In this podcast we talk about Nanni Morreti's 1994 film 'Caro Diario' ('Dear Diary'), in which the director plays himself. Russ explains the three chapter structure, the first following him around Rome on his Vespa, the second a trip around Italian islands with a friend and the last an account of a year in which a chronic itch was eventually diagnosed as a malignancy, a lymphoma (successfully treated as this was over 30 years ago. All of this involves amusing encounters with a variety of friends, strangers and professionals. We talk about Morretti's politics and concerns explored in the film and the importance of music, including a long sequence following Morretti on his scooter accompanied by Keith Jarrett's Köln concert and a gently atmospheric score by composer Nicola Piovani.

Participants:

Russ Kilbourn, Professor of Literature and Film, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario (Canada) http://rjakilbourn.com/

Ken Barrett, visual artist, writer, podcaster and former neuropsychiatrist (UK) http://www.kenbarrettstudio.co.uk/

The film: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0109382/

Theme music: Tarantella composed by Stephen Brown.

Portrait print by KB.

A Brainland Collective production.

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