La finestra di fronte (2003)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Ferzan Ozpetek

Writers:

Ferzan Ozpetek (writer)
Gianni Romoli (writer)

Release Date:

18 June 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Desire knows no bounds.

Plot:

Overburdened and stuck in a greying marriage, Giovanna takes to caring for the Jewish Holocaust survivor her husband brings home. As she begins to reflect on her life, she turns to the man who lives across from her ...

Plot Keywords:

Memory | Old Man | Love | Holocaust Survivor | Marriage

Awards:

19 wins & 16 nominations

Cast

Giovanna Mezzogiorno	...	Giovanna
Massimo Girotti	...	Simone / Davide Veroli
Raoul Bova	...	Lorenzo
Filippo Nigro	...	Filippo
Serra Yilmaz	...	Eminè
Maria Grazia Bon	...	Sara
Massimo Poggio	...	Young Davide
Ivan Bacchi	...	Simone
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Chiara Andreis
Veronica Bruni	...	2ª Tintora
Olimpia Carlisi	...	Donna negozio
Ohame-Brancy Chibuzo	...	Alessio
Carlo Daniele	...	Marco
Rosaria De Cicco	...	Barista
Luciana De Falco	...	Marilena
Barbara Folchitto
Francesca Gamba
Benedetta Gargari	...	Martina
Enrico Grassi	...	Vittorio
Serena Habtom Mehari	...	Microbo
Flavio Insinna	...	Uomo forno
Elisabeth Kaza	...	Padrona negozio
Patrizia Loreti	...	1ª Tintora
Francesco Martino
Caterina Quaranta
Maurizio Romoli	...	La spia
Giorgio Sgobbi	...	Barman
Thierno Thiam
Billo Thiernothian	...	Giambo
Claudia Verdat
Giovanni Verdesca

Directed by
Ferzan Ozpetek

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Ferzan Ozpetek		writer
Gianni Romoli		writer

Produced by
Tilde Corsi	....	producer
Gianni Romoli	....	producer

Original Music by
Andrea Guerra

Cinematography by
Gianfilippo Corticelli

Film Editing by
Patrizio Marone

Casting by
Pino Pellegrino

Art Direction by
Andrea Crisanti

Set Decoration by
Massimiliano Nocente

Costume Design by
Katia Dottori		(as Catia Dottori)

Makeup Department
Marco Catalucci	....	hair stylist
Aurora Gambelli	....	key hair stylist
Anna Maria Romoli	....	makeup artist (as Annamaria Romoli)
Ermanno Spera	....	makeup artist
Maura Turchi	....	hair stylist

Production Management
Lilia Cioccarelli	....	production manager
Giordano Esposito	....	production supervisor
Maurizio Gallozzi	....	production supervisor
Giovanni Ledda	....	production supervisor
Alessandro Mattei	....	general organizator

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Andrea De Sica	....	second assistant director
Gaia Filardo	....	assistant director
Gianluca Mazzella	....	assistant director

Art Department
Massimiliano Leoni	....	assistant props
Lily Pungitore	....	assistant production designer
Oreste Quercioli	....	scenic painter
Massimo Sergianni	....	construction manager

Sound Department
Paolo Amici	....	sound effects editor
Benedetto Atria	....	sound editor
Doug Cooper	....	sound re-recording mixer
Marzia Cordò	....	dialogue editor
Felicity Cottrell	....	foley artist
Robert Farr	....	sound re-recording mixer
Francesca Genevois	....	assistant sound editor
Marco Grillo	....	sound
Nigel Mills	....	sound editor: UK
Claudio Paolucci	....	boom operator
David Quadroli	....	sound effects editor
Fabrizio Quadroli	....	sound effects editor
Mike Ross-Trevor	....	sound engineer (as Mike Ross Trevor)
Ruth Sullivan	....	foley artist
Mike Wood	....	sound editor: UK
Maurizio Casula	....	sound: UK (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Fernando Sabelli	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Riccardo Beroli	....	digital effects
Sergio Cremasco	....	colourist
Alberto Mantini	....	digital effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Luigi Andrei	....	camera operator
Daniele Anzellotti	....	grip
Alessio Bastianelli	....	focus puller
Umberto Bramucci	....	electrician
Bruno Colanzi	....	key grip
Francesca D'Antoni	....	assistant camera
Simone De Marinis	....	grip
Romolo Eucalitto	....	still photographer
Leonardo Fanone	....	generator operator
Sergio Gabrielli	....	grip
Gian Claudio Giacomini	....	assistant camera
Patrizio Marra	....	grip
Vincenzo Morabito	....	electrician
Alessandro Rossi	....	electrician
Marco Sticchi	....	gaffer
Massimo Tanfani	....	grip

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Costanza Bastanti	....	assistant costumer
Natasha Marinacci	....	wardrobe
Patrizia Martella	....	seamstress

