catalogue > Cinema
LE MAS DES ALOUETTES
A film by Paolo et Vittorio TAVIANI Sortie salles le may 30 2007
With Paz VEGA, Moritz BLEIBTREU, Angela MOLINA, André DUSSOLLIER, Tcheky KARYO, Arsinée KHANJIAN, Alessandro PREZIOSI
118 minutes
Dvd / vod
Videos
Synopsis
Assadour and his family will go to Anatolia, where he has not returned for twenty years.
While in Venice the long trip is being planned, in Anatolia Aràm, his wife, the vivacious and outgoing Armineh, Aunta Hasmig and the sister Nunik – the beautiful virgin, eager to live, plan the welcome. The Lark Farm will be rennovated. It is the old villa where they were born, and where even a tennis court is being set up. Verandas with colourful nuances open up. While waiting for the encounter, both in Italy, as well as in Anatolia, emotions, projects and ambitions emerge… a love between Armenian Nunik and a young Turk officer blooms, but the love is dangerous and impossible.
Nobody in Avakiàn’s family, seems to realize the storm of the “Great war” is oncoming. It is being organized to fulfill the blood thirsty myth of the Great Turkey.
In May of 1915, Italy sides with France against Austria and the Turk empire. Assadour uselessly tries to leave. He remains in Italy while in Turkey all hell breaks lose. The Young Turk party orders the elimination of the Armenian minority group.
Aràm and all the family’s males, even the children, uselessly hide in the lark farm. The Turk soldiers arrive and kill them before the eyes of their wives, daughters and mothers.
And thus the painful journey of the women, and of Avetis, a little boy who survived because he was dressed as a girl, begin a forced walk towards the desert where they are condemned to death.
But two people are following them closely, without being seen… Nazim and Ismene. Nazim is a Turk who belongs to the Confraternity of beggars who has always worked for Aràm’s family which he very much loves because, according to Evangelist principals of the Armenian society, they respect poverty.
Ismene is a Greek lamenter, a fortune teller, but also the long time, much loved family nanny.
Nazim, in a moment of weakness, betrays the family, and breaks the blossoming love between Nunik and the young Turk. But now, desperate over the tragedy, and realizing he is responsible, decides to make amends and together with Ismene wants to save what remains of the family. He will save the three little girls and Avetìs, and he will save their mother, Armineh, a woman Nazim has always secretly admired, and who now has become absolutely silent.
He will save the beautiful Nunik, who, to get food for her loved ones, offers her beauty, her virginity to one of the Turk soldiers who guards the group of Armenian women.
The guard is a young soldier, Ferzan, who is attracted to Nunik’s beauty and pride from the moment he sees her. He despises the soldiers who take the Armenian women with force and is ashamed in facing Nunik, who is naked in his tent.
He covers her with a shawl, he respects her. They meet again and Ferzan tenderly falls in love with Nunik.
Meanwhile, Nazim plans a series of events to bring Aràm’s family to safety. “It is for tonight” Nunìk confesses to Ferzan, who is desperate and wants to hold her back, but he lets her go.
During the night, things go as planned… the carriage with the secret bottom is ready to carry the fugitives. But something makes the guards suspicious, and the children and Armineh are about to be caught. Nunìk breaks away from them and tries to attract attention. She goes to the center of the camp and begins to sing an Armenian song, a song of challenge, of rebellion. The torches light up her body, and the camp commander orders that she be tortured with fire and then decapitated. Ferzan is among the soldiers and his eyes meet those of Nunik. He has not forgotten her words “Don’t let them torture me”. Ferzan blade shines in the night, comes down in a flash and rises again dripping with blood.
The little girls, and Avetis are already running towards the sea… towards Venice, which, in the magic and beauty of a beautiful dawn, appears before their eyes.
Director / Author
Paolo et Vittorio TAVIANI
Filmography
2004 Luisa Sanfelice (mini) TV Series
2001 Resurrezione (TV)
Awards: Moscow International Film Festival, 2002, won Golden Saint George, Valladolid International Film Festival, 2002 nomination Golden Spike.
Countries: France, Japan, Hungary , Russia
1998 Tu ridi
Festival & Awards: Mar de la Plata Film Festival, 1998, Won in Best director category, Toronto Film Festival, New York Film Festival.
Countries: Canada (Toronto Film Festival), USA (New York Film Festival), Argentina, Norway, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Greece, Hungary, Bulgaria, Polland, Brazil, Slovenia, Romania, Croatia etc.
1996 Le affinità elettive
Awards: Gramado Film Festival, 1996, nominated for best film category.
Countries : Spain, Germany, Belgium, Norway, France, Portugal, Argentina
1993 Fiorile
Awards: Cannes Film Festival, 1993, nomination for Golden Palm, David di Donatello Awards, won Best production design; Camerimage, 1993, Golden Frog won Giuseppe Lanci (best photography).
Countries: France, Netherlands, USA, Sweden, UK, Denmark, Portugal.
1990 Il Sole anche di notte
Awards: Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, 1991, Silver ribbon won for Best Score (Nicola Piovani).
Countries: France, Sweden
1987 Good Morning, Babylon
Awards : Hochi Film Awards, 1987, won Hochi Film Award for Best Foreign Film, Italian National Syndicate of Film journalists, 1988, won Silver ribbon costumes (Lina Nerli Taviani); Kinema Junpo Awards, 1988, won Kinema Junpo Award for Best Foreign Language Film; Toronto Film festival.
Countries: France, USA, Canada, Japan, Sweden, West Germany, Finland.
1984 Kaos
Awards : David di Donatello Awards, 1985 won Best producer ( Giuliani Negri), Best screenplay (Paolo and Vittorio Taviani and Tonino Guerra), Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, 1985,won Silver ribbon Best screenplay Paolo and Vittorio Taviani and Tonino Guerra.
Countries: Finland, USA, West Germany, Belgium, Netherlands.
1982 La Notte di San Lorenzo
Awards: Boston Society of Film Critics Award, 1984, BSFC Award, won Best director category and Best film; Cannes Film festival , 1982, Grand Prize of the Jury, Prize of the ecumenical Jury, won, nomination Golden Palm. David di Donatello, won best film, best director, best editing, best cinematography. French Syndicate of Cinema critics, 1983, won critics award, Best foreign film. Italian Syndicate of Film journalists, 1983, won silver ribbon best director, best screenplay, National society of film critics awards Usa, 1984, won NSFC award, best director, best film.
Countries: Uk, USA, France, West Germany, Finland,
1979 Il Prato
Awards: Italian Syndicate of Film journalists, won silver ribbon best actress.
1977 Padre padrone
Awards: BAFTA Awards, 1978, nomination best newcomer, Berlin International Film festival, 1977, won Interfilm Grandprix, Cannes Film Festival, 1977, won Fipresci Prize, Golden palm, David di Donatello, special david won, Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, 1978, won silver ribbon
1973 Allonsanfan
Countries: Finland, Sweden
1972 San Michele aveva un gallo
Awards: Berlin Film Festival, won Interfilm award
1969 Sotto il segno dello scorpione
1997 I Sovversivi
1963 Fuorilegge del matrimonio
1962 Un Uomo da bruciare
1960 L’Italia non è un paese povero
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