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R3store goes to Il Cinema Ritrovato!

Jul 04 2018

R3store have just got back from a fantastic few days at Il Cinema Ritrovato!

The trip from London took ten exhausting hours, with airport delays and having to change aeroplanes causing most of the havoc. However, our valiant troops trekked on, making it to the beautiful city of Bologna in time for the festival to begin.

On Monday night Jo and Gerry joined our friends from the BFI, Arrow Films, and FOCAL International at Drogheria Della Rosa, a fabulous restaurant that has attracted the business of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Danny de Vito, and Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola.

While attending the festival Jo and Gerry made it to no less than eight film screenings including Caravan (1934), 6 Hours to Live (1932), and When Tomorrow Comes (1939). By far Jo’s favourite film was The Woman Under Oath, a 1919 silent mystery film. ‘It felt very advanced for its years,’ Jo said, ‘and was a fantastic film with a great twist at the end.’ The Woman Under Oath was directed by John M. Stahl, director of the Oscar-nominated Imitation of Life. The film explores themes of violence, justice, and the gender roles of the period. ‘I thought the live piano on The Woman Under Oath added so much to the film,’ Gerry said.

Gerry had his own favourites. ‘For me the most enjoyable film I saw was Marnie (1964) purely for entertainment value. But the rarely seen Ingmar Bergman film, Sant Hander Inte Har (1950), was a good watch and a good restoration.’

Thoroughly restoration-ed out, Gerry and Jo left the festival having had a fantastic few days. ‘I had a great time on my first visit to Bologna,’ Gerry said about the trip. ‘I can’t wait to go again, possibly for longer next time.’

By Jenny Collins