Editorial Department
Elide Camberini	....	color technician
Pasquale Cuzzupoli	....	color supervisor
Francesco Garrone	....	assistant editor
Andrea Prosperi	....	assistant editor

Music Department
Sezen Aksu	....	composer: song "Karsi Pencere"
Sezen Aksu	....	composer: song "Sarki Soylemek Lazim"
Carlos Eleta Almaran	....	composer: song "Historia de un amor"
Antonio Bertocchi	....	composer: song "Chihuahua" (as A. Bertocchi)
Giorgio Calabrese	....	composer: song "Chihuahua"
Chris Cozens	....	assistant music recording engineer
Ryu Kawashima	....	assistant music recording engineer
Claudio Mattone	....	composer: song "Ma che freddo fa"
Nigel Mills	....	music editor
Luca Salvadori	....	music supervisor

Other crew
Laura Curreli	....	script supervisor
Ottaviano Dell'Acqua	....	master of arms
Leandro Fabbri	....	production secretary
Vittorio Giovine	....	production secretary
Jim Hajicosta	....	post-production accountant
Germana Pierucci	....	production coordinator
Michele Protano	....	production secretary
Monica Verzolini	....	production assistant
Arzu Volkan	....	backstage director

Production Companies

• R&C Produzioni
• AFS Film
• Clap Filmes
• Redwave Films

Distributors

• Alfa Films (2005) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Cinemien (2004) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Mongrel Media (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• SPI International (2003) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• SPI International (2004) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2004) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Vértigo Films (2004) (Spain) (theatrical)
• Zootrope Films (2005) (France) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Argentina Video Home (2005) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Cecchi Gori Home Video (2004) (Italy) (DVD)
• Europa Filmes (2006) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Free Dolphin Entertainment (2006) (France) (DVD)
• Homescreen (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Mikado Film
• Mikado

Special Effects

• Blue Gold

Other Companies

• Goldcrest Post Production London  sound re-recorded at
• Penta Studio  titles and opticals

Also Known As:

Facing Window (Australia) (International: English title)
Facing Windows (USA)
Karsi pencere (Turkey: Turkish title)
The Window Opposite (International: English title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some sexuality.

Runtime:

106 min | USA:102 min

Country:

Italy | Turkey | Portugal | UK

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Spain:13 | Chile:Y7 | South Korea:15 | Italy:T | Australia:M | Finland:K-11 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:12 | Singapore:M18 | USA:R | Argentina:13 | Brazil:14 | UK:15

Filming Locations:

Ponte Sisto, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

R&C Produzioni

Trivia:

Massimo Girotti died on 6 January 2003 and the movie is dedicated to his memory. Before he was cast, Ferzan Ozpetek had considered also Jean Rochefort and Serge Reggiani for his role.

Soundtrack:

Le Torte e i Ricordi

Sometimes it takes a total stranger to prompt us to step back and rethink who we are, what we really want in life

"Facing Windows" 2003 is a very thoughtful, gentle Italian film telling us how frustrating human conditions of the heart can be transformed by one another.

Giovanna Mezzogiorno (also in "Don't Tell" aka Beast of the Heart) plays Giovanna the central 'heroine' - a young woman with plenty of mixed emotions, who is discontented with her (chicken factory accountant) job, mother to two children, wife to a husband who's night shift job schedule frustrates her, and most of time she shouts at him and wouldn't want to listen - yes, she's quite bitchy about herself, though finds brief solace when doing bit of occasional baking. Through the course of meeting the unexpected stranger that Massimo Girotti portrayed - Simone/Davide the old man at a lost, who seems to have amnesiac problem and was temporarily taken in by Giovanna's husband into their home against her wishes, yet her whole world starts to change. Writer-director Ferzan Ozpetek has a way of telling his stories, always full of humanity, foibles and virtues mixed together, turning out a thoughtful film never short of gentleness and the sharing of human kindness.

There are side events, of course: the young man whom she now and then noticed across her kitchen window in the next building, the flashbacks and 'Déjà Vu' storyline that the old man Simone experiences, the delightful turn of events - those attractive delicious-looking display of cakes and cakes - what a baker's dream!

Filmmaker Ozpetek, who was born in Turkey and lived in Italy, includes poetry in his films: he introduced Turkish poet Nâz1m Hikmet through his characters in "His Secret Life." Here, we get to hear Giovanna thinking aloud, talking to Davide: " I feel your gestures in mine, and I recognize you when you speak. Does everyone who leaves you - always leave part of themselves with you? Is this the secret of having memories?"

The cast is just wonderful, of course, Mezzogiorno and Girotti were fascinating to watch. The music by Andrea Guerra complemented the cinematography by Gianfilippo Corticelli. If you'd like more of Ozpetek's work, try "Hamam: A Turkish Bath" 1998 (my first IMDb review posted on 10 January 1999) and "His Secret Life" aka The Ignorant Fairies, 2001.