On the occasion of International Women’s Day, the Embassy of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute, in collaboration with Knock Out Abuse, present the US premiere of Ma l’amore c’entra? (Is It About Love?) with the participation of director Elisabetta Lodoli.
The documentary recounts the lives of three men, Paolo, Luca and Giorgio (aliases), who testify on their stories of violence against women and, recognizing their own faults, are now looking for a way to change.
The screening will be followed by a panel discussion featuring director Elisabetta Lodoli and Mary Margaret Scharf. A Knock Out Abuse honoree, survivor and advocate against domestic violence, Mary Margaret shares her story hoping to raise awareness on such a critical issue that has no social boundaries.
Director: Elisabetta Lodoli
Italy, 2017, 53 min
Film in Italian with English subtitles
LOCATION
Embassy of Italy
3000 Whitehaven Street NW
Washington, DC 20008
REGISTRATION & PHOTO ID REQUIRED
DOORS OPEN 30 MINUTES PRIOR EVENT START-TIME
Due to new safety regulations, we are not allowed to add extra seats to the auditorium or let anyone stand. A registration is not a guarantee of a seat as these are assigned on a first-come first-served basis.
RESERVATIONS ACCEPTED EXCLUSIVELY THROUGH EVENTBRITE. NO PHONE OR EMAIL RSVP AVAILABLE
PREVIEW (via YouTube)
Her love for film was strengthened and turned into a professional path after her Masters in Film and Television Directing at the California lnstitute of the Arts (CALARTS) in Los Angeles, where she graduated with the short film Off Season (1988) that screened at the lnternational Film Festival of Turin (1988) and of Rotterdam (1989), and won the Silver Seagull at the Festival of ltalian lndependent Cinema of Bellaria (1989) After returning to Rome in ltaly, in 1996, she made her first feature film, La Venere di Willendorf (The Venus of Willendorf) For ltalian TV channel Rai 1. She directed the tv movie Piu’ leggero non basta (A lighter burden to bear) (1998) with Giovanna Mezzogiorno and Stefano Accorsi and the TV series Lui e Lei (Him and Her) (2000) and Stiamo Bene Insieme (We’re Happy Together)(2002). Her documentaries include: La pace a due voci (Two voices peace) (1992) on the lsreali-Palestinian conflict; Nisansala, La Tranquilla (Nisansala, The Quiet One) (2002), portrait of a young Sri Lankan woman in Rome, produced by Biancafilm; Voyage in the world of Children’s Book Illustration, produced by VIVO FILM (2006); and finally Stolica (Chair)(2013) on Bosnia 20 years after the end of the war. From the portrait of Nisansala, she developed her first novel for young adults, Questo mare non è il mio mare (This sea is not my sea) (Fabbri ed. 2007).
MARY MARGARET SCHARF
An accomplished Skadden Arps attorney, Mary Margaret Scharf was a victim of domestic violence. In 2010, she survived a brutal attack from her ex-husband, a former Fortune 500 General Counsel and Deputy White House Counsel who is now imprisoned for attempted murder. An honoree of Knock Out Abuse, Mary Margaret has become an advocate speaking out against domestic violence, urging society to become intolerant of domestic violence and hold abusers accountable for their actions.
KNOCK OUT ABUSE
Knock out Abuse is a Washington, DC based organization that envisions a community free from domestic violence. Knock Out Abuse leverages its extensive network of corporate, retail and philanthropic partners to strengthen and support organizations that serve women and children who are victims of domestic violence in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia. Our organization works with its passionate supporters to bring attention to the devastating effect of domestic violence on its victims, their families and our community.
Since 1993, Knock Out Abuse has raised over $9 million to provide transformational support to more than 25,000 women and children whose lives have been shattered by abuse, poverty and homelessness. Through our direct service providers Bethany House of Northern Virginia, Safe Shores, Crossway Community and the DC Volunteer Lawyer Project, these women and children receive counseling, long and short-term housing, legal assistance and necessary resources to help them live happy, healthy and successful lives.
ONLINE: www.knockoutabuse.org