Thursday 17 and Friday 18 July (from 8.30 pm to midnight | free entry | info and programme at cinemadelreale.it), Piazza San Nicola in Corigliano d’Otranto will be transformed into an open-air cinema under the stars to host Musikì, a festival dedicated to the most daring, curious and inventive visions of the contemporary documentary and music scene. Two evenings of archive films, live music and collective memory, featuring Super 8 films, documentaries, short films and period footage, on a journey spanning Puglia, Southern Italy, the Mediterranean and finally arriving in America. The focus will be on civil, religious and social themes, told through the stories of men and women, reflections on work, migration, political views and personal narratives. The first evening will feature the premiere of Daniele Cini’s film *Giro di Banda*, about the Salento-born trumpeter Cesare Dell’Anna, who also directed a music video about Trump. The documentary chronicles his original and tireless artistic quest and will conclude with a musical performance. The second evening will end with an intimate and political portrait of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, exploring activism, music and love. Of particular note are the collaborations with AAMOD – the Audiovisual Archive of the Workers’ and Democratic Movement, Home Movies, and the Donato Dimitri and Salvatore Panizza Archive for Argalìo. As Nietzsche said, “One cannot live without music”: cinema and music – together – can awaken the soul, tell stories, make people dance, protest and heal. Musikì is a travelling, grassroots cinema, without red carpets, which takes to the streets, squares and courtyards of Salento, inviting the public to come together, discover and share. Following these two evenings in the village, on Saturday 19 July (from 8.00 pm until dawn | info and programme at cinemadelreale.it), the Castello Volante will host the ‘Improvvisazioni!’ programme, the twenty-second edition of the Festival of Real and Unreal Cinema: a wild night of cinema, screenings, performances, installations, music and talks. Under the artistic direction of Paolo Pisanelli and the creative coordination of Francesco Maggiore, Musikì is conceived and organised by Big Sur, Cinema del reale and Officinavisioni, in collaboration with SEI Festival by Coolclub, MultiService Eco and Castello Volante, as part of the programme for Borgo Volante, a project by the Municipality of Corigliano d’Otranto, supported by the Ministry of Culture – Fund for Development and Cohesion.
PROGRAMME
Thursday 17 July kicks off at 9.00 pm with *La prima volta*, a short film produced in collaboration with *Home Movies*, the archive of family film memories. At 9.15 pm, a short film in collaboration with AAMOD – the Audiovisual Archive of the Workers’ and Democratic Movement. At 9.30 pm, the programme features *Trump@*, a Palestinian comeback story, a music video directed by Cesare Dell’Anna, and *Giro di Banda*, which introduces the audience to the world of the protagonist of the evening’s second part. At 9.45 pm, ‘Giro di Banda’ will be screened – Daniele Cini’s documentary dedicated to Cesare Dell’Anna. A film that chronicles his original and tireless musical quest, spanning traditional bands, migrant sounds, circus arts and a thirst for freedom. A journey against the tide, fuelled by passion, restlessness and the desire for a different kind of music. The evening will draw to a close at around 11.15 pm with a live performance featuring the trumpeter and composer’s collaborators, ending on a note of energy and shared celebration.
On Friday 18 July, the programme resumes at 9.00 pm with *Crociera sull’Augustus* from the *Almanacco Home Movies* series. At 9.15 pm, it’s the turn of *La Liberazione*, a family film by Michele Manzolini and Paolo Simoni, again in collaboration with Home Movies: forty minutes of history seen through the eyes of ordinary people. Amateur footage depicts Italy at the end of the war, amidst rubble and hope, grief and newfound freedoms. At 10.00 pm, there will be a segment introducing the Donato Dimitri and Salvatore Panizza Amateur Film Archive, which preserves the history of the Circolo Argalìo in Corigliano d’Otranto. The programme resumes at 10.15 pm with a short film in collaboration with AAMOD – the Audiovisual Archive of the Workers’ and Democratic Movement. Immediately afterwards, at 10.30 pm, *A Gaza* by the poet, writer and translator Alberto Masala. A poetic monologue recounting the daily horror experienced by Palestinian civilians. An act of silent resistance, where the voice of children – sadly absent – becomes the most powerful indictment. To round off the evening, at 10.30 pm, *One to One – Yoko and John*. Beginning with John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s time in New York between 1971 and 1973, the film reconstructs – through archive footage, telephone calls and TV footage – a private and political portrait of two exceptional figures who peacefully protested against the war and, together, sought to change the world through the power of music and activism.
FREE ENTRY
Information and programme:
www.cinemadelreale.it
