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Passione Gives Life
Turturro Brings Music of Naples To Big Screen
Naples or Napoli—when spoken in its native tongue—sits in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius along the southern coast of Italy. It is hailed as the largest historical city in Europe with roots dating back well-beyond the 18th century. It is rich with history, affluent in art and culture, but more importantly—alive with music.
Directed by and featuring the talents of John Turturro, Passione is a wild, colorful and sexy film about the music and people of Naples. It captures the magic of the Italian city, telling its story by the music, which flows like an electric pulse through the streets. Turturro describes his new film as “a musical adventure that comes directly out of the people and the volcanic land they inhabit. Conjuring ancient stories and myths that still live—of love, sex, jealousy and social protest—each song is a small screenplay, an emotional postcard.”
A brilliant actor in film, theater and television, Turturro is also the director of three features including the hilarious and irreverent movie Romance & Cigarettes that premiered in 2007 at Film Forum in New York City.
For those who know him, Turturro is described as a man whose talents are fueled by an unquenchable zest for life—and it is apparent in Passione for those who do not. The talented director, when unveiling his motives behind Passione said, “I tried to see if I could understand in a small way, a little bit of the soul of the city, while at the same time killing clichés about it.”
Passione played in Italy for more than four months, entertaining audiences and receiving rave reviews from fans and critics. The Wall Street Journal said it is, “A bustling documentary about the rich and varied culture of song in Naples, covering music dating back to the 1200s….Mr. Turturro has captured a series of colorful performances shot throughout the city, sometimes framed with a bit of storytelling.” Variety also had praising comments calling it, “A cinematic love letter to the swinging sounds of the Italian city of Naples.”
This incredible film allows the world to see the inner heartbeat of Naples and the people who make it beat. Passione helps this historic city become more than a dot on a map, and transforms it into a living being.
As Turturro said, “There are places you go, and once is enough. Then, there’s Napoli.”
Opens Wednesday, June 22 at Film Forum.