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Paisan Updated:
Friday
21st February 2003: Paisan Update:
Just received a press release from Astoria Films
in connection with a project called Paisan "For
Immediate Release - Jan 1, 2003 - NYC / Rome: 'paisan',
a raw WWII drama in the neo-realistic style of Roberto
Rossellini (though not a remake of his 1946 film), is
under development at Astoria Films in NYC and Rome,
financed in part by the NIAF (National Italian-American
Foundation) in Washington.the slated cast for 'paisan'
is michael imperioli (the sopranos), giancarlo giannini
and gina lollobrigida, with an all-star list of cameos.
Being
shot on epic scale in the US and throughout Southern
Italy, it is the tragic story of Gerardo 'Jerry' Mangione,
an Italian-American soldier from NYC who is a lieutenant
in the 82nd Airborne. Given orders to protect the desperate
population of a small war-ravaged town near Naples from
random enemy attacks, he searches for family connections
while waiting to link up with Patton's approaching 7th
Army. Meanwhile back in America, thousands of italian
nationals and naturalized immigrants have been locked
up under FDR's Enemy Alien Act and sent to internment
camps. Ironically, their sons and grandsons who were
serving in the military, were completely unaware of
these events (la storia segreto - a subject which only
recently came to light). Caught up in this wartime paranoia
is Jerry's father Gennaro, who is arrested at his home
one night and sent to Ellis Island, until it is determined
he and hundreds like him will spend the rest of the
war at Ft. Missoula in Montana. But unlike his fellow
internees, he's the only one who understands why they're
all in this situation. "Never mind the inventors
and the artists. Most have been dead for centuries,
so they don't matter anymore. We're on a train with
bars on the windows being sent to God knows where. And
why? Not because the US is at war with Italy. Because
we haven't proved ourselves in this country yet, as
real Americans". Reference is also given to the
secret alliance, the 'deal with the devil' the US Navy
makes with Lucky Luciano because of his stranglehold
on the waterfront. His willingness "to be a patriot",
quickly ends any further cases of sabotage and leads
intelligence officers to Don Calo Vizzini, head of the
Sicilian Mafia. Though the assistance his organization
provides to the Allies was possibly useful in the liberation
of Sicily, it was not for such honorable reasons or
ties to Luciano. Later on in Naples, after befriending
its people and encountering some bizarre and even comical
situations courtesy of the scugnizzi napolitano and
several colorful putane, Jerry and his men are all ultimately
betrayed by someone out of simple jealousy. To be filmed
in NYC & Southern Italy entirely in b&w and
intercutting archival footage, 'paisan' will describe
only a few aspects of WWII that was unique to the Italian
campaign, a country and people that Hitler was ready
to "burn to the ground." Writer/director Roy
Carlo spent over three years researching the events
and completing the screenplay. Pre-production is scheduled
to begin summer 2004."
More News on Paisan as we get it!
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holders of Paisan & hold copyright over the movie, characters, merchandise
& storyline.
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