Souls of Naples ( Zielen van Napels ) ( Psyhes tis Napolis )

Souls of Naples (DVD) (*)

~~$20.99~~ $14.97

Original Title: Zielen van Napels
Alternate Title: Psyhes tis Napolis
Screened, competed or awarded at:
Other Film Festival Awards

Language Selections:
Dutch ( Subtitles )
English ( Subtitles )
French ( Subtitles )
Italian ( Dolby Digital 2.0 )

Product Origin/Format:
Netherlands ( PAL/Region 2 )

Running Time:
94 min

Aspect Ratio:
Widescreen (1.78:1)

Special Features:
Cast/Crew Interview(s)
Interactive Menu
Scene Access
Trailer(s)

Movie filmed in 2005 and produced in:
Netherlands ( France, Benelux )

Directed By:
Vincent Monnikendam

Written By:
Vincent Monnikendam

Actors:
Vincent Monnikendam

Synopsis:

In Souls of Naples, director Vincent Monnikendam paints a fascinating and intimate portrait of the two worlds of Naples-the comfortable world of the aristocratic strata and the struggle of the city's impoverished. Spending most of his time with the poor, he captures the poignancy of people living at the edge and their instinct for survival. Living under the shadow of an active volcano, these Neapolitans are matter-of-fact with the topic of life and death and seem to be happy even as they suffer. When one Neapolitan ask his friend how he gets on, his friend replies, "Have you ever heard of the University of the Streets?" Monnikendam begins his film with a conversation between two Neapolitan women about the various suicides in the recent past, and the different ways and places people use to escape the struggle of the harshness of life in Naples. He contrasts these uneducated life views with the bureaucratic rhetoric of the rich, represented here by members of Pio Monte who believe they are fulfilling the humanitarian 400-year code of their organization, which has been to care for the poor. But the poor do not feel cared for in Naples. As one woman puts it: "You have to be rich here. The only thing you get for free here is the air."

The incomparable splendor of Naples, situated in the shadow of a volcano and by the blue sea of an enormous bay, inspired Johann Wolfgang von Goethe to the famous statement: 'See Naples and die'. But Naples also has a more complex side. Behind the splendor and pomp that dates from the time when Naples still had great political and social influence, one can also find poverty and adversity. The film director Vincent Monnikendam ends in the backstreets and steep alleyways where sunlight barely penetrates, where dark drama and frivolity keep the age-old city in their grip. The central feature of the film is the painting The Seven Acts of Mercy by Caravaggio, the master of the clair-obscur. This altar piece was painted in 1607, commissioned by the noble founders of the Pio Monte della Misericordia, a charitable institution that is still active. Myths about this painting, the history of the Pio Monte, the joy and sorrow of Neapolitans, alternate and combine to form a colourful portrait. With a leading role for the city of Naples itself. Among the important characters in Souls of Naples are Pietro Gargano, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Il Mattino and a connoisseur of urban history, and Gian Paolo Leonetti, former chairman of the Pio Monte della Misericordia and a descendant of a noble family. The baroque interior of the villa where we meet contrasts with the sober entourage of the inner city. This is where the transsexual Gianni earns a meagre income by selling lottery tickets and Pina tells us about her difficult existence while she sews trendy handbags in a small factory located in an old cellar. The Russian painter Natalia Tsarkova tries to communicate in her own work the essence of clair-obscur in the paintings by Caravaggio whom she so admires. According to her, the special lighting effects with powerful contrasts so characteristic of his work are the symbol of survival, for good and evil, for life and death. In a style inspired by these characteristic light-dark contrasts Souls of Naples provides an inspiring portrait of a city that has survived for two and half thousand years.

This product was added to our catalog on Sunday 09 September, 2012.

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