Italo
Description
Overwhelmed by strays, the Sicilian town of Scicli has placed a ban on unleashed dogs. A particular problem arises when mayor Antonio Blanco, who is bound to uphold the edict, discovers that his son Meno has attracted the affections of a friendly golden retriever who displays an aversion to leashes and fences and prefers to roam the streets unguided. Though the townspeople initially want the pooch penned, he begins to win them over when he starts performing remarkable protective acts, including saving a woman from being mugged and escorting Meno and his classmates to school. Taking a cue from its canine protagonist’s behavior, Italo also rambles around Scicli’s baroque alleys taking note of the various folks who populate them. From the trio of old men who provide a running commentary while sitting on a park bench to a vociferous talk-show host who threatens to unseat Antonio, director Alessia Scarso evinces the waggish charms of small-town life. The film, which is based on a true story and a real dog, is sure to be beloved by connoisseurs of canine cinema.
Alessia Scarso grew up in the Sicilian town of Modica and graduated from film school in Rome. With Italo, she makes her feature debut. Upon first reading the news stories about Italo, she went to Scicli and was surprised and overwhelmed when the dog kept her company while she wandered around. Planning on writing a love story for her first project, she instead fell in love with this particular tale and this particular pooch and chose these subjects for her first feature film.
Trailer
//www.youtube.com/embed/Y37JOHT5QPwFilm Details
Language Italian
Original Language Title Italo barocco
Year 2015
Runtime 104
Country Italy
Director Alessia Scarso
Producer Roberta Trovato
Writer Coralla Ciccolini, Isabella Aguilar
Editor Alessia Scarso
Cinematographer Daria D'Antonio
Music Marco Cascone
Cast Marco Bocci, Elena Radonicich, Barbara Tabita
Print Source Notorious Pictures