Mid-August Lunch
Pranzo di ferragosto
Mid-August Lunch
Italy 2008
directed by:
Gianni di Gregorio
screenplay:
Gianni Di Gregorio, Simone Riccardini
cinematography:
Gian Enrico Bianchi
music:
Ratchev & Carratello
sound:
Filippo Porcari
editing
Marco Spoletini
cast
Gianni Di Gregorio, Valeria De Franciscis, Marina Cacciotto, Maria Calì, Grazia Cesarini Sforza, Alfonso Santagata, Luigi Marchetti, Marcello Ottolenghi, Petre Rosu, Biagio Ursitti
producer
Matteo Garrone
production
Fandango S.r.l.
Viale Gorizia 19, 00198 Rim
E fandango@fandango.it
world sales
Fandango S.r.l.
format
35 mm, barvni/colour
running time
75'
»They stay where you leave them … They are perfectly tame, obedient and a bit senile,« says the manager of a condominium when he leaves his mother in Giovanni’s care on the Italian holiday of Ferragosto. Due to his numerous financial debts, Giovanni is forced to accept the offer. In addition to the mother, the manager brings also his aunt, while his personal physician brings his mother. Giovanni thus finds himself in the role of a cook, servant, consoler and mediator between the four congenially helpless pensioners in an improvised old people’s home in his own apartment. Used to his wealthy and mouthy mother and her whims, he plays the role beautifully.
Mid-August Lunch is a simple, charming and witty story about the life of the elderly, which genuinely and honestly dishes up plenty of refined cynicism. Di Gregorio draws parallels between the period of the so-called Ferragosto, the synonym of the desolation of Italian cities and the mass pilgrimages to holiday locations, and the loneliness of the ladies in the autumn of their lives. The idea for the film is autobiographical. Di Gregorio spent ten years with his widowed mother and, one day, his friend actually did ask him to look after his mother during the holidays. He turned him down then, but he always wanted to make an ironic and somewhat cynical comedy on the life of the elderly and their social exclusion. The filmmaker’s debut tells a little tale about the little people (except for di Gregorio in the leading role and Alfonso Santagata, the cast consists of non-professional actors) and by way of small and precious details from everyday life presents a tender and genuine intergenerational harmony.
»For many years, I had to contend with my mother alone, with her powerful personality, surrounded by her world. I experienced, got to know and came to love the richness, vitality and strength of the universe of the elderly. But I also noticed their loneliness and frailty.« (Gianni di Gregorio)
Gianni di Gregorio
Gianni di Gregorio was born in 1949 in Rome. He started his artistic career in the theatre, in a research laboratory under the mentorship of prof. Alessandro Fersno, who worked with numerous experimental theatre groups. After three years of acting and working as assistant director in the theatre, he started working exclusively on film, above all as scriptwriter and assistant director (Ospiti, Ľ imbalsamatore, Primo amore, Gomorra). He wrote numerous scripts for Felice Farina and Marco Colli, consolidating his scriptwriting renown with Gomorra by Matteo Garrone, based on a novel by Roberto Saviano, with whom he co-authored the script. With his directorial debut, he impressed the audience and received the Lion of the Future award at the 65th Venice Film Festival.
