The charismatic Gianni Di Gregorio stars in his directorial debut – an utterly charming tale of good food, feisty ladies and unlikely friendships during a very Roman holiday. Broke, and armed with only a glass of wine and a wry sense of humor, middle-aged Gianni resides with his 93-year-old mother in their ancient apartment. The condo debts are mounting, but if Gianni looks after the building manager’s mother during the Pranzo di Ferragosto (Italy’s biggest summer holiday, and the Feast of the Assumption), all will be forgiven. The manager also shows up with an auntie as well, and then a doctor friend arrives with his mother… Can Gianni keep four such lively mamas well fed and happy in these cramped quarters?
Winner of numerous prizes at international festivals, including Best First Film at Venice and the Satyajit Ray Award at London, and the Golden Snail at the Academy of Food and Film in Bologna, “Mid-August Lunch” is both a warmly vibrant family drama and a delicately balanced comedy of manners.
Part of a series of events linked to Milan’s EXPO 2015 “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” [May – October 2015]
American Art Museum event page: click here
 Director: Gianni Di GregorioItaly, 2008, 75 minutes Film in Italian with English subtitles TRAILER (via YouTube) |
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| LOCATION McEvoy Auditorium Smithsonian American Art Museum 8th Street and F Street NW Washington, DC 20004 |
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THE DIRECTOR: GIANNI DI GREGORIO
Born in Rome in 1949 , Di Gregorio grew up, and still lives, in the Trastevere district of Rome. Di Gregorio studied acting and directing in the Italian capital, before becoming a screenwriter. In 1996 he began collaborating with the director Matteo Garrone on films like Roman Summer, The Embalmer and First Love. Di Gregorio was one of the writers of Garrone’s acclaimed ruthless portrait of the Neapolitan Mafia Gomorrah.