Frammartino to Turn TV Junkie Past into ‘Viale Aretusa 19’

Michelangelo Frammartino, the helmer of one of the best films coming out of Cannes this year in Le quattro volte, will be making his animation feature film debut (perhaps in the watercolored CGI 3D form) taking his own biographical story of what it was like to live during the Riflusso years – which Variety describes as a period dating from the late ’70s, where Italians retreated inside their homes, encouraged by a wave of terrorism and the advent of private TV: Silvio Berlusconi launched his first private channel in Italy in 1978. Reported at the 50th Annecy Animation Festival (a logical place to find further assistance in developing an animated, social commentary type of project) this might share some affinities with Erik Gandini’s Videocracy – reflecting on the Berlusconi years as a media mogul and not the politician.

Written by Frammartino and Barbara Grespi, Viale Aretusa 19 is told from the point of view of an eight year-old boy who must experience life from the confines of his home — in the article Frammartino mentioned that he was a real television junkie and that the film would be a parable for “a generation that never became adults”. The title is actually Frammartino’s home address as a child. Marta Donzelli’s Vivo Film and Philippe Bober’s Essential Filmproduktion will co-produce. We’ll keep you posted on further mentions of the project certainly through the financing stages.

I’d welcome any feedback from our Italian readers who might know more on this social incubation phenomenon…was this all of Italy?