Italian citizens can be called to serve on juries for certain criminal cases. They don't get much time to think about it, either: on the day before appearing for jury selection, they're randomly selected by a computer system. And so, one morning at 10 o'clock, 60 tense Italians take their place in a Court of Assizes that was, as one potential juror whispers, built under Mussolini. The camera never gives an overview shot, but always films each individual in close-up. Their whispers, nervous questions, funny comments and discomfort are all captured and brought together in a soft cacophony full of reflection on this remarkable civic duty. A drawn-out and infamous criminal case from 1974 and the judge’s claim that no one needs to be scared of the mafia lend an extra dimension to this fascinating cinematic observation.
A free admission film festival made possible thanks to the support of New Italian Cinema Events.
Penn Cinema & Media Studies, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in Philadelphia, presents the 2018 edition of NEW ITALIAN CINEMA. The festival has been curated by Nicola M. Gentili and aims at showing very recent Italian released films in Philadelphia.
All movies in Italian with English subtitles.
