THE LONG SILENCE

Italy/Canada, 1993, 100 minutes, Colour.
Carla Gravina, Alida Valli, Paolo Graziosi, Ottavia Piccoli, Jacques Perrin.
Directed by Margarethe Von Trotta.

The Long Silence is an Italian- Canadian co-production, written and directed by Margarethe von Trotta, the German writer-director of such films as Sisters, The Lost Honour of Katherina Blum, Rosa Luxembourg. It is a film of Italy in the '90s, social and political questions. It is a film about government, corruption, investigations - with themes of integrity as well as the futility of individuals going against organised crime, especially the Mafia.

The film won the Ecumenical Award at the 1993 Montreal Film Festival. Italian actress Carla Gravina also won the Best Actress award. The film is serious, sombre and powerful.

1.A portrait of Italy in the '90s, fiction and reality? The political history of Italy in the '90s, changes of government, attacks on the Mafia, the Mafia fightback?

2.The quality of the screenplay, the perspectives of Margarethe von Trotta? The contribution of Carla Gravina, the strength of her performance? Her perspective and the ending? The final collage and the witnesses declaring themselves?

3.The title and its comment on the Italian experience, the domination of corruption, people keeping quiet, the women and their long silence, the breaking of the silence?

4.The dramatic impact of the opening and the revelation? The humanity of the film - in the context of the story, Italy, politics? The ending of the film - a sense of failure and pessimism? Or self-assertion and hope?

5.Marco and Carla, together, the gradual revelation about them, their work, their relationship? Integrity, the phone calls, the return, security? With each other, alone? The dramatic impact of the threats? The fears?

6.The situation and the deals, the government, corruption, investigation, security? The witnesses and the interviews?

7.Marco and Francesco, the man in command? Care and caution?

8.Carla, the doctor and Maria, the mother and the art? Alone, the cinema? Rosa? Her personal strength, her fear? The phone calls, the candles? The strength of her decision? Its effect?

9.The night out, the farewell, the television information? The funeral - and her not shaking hands? The reading of the will?

10.Carla with her mother, the relationship, the arguments?

11.The doctors, those in charge? The reporters? Ripa and the interviews? The wife as witness? The testimony, the paper?

12.The dramatic build-up of the threats, the rain, night, death?

13.The importance of the voices, the breaking of the silence? Maria?

14.Themes of integrity, characters of integrity: Francesco, Maria, Rosa, the man in charge?

15.The suspense of the drama? The reality of the danger in Italy in the '90s? The finale with the voices? Integrity - futility or hope?