It’s time again in Stresa for Cineforum, the highly successful annual event that brings four diverse and cinematographically renowned films to Stresa. Over the next month, Cineforum 2010 will present the following films in the Palazzina Liberty:

Friday, February 19: Gran Torino, directed by Clint Eastwood

Friday, February 26: Questione di Cuore, by Francesca Archibugi

Friday, March 5: The Millionaire, by Danny Boyle

Friday, March 12: La Felicita’ Porta Fortuna – Happy Go Lucky, by Mike Leigh

Entrance is free, and so, if you happen to in Stresa on one of these evenings and you’d like the opportunity to test your Italian and see a great film, take advantage.

Here's a link to the Comune site, where some information is given (in Italian) about each film: http://www.comune.stresa.vb.it/

Going to the movies while traveling in Italy is indeed a great way to practice listening to Italian and to enjoy a bit of normal, not touristy, everyday activity. I make a theater visit a part of every trip that I make here. It’s usually a reminder of how much more I need to learn, but at least I get to measure my progress in this way. On movie nights with my friend Giuseppe, I don’t challenge myself terribly much. We usually choose a film based on how easy the dialogue will be. Therefore, action films are good. Not too much speaking. Children’s films are also good for me. Movies I’ve already seen in English are definitely better, but I’m not allowed to choose those anymore. With these criteria in mind, some of the films we’ve seen have been “300”, “The Mummy Returns”, and “Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince”. The cinema experience itself I find to be much the same as mine in the U.S. – but still slightly different. In the theater in Castelletto we buy our ticket, but then we go into the bar at the theater for an aperitivo of wine, beer, or spritz before the film. We enter the theater in the Cineplex where our film of choice is being shown, but we can’t choose our seats; we have assigned ones stamped on the ticket. We have popcorn, and boxes of candy, and too many previews before the film starts. That part’s just the same as here. The film starts. I try to concentrate. Don’t think, don’t translate in my head, just listen. Be in the moment with the film. Giuseppe and the audience all laugh. I have no idea why. Giuseppe looks at me to see if I am laughing, if I get the joke. This throws off my concentration. I try to pay attention again. I pick up an entire section of dialogue. Yay! Then I stop to think about what I just heard and miss the next few minutes. Between listening, trying not to blink or look away, and trying to get my share of popcorn all at the same time, by the end of a film I have had quite a mental workout.

We go to a restaurant after. I think I can relax now, but it isn’t so, because now comes the post-movie quiz. This is where, during pizzas and wine, I ask Giuseppe to ask me trivia questions from the film, to test my comprehension while it is still fresh in my mind. Why did the character do that? What was so-and-so angry about? Where did he say the something-or-other was? Giuseppe is smiling; this time not for the film, but for my complete and total ignorance. I get almost every question wrong. Well! I say… we’ll just have to try again…