Spettacolo

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2:16

Spettacolo

Released Sep 6, 2017

1h 31m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

100%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Villagers in a tiny Tuscan town come up with a remarkable way to confront their issues: they turn their lives into a play. Every summer, their piazza becomes a stage and residents of all ages play a part -- the role of themselves. Monticchiello's annual tradition has attracted worldwide attention and kept the town together for 50 years, but with an aging population and a future generation more interested in Facebook than farming, the town's 50th anniversary performance might be its last.

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

Spettacolo serves as a hymn to the creative process, but also as a eulogy of sorts to the let's-put-on-a-show spirit of pre-digital times. Come for the drama, stay for the gorgeous scenery.

Rated: 2.5/4

Feb 8, 2018

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Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

An engaging and wistful look at the tiny Tuscan village of Monticchielo and its longtime tradition of producing "autodramas," works crafted by, starring and thematically inspired by its residents.

Sep 28, 2017

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Mark Jenkins

NPR

[An] engaging documentary ...

Sep 8, 2017

Full Review

Nathan Mattise

Ars Technica

Spettacolo hit home.

Jul 28, 2021

Full Review

Paul D'Agostino

Hyperallergic

Moving, maddening, heroic, tragic, enlightening, revelatory, timely and steeped in time, sad yet bursting with mirth, Spettacolo is without doubt, in many ways and on many levels, consummate spectacle.

Feb 8, 2020

Full Review

Jon Hogan

Hyperallergic

Spettacolo is a cautionary tale for the American arts community, offering an example of what can happen when populist art is marginalized and threatened by the very people who stand to benefit most from it.

Feb 8, 2020

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Jeff Malmberg

Director

Chris Shellen

Director

Jeff Malmberg

Producer

Matt Radecki

Producer

Chris Shellen

Producer

Lele Marchitelli

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Spettacolo: Trailer 1

2:16

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Synopsis

Villagers in a tiny Tuscan town come up with a remarkable way to confront their issues: they turn their lives into a play. Every summer, their piazza becomes a stage and residents of all ages play a part -- the role of themselves. Monticchiello's annual tradition has attracted worldwide attention and kept the town together for 50 years, but with an aging population and a future generation more interested in Facebook than farming, the town's 50th anniversary performance might be its last.

Director: Jeff Malmberg, Chris Shellen
Producer: Jeff Malmberg, Matt Radecki, Chris Shellen
Distributor: Grasshopper Film
Production Co: Open Face
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 6, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 22, 2018
Runtime: 1h 31m

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