SPETTACOLO

Imagine if we could solve our problems as a community using theater by not simply watching a play, but by making one with our neighbors. By acting out our joys, fears, and frustrations with each other, we could find common ground and empathy. Through the process of writing, acting, and directing, we would form intimate bonds, learning what makes one another tick. In today’s partisan climate, such an idea sounds impossible. But for more than 50 years, the people in a small farming village in Italy have been doing just that. Turning their piazza into a stage each year, the citizens pour their hearts into this experiment—a badge of honor for a people who’ve endured poverty, illiteracy, and war. This is a town of survivors who bravely avoided being wiped out by the Nazis. As a younger generation emerges, though, interest in maintaining their tradition is waning. Competing with cell phones and tablets, the elders fight to keep the youth invested in their history. There’s a lot to be learned from SPETTACOLO, a subtle and beautiful documentary about simple people with an ingenious approach to problem solving. (In Italian with subtitles) —E.F.