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FILMS Italy

From the Waist Down a prison Cyrano tale

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As in a modern version of Cyrano de Bergerac, Gianfrancesco Lazotti’s From the Waist Down [+see also:
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begins with a letter written per interposta persona: Rosalba (Nicoletta Romanoff) can’t find the right words to communicate with her boyfriend Danilo (Filippo Nigro), who has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Luckily, her best friend Katia (Cristiana Capotondi) is good with words. Confined to a wheelchair because of muscular dystrophy, Katie continues the correspondence even after Rosalba decides to dump Danilo.

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The story may seem a literary invention, yet Katia really exists. "I met her", says Capotondi. "She’s a young woman who refuses to be pitied, just the character in the film. Who tries to determine the course of her own life". The actress added: "The director chose to show her wheelchair rarely, so that we can identify in her all women who have ever loved passionately."

Prison and disability thus remain in the background. "Important themes back u the background, the frame around the portraits of three people. I didn’t want to make a sociological or political film,” explains Lazotti, who also wrote the script. What prevails are the character’s psychologies, especially that of Danilo, "an implosive character,” according to Nigro, “who thinks that feelings shouldn’t be discussed, but felt, yet who will find the words through Katia".

The film’s release was announced in May the later postponed, allowing it to take part in Montreal’s World Film Festival (Special Grand Prize of the Jury) and Taormina (Best Film and Best Performance for its leads). Produced by Rosa Film in collaboration with Facciapiatta and RAI Cinema, From the Waist Down will be out on November 19 through 01 on approximately 70 screens.

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(Translated from Italian)

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