Interlude: Cinema! Pranzo Di Ferragosto (2008)
Last night, Andrew and I were in the mood for an Italian cinematic experience to accompany our red wine and pepperoni pizza. Unfortunately, the pickings are somewhat slim from our usual video on demand sources (why is this?!) but we were lucky to find a true gem of a film called Mid-August Lunch or in Italian, Pranzo di Ferragosto (2008) on Amazon Prime. It seemed fated that one of the few Italian language films we could find is also a film about food, though I suppose the odds aren't entirely unlikely.
The film stars Gianni Di Gregorio (who also directed it) as the woefully dutiful son of his aging (though decidedly non-ageist) mother. As her full-time caretaker (and personal chef, as it happens), Gianni is unable to have a job and the duo has fallen on hard times. Despite the hardships facing them, including being evicted from their gorgeous (though slightly shabby) condo in the center of Rome, Gianni won't let life get him down - he still enjoys small pleasures like good wine (bought on credit) and delicious food. The movie is about Gianni's struggle to care for his mother and three additional elderly women, who landed in his lap due to circumstances out of his control, for two days during the mid-August holiday of Ferragosto.
I had never heard of Ferragosto before, I know that Italians take holiday in August but I hadn't heard the word before. A quick Google search told me that it is basically a name for a Feast Day that coincides with the Assumption of Mary but is more generally used to describe the second weekend in August when everyone takes off for vacation. A Ferragosto lunch or dinner is traditional. Gianni takes every moment in stride, from dietary dilemmas to mid-night escapees, and what ensues makes for a charming comedy about family, filial obligation in Italian culture, and the importance of small pleasures in life as one is faced with getting older.
The movie was full of rich Italian language, hilarious dialogue, and lots of inspiration for Italian meals to come (pesce al forno con patate anyone?). I loved the characters, in all of their subtleties, and as I watched the drama play out I felt like I was watching people I knew well. I saw my grandmother and great-aunts reflected in Valeria, Marina, Maria, and Grazia and it really warmed my heart. There's something so particular about the Italian woman as she ages, a real non so che of her own, but I think that's a blog post for another time...
For now, I look forward to more Italian movies, recommendations always welcome!
The film stars Gianni Di Gregorio (who also directed it) as the woefully dutiful son of his aging (though decidedly non-ageist) mother. As her full-time caretaker (and personal chef, as it happens), Gianni is unable to have a job and the duo has fallen on hard times. Despite the hardships facing them, including being evicted from their gorgeous (though slightly shabby) condo in the center of Rome, Gianni won't let life get him down - he still enjoys small pleasures like good wine (bought on credit) and delicious food. The movie is about Gianni's struggle to care for his mother and three additional elderly women, who landed in his lap due to circumstances out of his control, for two days during the mid-August holiday of Ferragosto.
I had never heard of Ferragosto before, I know that Italians take holiday in August but I hadn't heard the word before. A quick Google search told me that it is basically a name for a Feast Day that coincides with the Assumption of Mary but is more generally used to describe the second weekend in August when everyone takes off for vacation. A Ferragosto lunch or dinner is traditional. Gianni takes every moment in stride, from dietary dilemmas to mid-night escapees, and what ensues makes for a charming comedy about family, filial obligation in Italian culture, and the importance of small pleasures in life as one is faced with getting older.
The movie was full of rich Italian language, hilarious dialogue, and lots of inspiration for Italian meals to come (pesce al forno con patate anyone?). I loved the characters, in all of their subtleties, and as I watched the drama play out I felt like I was watching people I knew well. I saw my grandmother and great-aunts reflected in Valeria, Marina, Maria, and Grazia and it really warmed my heart. There's something so particular about the Italian woman as she ages, a real non so che of her own, but I think that's a blog post for another time...
For now, I look forward to more Italian movies, recommendations always welcome!
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