SATURNO CONTRO

Italy, 2007, 110 minutes, Colour.
Pierfrancesco Favino, Margherita Buy, Stefano Accorsi, Ambra Angiolini, Luca Argentero, Ennio Fantastichini, Filippo Timi, Michelangelo Tommaso, Milena Vukotic, Serra Yilmaz.
Directed by Ferzan Ozpetek.


1.The work of Ozpetek, his films as portraits of ordinary people, people on the margins? Italian society? Friendship, relationships, sexuality? Death and grief?

2.The city setting, authentic, the feel of the homes, the hospital, the streets, offices, holiday home? The score, the songs?

3.The title, the focus on the stars and planets, fate, destiny? What governs people’s lives? Roberta and her interest in astrology?

4.The focus on the group, the variety of members, as individuals, the links between them, the emotional bonds, Davide and his leadership? The others in relation to him? The dynamics within the group, as friends, in grief, the tests, clashes, the finale together?

5.Lorenzo as the initial focus, his voice-over, talking about Paolo, the cooking, the arrival, at home, with Davide? Lorenzo with the others, relationships, at work, wanting the loan, seeing Antonio? With Laura? His personal dilemma? To tell Angelica or not? His buying the space for the advertisement? Working with Roberta, friendship? The build-up to the party, the living with Davide? His collapse at the table, hospital, his death? His not being seen in the hospital sequences? Roberta seeing him alive again with the group in her fantasy?

6.Davide as the centre, character in himself, a writer, fairy tales, his past relationship with Sergio, breaking, his relationship with Lorenzo, at home with him? Paolo and his interests, reading his manuscript? The friendship with Angelica, their discussions? With Antonio because of Angelica? His friendship with Neval and Roberto? Their support? Roberto as a policeman? The effect of Lorenzo’s collapse, his vigils at the hospital, Lorenzo’s death? His sobbing, going to the country house, Anger with Sergio in bringing the group, their staying, his suicidal feelings at the cliff, the table tennis game – symbol for renewed friendship and hope in life?

7.Angelica, the psychiatrist, her family? Antonio and the relationship, at home? Antonio and Laura? At the parties, Antonio going to buy the champagne, meeting Laura, deceiving his friends? Coming back and finding them gone, at the hospital? The meetings? His discussions with Laura, wanting to tell the truth? In bed, telling Angelica? Her reaction, shock, denial? The children listening in to the discussion? Antonio leaving home? His going to the hospital? Angelica at the hospital? Antonio at the hotel, Angelica deciding to go, meeting Laura, the discussion? The tensions? Antonio and his inability to make decisions? The story at the table with Angelica finally telling the story of the Belgian? Acknowledging that she was not perfect? Antonio listening? Their future?

8.Paolo, young, ambitious, sexual ambiguity, relationship with Roberta, his writing and wanting Davide’s approval, his joining the group, at the hospital, at the end, the table tennis?

9.Sergio, doing nothing, at the edges of the group, his gay background, his past with Davide, helping him, bringing the friends to help Davide come out of his grief?

10.Neval and her husband, Neval as strong, cooking, Roberto the policeman? Helping, Neval visiting Laura, the threats, finally telling Angelica, the clash between the two, the harsh words? That Roberto was her slave? The final reconciliation?

11.Laura, her work with the flowers, the affair, with Antonio, her own marriage, the break-up, Neval going to see her? The hotel and the meeting with Angelica?

12.Lorenzo’s parents, unsure about the situation, his sexuality, having to cope, viewing the body, the questions to Davide? The mother and her being stepmother, genial, acceptance? The father finally coming to terms, embracing Davide?

13.The nurse, strict, crocheting, the discussions with the various friends? With Angelica? The issue of euthanasia? The fact?

14.A contemporary group, moral and amoral attitudes, friendships and relationships? Grief? Coping?