Something must be in the water in Naples—the single Italian city has a long history of young filmmakers coming out of the gate with fully formed artistic sensibilities and remarkably refined work. This phenomenon can be traced from old masters like Vittorio De Sica to contemporary artists like Paolo Sorrentino and Mario Martone.
Joining that list now is Edgardo Pistone with his formally audacious feature debut, Ciao Bambino. Although it could benefit from some narrative refinement, Pistone demonstrates a truly impressive grasp of the medium for a first feature in this sensitive and finely crafted drama.
Ciao Bambino was screened at the Ottawa Art Gallery on March 16 as part of the International Film Festival of Ottawa (IFFO).
The opening few scenes introduce a rowdy group of teenage friends, but the focus gradually centers around Attilio, a 17-year-old boy. Lacking strong parental guidance, Attilio picks up a job providing security for a slightly older prostitute, Anastasia, through the nights she works.
The relationship between these two teenagers provides a strong emotional hook. Both of these characters have been hardened by their respective tough circumstances, and watching their walls slowly break away as they discover an affection for one another is undeniably heartwarming.
This central relationship is quite affecting thanks to tight, naturalistic writing by Pistone and co-writer Ivan Ferone, as well as excellent work by young performers Anastasia Kaletchuk and Marco Adamo. Adamo, in particular, turns in a remarkably realistic performance as a boy of this age—he hides a youthful sweetness beneath an outward tough-guy persona, and his moodiness and fresh-faced naivete feel authentic.
The chronicles of Attilio navigating young love and friendship, a complicated family life, and the growing pains of youth are nothing particularly groundbreaking, but the strong script and stellar ensemble cast keep it from feeling derivative.
While its narrative is compelling enough, Ciao Bambino is hugely elevated by its craft. The film’s visuals are arresting from the very first scene, in which cinematographer Rosario Cammarota juxtaposes up-close, dizzyingly mobile shots of Attilio and his friends at the beach with static, painterly compositions of the boys arranged in statuesque poses. This contrast quickly establishes a tone that is vividly lifelike and coldly observational.
Ciao Bambino. Photo from IFFO website.
Cammarota’s use of black and white photography is also very effective, creating compositions that thoughtfully play with the contrast between deep, stark blacks, soft grey glows and sparsely deployed pure whites. Several images–a fireworks display seen only in flashes of white on the side of a building, softly glowing slot machines in a dark, gloomy bar–immediately burn themselves into the memory.
The film is also finely edited by Giogiò Franchini, whose use of music, slow motion, and sense of rhythm within and between scenes maintains a cool and breezy flow through the whole runtime. Franchini also makes repeated use of luxuriously extended fades, allowing two resonant shots to interact within the same frame.
The one major stumbling block in Ciao Bambino is its ending, which hinges on an admittedly shocking moment but feels out of step with the carefully established themes and characters. Without giving anything away, Pistone reaches a bittersweet point that feels like a natural conclusion, before taking on a note of tragedy that largely sours these climactic moments.
Although it does, unfortunately, end on more of a head-scratch than a pure triumph, Ciao Bambino is an emotionally affecting and beautifully crafted coming-of-age story that announces Pistone as a commanding new voice in Italian cinema.
IFFO presents Canadian short films alongside each of its featured selections, and accompanying Ciao Bambino was Ontario director Maziyar Khatam’s hilarious short The Sweater.
This was a ten-minute story about a young man (played by Khatam) pushed by his girlfriend to purge his wardrobe but immediately regrets parting with his favourite sweater. What ensues is a fast-paced, Uncut Gems-esque pursuit of his sweater from the donation bin to the thrift store. Khatam’s early work here as a director and a comedic performer is quite impressive, and the short had the entire audience at the Ottawa Art Gallery in stitches.
Ciao Bambino and The Sweater were screened at the Ottawa Art Gallery on March 16 as part of the International Film Festival of Ottawa. IFFO continues until March 23. Check out the film lineup here, and keep an eye out for future reviews from us!
