Retreat from the chilly weather with a more heater-friendly atmosphere this week. From movies to musicals, there are plenty of reasons to stay inside.
Here’s our round-up for January 26-February 2
Retreat from the chilly weather with a more heater-friendly atmosphere this week. From movies to musicals, there are plenty of reasons to stay inside.
In honor of Cinema Astra opening its doors, the multifunctional space hosts film screenings, lectures, and other special events. Italian film critic Paolo Mereghetti will kick off the series of events with a presentation on the 30th anniversary of his “Dictionary of Cinema”. From there and throughout the four day affair, Cinema Astra will screen films such as The Lady from Shanghai (screened in English with Italian Subtitles), Trieste è bella di notte, and The Triangle of Sadness.
In honor of his newest film release, Cinema Flora dedicates an entire week of film to South Korean director Park Chan-Wook. Leading up to the theatrical release of his newest film Decision to Leave (winning Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival and Oscar candidate for Best Foreign Language Film), audiences can indulge in screenings of his other well accomplished works throughout the week. Beloved favorites such as Mr. Vendetta, Old Boy, and Mademoiselle will all be screened leading up to the new release on February 2. All films will be screened in original language with Italian subtitles.
This Julia Roberts blockbuster gets a fresh face on stage at Teatro Verdi for Pretty Woman the Musical. Follow Vivian Ward and Edward Lewis on their unexpected journey together, accompanied by a soundtrack composed by Bryan Adams. All performances are in Italian.
An intimate glance at an artist’s life. Artist Santa Nostro along with Chiara Bettazzi and Serena Fineschi set the stage for a reflection on the side of the art world less recognized by the public. Dissecting the system itself and the constant push and pull that artists face between economic peace and freedom to create without barriers.
Various initiatives are organized in Florence on the occasion of the International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27. Along with concerts and museums tours being held throughout the city, there will also be an official commemoration in Palazzo Vecchio at 8am as a mark of respect for the victims of the Holocaust. At 9am, a laurel wreath will be laid by the Platform 16 memorial at Santa Maria Novella train station to remember the nearly 300 Jews who were deported from Florence to Auschwitz on November 9, 1943.
This show at Palazzo Strozzi Sacrato (piazza Duomo) features 16 of the artist Sauro Cavallini’s iron and brass sculptural works, in collaboration with Fondazione Fossoli and Prato’s Deportation Museum.
An homage to the German expressionist painter Rudolf Levy. Levy was a student of Henri Matisse before fighting in WW1 and eventually travelling his way to Florence where he stayed and painted as a Jew in exile until the German Occupation. From then, he was arrested and deported to Auschwitz. An exhibition dedicated to his life and work, guests have the opportunity to witness 47 of his works that follow his early years in exile all the way to his last years in Florence.
A young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is celebrated in a night of music with the Orchestra of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Theodor Guschlbauer directs the ensemble in this three-act performance of music by the Viennese musical legend.
UK-based Malaysian pianist Hao Zi Yoh performs Mozart, Rachmaninov, Ravel and Chopin in The British Institute library. The artist has an impressive repertoire of solo and chamber music performances under her belt and has performed in venues everywhere from London, France, Malaysia and Italy. Registration is required for this event.
Italian painter, graphic designer and ceramist Galileo Chini is being celebrated with a series of guided tours (in Italian) following his works around several cities. After studying at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, he went on to become a pioneer of the Italian Art Nouveau movement. Through these tours, participants will be able to witness his works firsthand and form a deeper understanding of his life as a 20th-century artist.
Cinema La Compagnia hosts the second edition of this film festival, kicking off with a movie marathon of 20th-century favorites. Throughout the month, movies from iconic directors Stanley Kubrick, John Ford, Jean Renoir and Marco Ferreri will be screened.
Palazzo Pitti unveils a contemporary art installation by Marya Kazoun inspired by the Nativity scene called First Act. The installation is meant to provoke viewers to reflect and act on the worsening environmental crisis our planet is facing with the hope for a better future.