The Art of Happiness (film) explained
| The Art of Happiness |
| Native Name: | |
| Director: | Alessandro Rak |
| Music: | Antonio Fresa
Luigi Scialdone |
| Distributor: | Istituto Luce Cinecittà |
| Country: | Italy |
| Language: | Italian |
| Runtime: | 82 minutes |
The Art of Happiness (Italian: L'arte della felicità ) is a 2013 Italian animated drama film written and directed by Alessandro Rak, at his directorial debut. It opened the International Critics' Week at the 70th Venice International Film Festival.[1]
Plot
Sergio works as a taxi driver in Naples; under a heavy rain, he brings his customers through the increasingly degraded city. At the same time he tries to cope with the death of his brother, who departed for Tibet ten years before and never returned. On the seats of his taxi a singer, a radio speaker, an old uncle and other characters alternate, and each of them brings a trace of his missing brother.
Cast
- Leandro Amato as Sergio Cometa
- Luigi Meola as Young Sergio
- Nando Paone as Alfredo Cometa
- Matteo Russo as Young Alfredo
- Renato Carpentieri as Luciano Cometa
- Jun Ichikawa as Antonia
- Lucio Allocca as Sergio and Alfredo's Father
- Iolanda Semez as Mrs. Pinotta, Sergio and Alfredo's mother.
- Patrizia Di Martino as Erika
- Antonio Brachi as Maurizio Brachetti
- Ciro Cesarano as Nando
- Silvia Baritska as Lariza
- Riccardo Polizzy Carbonelli as Speaker
- Gennaro Matino as himself, the priest in Alfredo's funeral.
- Paola Tortora as Woman in Bass
- Dario Sansone as Man in Bass
- Antonio Funaro as the voice of the taxi's radio.
- Francesca Romana Bergamo as the voice of the radio news
- Robert Thurman as himself
Accolades
The Art of Happiness won the award for best animated film at the 27th European Film Awards.[2] [3]
It also won the audience's award for Best Feature Film at the 2014 Raindance Film Festival.[4]
Notes and References
- Nick Vivarelli. Elle Buys Italian 'Art' at Venice Film Festival. 14 December 2014. Variety. August 29, 2013.
- News: "La Mafia uccide solo d'estate" di Pif miglior commedia degli Oscar europei 2014. 13 December 2014. Adnkronos. 13 December 2014.
- News: Scott Roxborough. Polish 'Ida' Wins Big at European Film Awards. 14 December 2014. The Hollywood Reporter. 13 December 2014.
- News: 'Art of Happiness', Italy's film at Annecy festival. 14 December 2014. Ansa. 29 April 2014.
