Pitt Sponsors Contemporary Italian Film Series, "Intimate Histories, " Oct. 5-27

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh, in cooperation with Pittsburgh Filmmakers, will present "Intimate Histories," a series of contemporary Italian films,

Oct. 5-27 in the Pittsburgh Filmmakers' Melwood Screening Room, 477 Melwood Ave. General admission is $6, $5 for students with a valid Pitt ID, and $20 for a series pass.

Comprised of six films, "Intimate Histories" tells the story of contemporary Italy through the personal lives of individual Italian families.

The Italian Film Series will include:

His Secret Life by Ferzan Ozpetek, 2001

Oct. 5 at 7:30 p.m. and Oct. 6 at 9:15 p.m.

This is a story about a wife who has lost her husband in an automobile accident. As the woman comes to terms with her grief, she discovers that her husband was having an affair with another man through most of their marriage. The discovery of her husband's secret life leads the woman to a better understanding of herself.

The Keys to the House by Gianni Amelio, 2004

Oct 12 and 13, 7:30 p.m.

Based on Giuseppe Pontiggia's novel, "Born Twice," The Keys to the House is the story of a father forging a relationship with his handicapped son, whom he meets for the first time as a teenager.

Radio Alice by Gianni Chiesa, 2004

Oct 19 and 20, 7:30 p.m.

Revisiting the radical 1970s Italy and its interest in class struggle, creative anarchy, and macramé ponchos, Radio Alice provides a fascinating glimpse of the protests of that time. In a working-class district on the outskirts of Bologna, Sgualo and Pelo hang out at the local café, unwilling to seek meaningful, well paying jobs. They don't mind the occasional shady work for the local hood Marangon, but they're convinced there is little future for them, whatever way they turn.

Changing Destiny by Daniele Gaglianone, 2004

Oct 26 and 27, 7:30 p.m.

Alessandro and Ferdi are looking for their own place in the world, an oasis in the rubbish left by the deserted factories in the dilapidated area in which they live.

Sacred Heart by Ferzen Ozpetek, 2005

Oct 7, 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.

Having successfully followed in the footsteps of her entrepreneurial real estate agent father, Irene Ravelli discovers a part of herself that had been hidden until now. Her path to self-discovery starts in the family home, where her mother's room has remained just as she left it when she died mysteriously almost 30 years earlier. Irene's encounters with her mother's memory and with Benny, an unpredictable young tramp, lead to a life-changing conflict.

Facing Windows by Ferzan Ozpetek, 2003

Oct. 5, 9:15 p.m. and Oct 6, 7 p.m.

This award-winning film portrays a young working-class wife and mother, Giovanna, who has no time for the senile man her husband has rescued from the streets. But as she uncovers the stranger's secrets, an unexpected freedom is unlocked within her—a freedom that leads to a fulfillment that her husband and family cannot provide.

The series has been made possible by the Sprout Fund and the University of Pittsburgh School of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office, the Center for West European Studies, the Film Studies Program, the Department of French and Italian Languages and Literatures, the Cultural Studies Program, and the Italian Club. For more information visit www.pghfilmmakers.org or www.pitt.edu/~frit/ih