Hindsight

Classic Kids, or 100 films the kids in your life have to see by 13 or else!

Day 53:  Cinema Paridiso (1988)  * for kids at least 11 years old

My dear friend Marianne Benforado insisted I see this film, so I went one night by myself.  Written and Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, with a magnificent music score by Ennio Morricone, Cinema Paridiso is a celebration of the power of cinema.  It is told through the flashback of a middle aged man,  Salvatore Di Vita, (Played by Jacques Perrin) now a famous film director.  He remembers how as a young boy he was taken under the wings of the town's movie projectionist, Alfredo (Philippe Noiret).  We come to know this boy (played by Salvatore Cascio) as he grows up in a small Italian village, nurtured and cared for by Alfredo, but also by the stories of the films he and the towns people have come to see.  The film's conclusion is brilliant, so perfect!

Themes:  Love, Friendship, Persistence, Censorship, Courtship
Media Literacy Questions:  How does the devise of flashback influence the nostalgic nature of the film?  What time period does the film/story cover?  What are some key values in the film?