Hidden Away (2020 film)

Hidden Away
Theatrical release poster
Directed byGiorgio Diritti
Screenplay byGiorgio Diritti
Tania Pedroni
Story byGiorgio Diritti
Fredo Valla
Produced byCarlo Degli Esposti
Nicola Serra
StarringElio Germano
CinematographyMatteo Cocco
Edited byPaolo Cottignola
Giorgio Diritti
Music byMarco Biscarini
Daniele Furlati
Production
companies
Distributed by01 Distribution
Release date
  • 21 February 2020 (2020-02-21) (Berlin)
Running time
120 minutes
CountryItaly
LanguageItalian

Hidden Away (Italian: Volevo nascondermi, lit. 'I Wanted to Hide') is a 2020 Italian biographical drama film co-written, directed and co-edited by Giorgio Diritti. It stars Elio Germano as Italian painter Antonio Ligabue, who lived a notoriously reclusive life, troubled with physical problems and mental illness.[1]

It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear in the main competition section at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival.[2][3] At Berlin, Elio Germano won the Silver Bear for Best Actor.[4]

Plot

The story of the painter Antonio Ligabue, with flashbacks showing glimpses of his childhood and his Swiss-Italian origins. Little Antonio is entrusted to adoptive parents and immediately begins to have psychophysical disorders, ill with rickets, and after being expelled from school and attacking his mother, he is hospitalized several times in an asylum.

But at the same time, Antonio finds comfort in painting and sculpture, often depicting exotic animals, such as lions, horses, gorillas, tigers, which he unites with the Emilian landscape, as Antonio will move to Gualtieri in Emilia, where he is derogatively called "El Tudesc" (The German).

However, Ligabue is soon discovered by the critic Renato Marino Mazzacurati, who encourages him to continue with his works, and to participate in art exhibitions and conferences in the province, until Ligabue is slowly discovered and appreciated by critics, although branded by certain academics as a naïve artist.

Cast

  • Elio Germano as Antonio 'Toni' Ligabue
    • Oliver Ewy as young Antonio Ligabue
    • Leonardo Carrozzo as Antonio Ligabue as a child
  • Pietro Traldi as Renato Marino Mazzacurati
  • Orietta Notari as Mazzacurati's mother
  • Andrea Gherpelli as Andrea Mozzali
  • Denis Campitelli as Nerone
  • Filippo Marchi as Vandino
  • Maurizio Pagliari as Sassi
  • Francesca Manfredini as Cesarina
  • Daniela Rossi as Cesarina's mother
  • Mario Perrotta as Raffaele Andreassi
  • Paolo Dallasta as Erminio Canova
  • Gianni Fantoni as Antonini
  • Paola Lavini as Pina

Release

The film premiered in competition at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival on 21 February 2020.[2][3][5] The film was scheduled to be released in Italy on 27 February 2020, by 01 Distribution, but it was indefinitely postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak in the country.[6]

Reception

Critical response

The film received critical acclaim at the Berlin Film Festival. Hidden Away has an approval rating of 67% on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 9 reviews, and an average rating of 5.7/10.[7]

The Upcoming gave it five stars out of five.[8]

Awards and nominations

References

  1. ^ "'Volevo nascondermi', Elio Germano è Ligabue, il pittore che parlava agli animali". La Repubblica (in Italian). 21 January 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  2. ^ a b "The 70th Berlinale Competition and Further Films to Complete the Berlinale Special". Berlinale. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  3. ^ a b "Berlin Competition Lineup Revealed: Sally Potter, Kelly Reichardt, Eliza Hittman, Abel Ferrara". Variety. 29 January 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2020.
  4. ^ "Berlin Film Festival 2020: There Is No Evil Wins Golden Bear". Variety. 29 February 2020. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  5. ^ "Volevo nascondermi". Berlinale. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
  6. ^ Berni, Andrea Francesco (23 February 2020). "Emergenza Coronavirus: rinviata l'uscita di Volevo nascondermi e Si vive una volta sola". BadTaste (in Italian). Retrieved 24 February 2020.
  7. ^ "Hidden Away (Volevo nascondermi) (2020)" – via Rotten Tomatoes.
  8. ^ Johnston, Oliver (21 February 2020). "Berlin Film Festival 2020: Hidden Away (Volevo Nascondermi) | Review".