Clowns

In a provincial theatre, a small company is rehearsing a show based on the opera “I Pagliacci”. There is no orchestra but only a piano and the singers. The audience is small, including the mother of the singer, a rich lady who is funding the project, his sister and a few other people involved in the show. During a dinner party hosted by the rich lady, the guests undergo a hypnosis session. The two children confront their mother with their suffering and resentment, and the impossibility to free themselves from this burden.

From teenage rebellion to religious institutions to political subversion, the films of Italian director Marco Bellocchio have explored the social and political contradictions of his country. His prolific 50-year career has been closely intertwined with the complexities and discrepancies of Italian history. Bellocchio's works are known for being politically-engaged and often attacking symbols of Italian conformism. His darkly funny debut feature, 1965‘s FISTS IN THE POCKET, about an existentially-tormented teenager, is often credited with having anticipated the youth rebellion that would shake the foundations of Italian society. Throughout the 70s, Bellocchio‘s cinema explored the political tumult of the time. He denounced religion with 1971's IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER and the military with 1976's VICTORY MARCH. From the 80s on, Bellocchio's films have often focused on coming to terms with a personally and politically turbulent past. He has questioned ideologies and moral issues and fought to make sense of his characters' motives. He has confronted the conflict between the Church and the radical Left without aligning himself with either. His films compose a rich, fascinating and humane investigation of Italian life, whether modern or historical. Bellocchio was born in Piacenza, Italy, in 1939. In 1959, he suspended his studies in philosophy at Milan's Catholic University to enroll at the Experimental Center for Cinematography in Rome. He made several short films in the early 60s and studied at London's Slade School of Fine Arts. Bellocchio was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice International Film Festival in 2011.

FEATURE FILMOGRAPHY
2016 SWEET DREAMS
2015 BLOOD OF MY BLOOD
2012 DORMANT BEAUTY
2010 SORELLE MAI
2009 VINCERE
2006 SORELLE
2006 THE WEDDING DIRECTOR
2003 GOOD MORNING, NIGHT
2002 MY MOTHER'S SMILE
1999 THE NANNY
1997 THE PRINCE OF HOMBURG
1994 IL SOGNO DELLA FARFALLA
1991 THE CONVICTION
1988 SABBA - DIE HEXE
1986 DEVIL IN THE FLESH
1984 HENRY IV
1982 THE EYES, THE MOUTH
1980 VACATION IN VAL TREBBIA
1980 A LEAP IN THE DARK
1977 IL GABBIANO
1976 VICTORY MARCH
1972 KNALLT DAS MONSTER AUF DIE TITELSEITE
1971 IM NAMEN DES VATERS
1969 LIEBE UND ZORN (SEGMENT "DISCUTIAMO, DISCUTIAMO")
1967 CHINA IST NAHE
1965 FISTS IN THE POCKET
1962 GINEPRO FATTO UOMO