 18 Apr 2009

THE PAST IS A FOREIGN LAND/ IL PASSATO È UNA TERRA STRANIERA (15) 120 mins/ 2008/ Italy
Dir. Daniele Vicari
Starring: Elio Germano, Chiara Caselli, Michele Riondino, Daniela Poggi
Based on the novel by lawyer Gianrico Carofiglio, The Past Is A Foreign Land is a dark, psychological thriller cast in the formof a cat andmouse duel between a law student and a clever card-sharp. The brooding cityscapes of the southern Italian port of Bari formthe unfamiliar backdrop to a compelling tale of the struggle to retain themoral high ground in an age that does nothing to encourage such lofty ideals. Elio Germano fromMy Brother Is An Only Child stars as young prosecutor Giorgio. In flashback, we learn of his visit to an illegal gambling party at a country villa.
Francesco (Michele Riondino) is the one who introduces himto the world of high stakes poker and engineers the cards to ensure that Giorgio is a winner. It is the beginning of a compulsion that threatens to pull Giorgio’s life off the rails as he neglects his studies, embarks on a steamy affair with a married woman (Chiara Caselli) and starts to reject all themoral certainties of his family background.