Lark Farm

La masseria delle allodole

 

Paolo and Vittorio Taviani,

Italy/France/Bulgaria/Spain, 2007, 114 min

In Italian with English subtitles

 

Script: Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (based on a novel of the same title by Antonia Arslan)

Cast: Paz Vega, Arsinée Khanjian, Tcheky Karyo, Moritz Bleibtreu, Mohammed Bakri

 

Arsinée Khanjian will be in attendance for Q/A

 

Thursday, 6 November 2008, at 6:45 p.m

Innis Town Hall

 

Adapted from the novel by Antonia Arslan and co-directed by legendary Italian brothers Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, The Lark Farm is one of the few international features to tackle the Armenian genocide head-on.

 

An affluent family, the Avakians, feel convinced that the rising tide of Turkish hostility means little to them. They ignore the warning signs and prepare for a family reunion with the impending visit of two well-to-do sons. Their illusions come crashing down when a Turkish military regiment annihilates every male member of their family and forces the women to trek into the Syrian desert. Meanwhile, a handsome Turkish officer falls for Aram's daughter and makes an aggressive attempt to deliver her and her family from certain death.

 

 

Watch trailer: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2wmy6 (trailer in Italian)

 

 

Paolo and Vittorio Taviani

Legendary Italian filmmakers Vittorio Taviani and his younger brother Paolo have always worked together each directing alternate scenes. When one directs the other does not interfere. Vittorio has studied law at the University of Pisa, while brother Paolo majored in liberal arts. They started their film career with an inspiration from Rossellini's Paisa. Since then, they have become professionally inseparable. The Tavianis have won Cannes Film Festival awards for Padre Padrone (1977) and Night of the Shooting Stars (1982). Good Morning Babylon (1987) was their first American production.