The Cinema of Silvio Soldini

This ground-breaking book is the first extensive study on Silvio Soldini in English and the first in depth interdisciplinary analysis of his works. One of the most acclaimed directors of the so-called 'new Italian cinema,' Soldini was recognized by critics for the exceptional artistic and cinematic qualities of his early films, but it was his first comedy, Pane e tulipani [Bread and Tulips] (2000), that won him international recognition and success at the box office. This book traces Soldini's career from his first student film, Drimage, to his documentaries, shorts and feature films. What emerges is a portrait of a fiercely independent filmmaker, whose works both cite and subvert cinematic traditions while poignantly observing and critiquing contemporary Italian realities. Departing from Soldini's invented word, Drimage, Luciano proposes a new triad--dream- image-voyage--that embraces elements found across Soldini's works and provides the framework for this study. Traveling across geographic landscapes, as well as landscapes of dreams and visions, Soldini's 'road' films venture beyond familiar borders, promote mobility over stasis and represent life as a continual journey that leads to re-readings of identity and of conventional notions of home.