ROME — More than three decades after Italy weathered its terrorism-plagued "Years of Lead," cameras are rolling on the country's first film based on a leftist guerrilla's memoir, with hot Italo thesp Riccardo Scamarcio ("Eden Is West") attached to star.
The already controversial pic, titled "La Prima Linea" (Front Line) — after the name of a Red Brigades-affiliated terrorist cell, is being co-produced by Italy's Lucky Red and Belgian directorial duo the Dardennes brothers via their Les Films du Fleuve shingle.
Renato De Maria, whose 2005 drama "Amatemi" (Love Me) drew copious critical plaudits, is helming.
Shooting began Monday in Turin's Carceri Nuove jail, a stand-in for another Northern Italian penitentiary where in 1982 Prima Linea staged an explosive commando attack to free fellow terrorists from behind bars.
Budgeted at $6.4 million, "Front Line" will topline Scamarcio, whose recent credits, besides Berlin closer "Eden Is West," also include "My Brother Is an Only Child."
Scamarcio is playing Prima Linea leader Sergio Segio, the author of a terrorism-themed memoir titled "Miccia Corta" (Short Fuse). These days, after spending more than 20 years behind bars, Segio is active in several prominent Italian church-affiliated social work orgs.
Fellow Italo star Giovanna Mezzogiorno ("Love in the Time of Cholera") will play Segio's companion, Susanna Ronconi, a former Red Brigades terrorist.
After heated debate and initial reluctance by Italo culture czar Sandro Bondi, "Front Line" in December was granted coin from the Italian government. Pic is also financed by Eurimages, pubcaster RAI, and by Rupert Murdoch's Sky Italia paybox.
The highly honed screenplay, which purports to be an objective depiction of the "Years of Lead" devoid of both glorification and facile condemnation, is by Sandro Petraglia ("Best of Youth"), Ivan Cotroneo and Fidel Signorile.
International sales on "Front Line" are still being negotiated by Lucky Red.
Contact Nick Vivarelli at
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