Reel Italian

Columbus Day will always spark debate. But the controversy over the holiday has overshadowed some of the contributions — like film — that Italians have made to our culture, says Metropolitan State College of Denver film studies professor Vincent Piturro. “I saw a need to change the dialogue around Columbus...

By Julie Maas

October 6, 2011

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Columbus Day will always spark debate. But the controversy over the holiday has overshadowed some of the contributions — like film — that Italians have made to our culture, says Metropolitan State College of Denver film studies professor Vincent Piturro. “I saw a need to change the dialogue around Columbus Day in Denver,” he says. “I know it’s been a polemical holiday, and I wanted to spot-light...ways in which Italian culture has enriched our own. Film is one of those ways.”

Tonight, Piturro and the film club at Metro are presenting an Italian Film Night with Roberto Rossellini’s Paisá. The movie tells the story of American and Italian collaboration during the Allied invasion of WWII. “First, it’s one of the great Italian films by one of the great Italian directors,” Piturro says. “But more important, it displays the rich history between the two cultures, and how we have fought side by side for the betterment of both countries.”

Piturro will introduce the film as well as lead a discussion afterward, and Italian treats will be provided. Admission is free, but seating is limited. The film starts at 7 p.m. at the Starz FilmCenter, in the Tivoli building on the Auraria campus. For more information, e-mail [email protected].
Mon., Oct. 10, 7 p.m., 2011

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