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DIAMANTI, BY FERZAN OZPETEK
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A year on from his "platform" film, Nuovo Olimpo [+], which was an impassioned homage to films released exclusively on Netflix, Ferzan Ozpetek is bringing his stories, characters and emotions back to the big screen with his new feature film, Diamanti [+], which is hitting over 400 Italian cinemas from 19 December, courtesy of Vision Distribution. A Christmas film with all the trimmings, it's a genuine crowd-pleaser, deploying a cast of successful actresses (18, in all) and set in its entirety in one of the most sparkly and colourful places imaginable: a prestigious dressmaker's shop for the film and theatre world in 1970s Rome.
As often happens with the Turkish-Italian director, there's also an autobiographical impetus behind this his 15th film. On this occasion, Ozpetek goes back to the early '80s when he worked as an assistant director and frequented film and theatre dressmakers, meeting the greatest costume designers, director and actors of the period, against a backdrop of mannequins, sewing machines and fabric scraps. That said, the film opens in the present-day: gathered around the usual, sumptuously decked table is a group of women whose faces we progressively recognise. They're famous actresses who have all starred in the director's previous films: Luisa Ranieri, Jasmine Trinca, Nicole Grimaudo, Paola Minaccioni, Elena Sofia Ricci, Lunetta Savino, Aurora Giovinazzo, Milena Vukotic, Carla Signoris, Anna Ferzetti and Loredana Cannata, in addition to new entries Vanessa Scalera, Geppi Cucciari, Milena Mancini, Sara Bosi and Mara Venier. They've been called together by Ozpetek himself, who's appearing in one of his films for the very first time, developing his next work alongside them...
READ MORE: Review: Diamanti - Cineuropa
