Weekly Dose of Italian Culture #5

Welcome to the fifth episode of Weekly Dose of Italian Culture! Today, I'm celebrating a milestone of 100 subscribers in less than a month! It's a small but meaningful achievement, rewarding the effort I put into these almost-daily posts.

As usual in this series, I'll be recommending a famous Italian movie, song, and notable personality. We'll then wrap up with some interesting facts about Italy's geography, history, and customs.

Italian Movie of the Week

My pick for this week is Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (or Cinema Paradiso in English), a moving drama about Salvatore, a famous film director who returns to his hometown for the funeral of the local theater’s film projectionist—the man who first inspired his love for cinema.

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988)

Rated 8.5 out of 10 on IMDb, Nuovo Cinema Paradiso isn’t just one of the best Italian films ever made; it's widely regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time, period.

A word of warning: it will break your heart, and yes, you will cry. But it’s absolutely a must-watch.

Italian Song of the Week

My song of the week is Costruire by Niccolò Fabi.

I'm specifically linking to the orchestral version released in 2022, which I actually prefer over the original 2006 version.

This song, Costruire (Building), reflects on the process of creating something meaningful. We're often so captivated by the beginnings and endings that we overlook the sometimes dull, yet essential, middle part.

It reminds me of a line from the TV show Mad Men, where a scorned wife says to the protagonist, "I hope she knows you only like the beginnings of things!"

Costruire speaks to the need for consistent, daily effort. As the lyrics say:

Ma tra la partenza e il traguardo
But between the start and the finish

Nel mezzo c'è tutto il resto
In between, there is everything else

E tutto il resto è giorno dopo giorno
And everything else is day after day

E giorno dopo giorno è
And day after day is

Silenziosamente costruire
Silently building

E costruire è sapere
And building is knowing

È potere rinunciare alla perfezione
It is the power to let go of perfection

Working on this project has only reinforced just how much truth there is in Niccolò’s words.

Famous Italian of the Week

This week’s famous Italian is Antonio De Curtis (simply known as Totò).