The Cinema Academy Astra in Naples welcomes audiences once again with the latest edition of "AstraDoc – Journey into Real Cinema." Organized by the Arci Movie association in collaboration with Parallelo 41 Produzioni, the University of Naples Federico II, and Coinor, the festival features a series of documentaries, Neapolitan premieres, and distinguished guests.
Tributes to Pavese and Shakespeare
The evening of January 17 will focus on Cesare Pavese. The screening will begin at 19:22 p.m. with “Le belle estati” by Mauro Santini, which intertwines the narratives of Pavese’s novels “La bella estate” and “Il diavolo sulle colline”. At the screening, the director will be accompanied by Prof. Francesco de Cristofaro of the Federico II University. This will be followed by “Il mestiere di vivere” by Giovanna Gagliardo. This documentary, presented at the Turin Film Festival, tells the story of Pavese’s life and work, highlighting his contribution to twentieth-century Italian literature. January XNUMX will be dedicated to “Shakespea Re di Napoli”, presented by directors Ruggero Cappuccio and Nadia Baldi. The film explores the mystery of Shakespeare’s Sonnets, investigating who they were written for. Among the performers are Alessandro Preziosi and Giovanni Esposito.
International News and Documentaries
AstraDoc will continue on January 24 with “No Other Land”, winner of awards at the 2024 Berlinale and shortlisted for the Oscars. The documentary tells the story of the destruction of a Palestinian community and the unusual alliance between a Palestinian activist and an Israeli journalist. The screening will be introduced by anthropologist Iain Chambers. In addition, on January 31 there will be the preview presentation of “Bestiari, erbari, lapidari” by Massimo D'Anolfi and Martina Parenti, a documentary divided into three acts on animals, plants and stones, paying homage to the often overlooked natural elements.
Focus on detention and theatre
On February 7, Gianfranco Pannone will present “Qui è altro”, set in the Volterra prison. The documentary examines a special theatre project, the Compagnia della Fortezza, and the work of Armando Punzo in the context of detention. The festival will close on February 21 with “Real” by Adele Tulli, a journey into digital worlds, presented in first vision after the selection at the Locarno Film Festival. Admission to the cinema costs 5 euros, reduced to 4 euros for Arci members. The event will continue until April 11.
