AnnoZero

If you're looking for some lively debate "all'italiana", then check out a very popular RAI television show called AnnoZero - a program which brings together guests from all aspects of Italian politics and current events for lively debates on current events and important issues. This is a great program, and previous episodes can be watched online or live on the web site, and it is one of the few programs that those outside of Italy can watch through RAI's web site without having to be in the country.

Last week's program (on February 5, 2009) discussed a controversial law that seeks to limit wiretaps on telephones and to punish those who publish such converations in the press. The debate proved to be quite "lively". An archive of past shows can also be watched online. The sound and picture quality are quite good, and you're bound to learn a lot watching these programs. Not only will you get a good "language workout" but you'll learn a lot about issues facing Italy and Italians at the same time!

Divorzio all'italiana

Marcello Mastroianni plays the role of "cornuto" very well in Pietro Germi's Divorzio all'italiana (Divorce, Italian Style), and this film is certainly a testament to his skills as an actor and as an artist.  If you're looking to improve your Italian listening skills, what better way than with this exquisite film by Pietro Germi.

This black-and-white film is a comedy on so many levels and vascillates between serious and comedic at various intervals throughout the movie.  Brilliant are the flashbacks and dream sequences, as well as certain sections where the protaganist, Ferdinando (played by Mastroianni), reminds the tape only to see the action of the film "rewound" for the viewer, who is privileged not only to hear by to see the events as they happen.  Flashbacks provide comedic interludes, such as when Ferdinando dreams of his wife being engulfed in quicksand while buried under beach sand or when he wishes her dead, stabs her and then drowns her in the very soap that provokes her anger. 

The film is a flashback of events that happened three years from the "present day" in which the film begins, and we sit back and watch the events unfold through the character of Ferdinando, which provides a unique perspective of the film's events. The story is a silly one on so many levels and begins with Mastroianni's character longing for a divorce from his suffocating wife so that he can marry his cousin, the beautiful Angela.  With divorce being illegal and Mastroianni's character of some importance, he must play the situation carefully.  Mastroianni orchestrates for his wife to fall in love with another so that he can finally be free of her.

The story is so masterful and creative that to reveal it all here would not do it justice.

As a student of Italian, this film provides a plethora of opporunity to test your language skills as well as learn new words as well as experience a wonderful gem of Italian cinematic history.  It's so fun to watch a film without the aid of subtitles, although there were a few instances where I was lost and used the subtitles briefly.

Criterion's web site has an excellent essay on the movie, and I would also recommend the Criterion edition of the film, as it has been restored (although the subtitles, if you need them, are useful but not always completely accurate).  The Italian version (in PAL format) is also available, too.

Saturno Contro

I recently saw the movie, Saturno Contro (IBS or Amazon), by the director Ferzan Ozpetek, which came out in 2006 and was recently released in the American market by Strand Releasing. This is a wonderfully directed and beautifully shot film about the lives of friends who suffer an immense tragedy when one of their friends, Luca, suffers a hemorrage, falls into a coma, and ultimately passes away. Throughout all of this, each of the friends suffers further setbacks as each comes to terms with losing such a dear friend while, at the same time, dealing with their own personal problems - from infidelity, to coping with loss, to realizing that the last words you had with your departed friend were bad ones...

I dare not say more as not to ruin the story or the nuances of the film, but, this is, by far one of the best films of this director and one of the best films that I have ever seen. This is also a great film with which to practice your Italian. The language spoken is quite approachable -- intermediate students and above will get a great "workout" with this film. Even as a beginner, perhaps with the help of subtitles, you can enjoy and improve your Italian by watching this film. Watching films is one of the best ways to improve your Italian and better your listening comprehension -- and with movies, if you get stuck or think that you're missing something, you can turn on the subtitles and sort of check your understanding.

Even the music of the film is quite luscious with songs by Neffa and Carmen Consoli. Check out the soundtrack here -- IBS or Amazon.

La Storia Siamo Noi

If you're interested in recent Italian history, check out La Storia Siamo Noi on Rai Education's web site. This web site features many videos of shows that have aired on television. Many of the episodes that you can view on TV feature additional articles that often accompany the video episode. Sometimes the video doesn't play on cue and can require a bit of patience, and the videos are best to watch with a high speed connection to ensure continuity.

The episodes can be anything from events in Italian history to events that have had an impact on Italian society and Italian history as well as important international events, such as the Cold War, the Kennedy/Nixon debate among others.

The episodes are fun and challenging, and you might find at times that they are hard to follow, especially with those speakers who talk extremely fast or with accents/dialects that might be difficult to comprehend. This diversity and its the range of accents and the range of people interviewed should certainly provide a good workout for your listening skills not to mention learning more about the icons and figures of Italian history and culture.

Some episodes to consider:

• Corrado...e basta - learn about this important television personality and presenter, an icon in Italian culture and the history of television
• Il Massacro del Circeo - learn about the killing of the Italian writer and director, Pier Paolo Pasolini
• The Great Debate - get an Italian perspective on the Nixon/Kennedy debates
  

Watch the videos on their web site or through RaiClick.

And a thank you to my friend Adriano for putting me onto this awesome site!

Spot 80

You might laugh when I say this, but listening to and watching Italian TV commercials can be an interesting (and often humorous) way to improve your Italian. The great thing about Italian TV commercials is:

1. They're short - no listening for hours and getting frustrated.
   
2. They don't require a huge amount of your attention span and can make learning more compact.

Check out this site, Spot 80 -- a collection of Italian TV commercials from the late 70's to early 90's. Lo spot or a television ad can really add some fun and humor to your Italian learning. Some of them are even considered iconic among Italians (such as the ones embedded below!). Explore the site and try to listen to the commercials to see what products are being pushed, how they are being advertised, and try to see if you can understand what is being said.