Mafia: Cinematic Journeys

A lecture about representation of Italian organized crime in film and media by USD Professor and SDIFF Artistic Director Antonio Iannotta

Why the fascination with the criminal lives of Italian and Italian American Mafia representatives? Antonio Iannotta, artistic director of the San Diego Italian Film Festival (SDIFF) and USD Professor in Italian Studies, analyzes the phenomenon in recent Italian movies like Roberta Torre’s Angela, Marco Bellocchio’s Il Traditore, and Mario Martone’s Nostalgia, as well as in Italian-American creations including The Godfather, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos. These stories will be contextualized historically through the lens of activist photographer Letizia Battaglia.

The presentation will be followed by arancini and beverages, donated by Monzu Fresh Pasta.

Photo: a moment in Mario Martone’s Nostalgia

MORE ABOUT OUR SPEAKER:

Antonio Iannotta has been teaching Italian Studies at the University of San Diego since 2015. He has taught Italian Cinema at UCSD and at San Diego State University, and Italian language and culture at the Italian Cultural Center of San Diego. Dr. Iannotta has published articles and book chapters on film, TV series, literature, comics, and theory of media, as well as the books Lo sguardo sottratto. Samuel Beckett e i media (2006) and Il cinema audiotattile. Suono e immagine nell’esperienza filmica (2017). He is the Artistic Director of the San Diego Italian Film Festival.