Cinema in Piazza Summer Film Program
On the occasion of the Upstate Art Weekend, Magazzino Italian Art is pleased to present the annual Cinema in Piazza Summer Film Program. This year’s program will feature a curated selection of movies across two weekends in June and August. The selection of film is dedicated to the themes of music, memory, artistic and historic heritage. Each feature length film will be introduced by a short documentary highlighting Magazzino’s recent exhibitions.
Saturday, June 27
Viva Verdi! (2024) by Yvonne Russo
Sunday, June 28
Liliana (2024) by Ruggero Gabbai
Saturday, August 15
Ennio: The Maestro (2021) by Giuseppe Tornatore
Sunday, August 16
The Legend of 1900 (1998) by Giuseppe Tornatore
Program
Saturday, June 27
Viva Verdi! (2024) by Yvonne Russo
This Oscar-nominated documentary explores Casa Verdi in Milan, the legacy retirement home formusicians founded in 1886 by composer Giuseppe Verdi. The film follows residents aged 77 to 107 asthey continue to perform, teach, and mentor international young music students who live amongthem.
Sunday, June 28
Liliana (2024) by Ruggero Gabbai
A documentary by Ruggero Gabbai narrating the life of Liliana Segre, the Italian holocaust survivorand senator for life. The film traces her journey from childhood under Italy’s racial laws, herdeportation to Auschwits at 13 years old, and lifelong work rebuilding her life and promoting humanrights.
The August weekend will be entirely dedicated to Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore,presenting two of his films:
Saturday, August 15
Ennio: The Maestro (2021) by GiuseppeTornatore
In this documentary, Tornatore pays tribute to the italian composer Ennio Morricone (1928–2020).Widely regarded as one of the greatest film composers of all time, Morricone brought his classicaltraining from the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia in Rome into cinema, blending it with jazz, pop, andavant-garde influences. Morricone’s genius is explored through inedited interviews with the composerhimself, as well as testimonies from many of the renowned directors he collaborated with, includingSergio Leone, Clint Eastwood, Oliver Stone, Hans Zimer, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Hans Zimmer andDario Argento and Quentin Tarantino, among others.
Sunday, August 16
The Legend of 1900 (1998) by Giuseppe Tornatore
Based on Italian writer Alessandro Baricco's novel Novecento, the film tells the story of DannyBoodmann T.D. Lemon 1900, a musical prodigy born aboard an ocean liner. He spends his entire lifeon the ship, never setting foot on landand becoming a legendary pianist. The ship becomes a worldsuspended between reality and imagination, where music becomes a way of dreaming beyond visiblehorizons. Through 1900’s talent, the ocean is transformed into a space of memory, melancholy, andinfinite possibility, reflecting what critics described as Tornatore’s “affirmation of the power of theimagination.”
All screenings will take place in the courtyard of Magazzino’s Main Building. In case of rain, thescreening may be moved to the Spazio Aperto in the Robert Olnick Pavillion. Food and refreshmentswill be available for purchase from 5pm onwards. Screening begins at dusk.