| Sparrow | |
| Director: | Franco Zeffirelli |
| Producer: | Mario Cecchi Gori Vittorio Cecchi Gori Luciano Luna Rita Rusic |
| Starring: | Angela Bettis Johnathon Schaech Vanessa Redgrave Valentina Cortese Frank Finlay |
| Music: | Claudio Capponi Alessio Vlad |
| Cinematography: | Ennio Guarnieri |
| Editing: | Richard Marden |
| Runtime: | 106 minutes |
| Country: | Italy |
| Language: | Italian English |
Sparrow (Italian: Storia di una capinera) is a 1993 Italian drama film directed by Franco Zeffirelli.[1] It is an adaptation of Giovanni Verga's novel Storia di una capinera and was filmed in Sicily in 1993.[2] It stars Angela Bettis, and premiered at the Tokyo International Film Festival in October 1993. It was the final film performance of Valentina Cortese.
In the Two Sicilies, in cholera-ridden Sicily of 1854, Maria, a future nun, is evacuated from her convent home in Catania to her father's Mount Etna-shadowed villa. During her stay she falls in love with Nino, a family friend.
Things fall apart when Catania is declared safe for her to return to Sicily, meaning she must renounce her love and concentrate on serving God.
The film was awarded and nominated for awards in Italy and Portugal.[3]
Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists (Nastro d'Argento)