12 registi per 12 città

The 12 directors who helmed the segments in this commercial tourism documentary promoting 12 Italian cities are doing quick commissioned work and are not really given an opportunity to express their personal styles, but the resulting portmanteau is an irresistible potpourri of beautiful art , pleasing music, and colorful scenic views. And it is great to be reminded of a number of the top notch filmmakers who were all still at work at the time in that country's great industry. My favorite segment is Torino, an industrial city which is not usually thought of as a top tourist attraction.Veteran "calligraphic" auteur Mario Soldati is our guide, and he points out the hidden surprises in his city. It is wonderful to see and hear this maestro in person. It is also curious that Venezia, one of the two top Italian tourist destinations, is not covered but instead we get portraits of less frequented places like: Bari, Cagliari, and Udine. There are large parts of this largely visual tour guide that don't have either dialogue or commentary, so if you can't find a subtitled copy you will still be able to enjoy a lot. Buon viaggio!