Via deil ciliegi
As young parents, Sergio and Teresa left their native Lombardy, abandoning their modern urban lives and political activism to start over in rural Tuscany. Their comrades in the struggle criticized them for forsaking their common causes, but the couple viewed their move as a way to put those ideals into practice. With two children in tow and pockets full of dreams, Sergio and Teresa aspired to create a "small island of self-sufficiency" outside the system.
Forty years after settling on the lush hills of the Casentino Forests, has their small slice of paradise withstood the pressures of the surrounding capitalist world? How have their children, now adults, responded to a lifestyle they never chose? Have the inevitable disillusionments of such radical life choices given way to their activist spirit?
From one struggle to the next, between utopia and reality, this film, oscillating between the personal and the social, portrays a shared existence tested by a four-decade-long stress test. It is the personal odyssey of two pioneers, determined, at all costs, to pursue an ideal.
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Janaka SAMARAKOONDirector
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Janaka SamarakoonWriter
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Janaka SamarakoonProducer
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Project Title (Original Language):Via deil ciliegi
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Project Type:Documentary
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Runtime:1 hour 23 minutes
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Completion Date:October 1, 2024
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Production Budget:1,000 USD
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Country of Origin:France
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Country of Filming:Italy
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Language:Italian
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
Originally trained as an art historian, Janaka Samarakoon has been directing short documentaries on arts and culture for the past five years. Based in Nice, France, Janaka spent this time covering the local art scene, which fostered a keen interest in biographical documentaries exploring how people's lives are intricately intertwined with the sociological landscapes of their cultures and countries. Shot in Tuscany during the summer of 2024, Via dei Ciliegi marks Janaka's debut in feature-length documentary filmmaking.