Italian film festival audience ‘I Cento Passi’ to be molto bene
Saddleback College held its Italian film festival Friday night with the showing of the 2000 film “I Cento Passi,” based on the true story of Giuseppe “Peppino” Impastato. The event was hosted by instructor Andrea Bernardoni, who has recently taken over for Andrea Petri.
The night was an enlightening one from the start. The audience was full of culture. The flowing sound of the Italian language echoed around the room accompanied by the salty aroma of fresh popped popcorn.
The sofas had been gathered in the front of the room and the crowd gave the feeling of a large family getting together to watch a movie. The ambiance really set the tone for the film.
Peppino Impastato is the main character of the film. His courage, defiance, and strong personality bring life to the movie.
In the small Sicilian town of Cinisi, Peppino exposes the mafia and their acts through a local radio station. This creates severe problems with the mafia and its leader Tano, but also changes his relationship with his family.
By the end of the film, viewers’ fists were clenched, tears were rolling down their faces, and silence dominated the room.
“The main issue here is daring, having the courage to change,” Bernardoni said at the conclusion of the film.
Bernardoni promises the next film is to be on the lighter side.
He is hoping to have this event twice a month in the near future.