Basilicata Coat to Coast is a romantic and loving tribute to a little-known part of Italy, Basilicata, punctuated by a wonderful soundtrack of jazzy songs composed by director Rocco Papaleo. Music is the backbone of the story. If you like Jazz and Swing you will love the jam sessions written in sympathy with the sensitivity and ambience of the landscape; the Basilicata’s canyons, dry dirt roads and barren vistas, the fishing spots and quaint villages.

This movie made me laugh and brought tears to my eyes.  Basilicata Coast to Coast is a panoramic feast for the eyes of this untouched southern Italian region of Basilicata. The cast is solid and has enough personality to make viewers want to accompany them on this 10 day, coast-to-coast journey. They embark on the journey after Nicola (Helmer Papaleo) decides to enter his unknown band in a music festival on the other side of Basilicata. The band members are enthusiastic to undertake the journey. There is sweet-natured Salvatore (Paolo Briguglia), his hipster ex-TV celeb cousin, Rocco (Alessandro Gassman), and the amiable mute Franco (Max Gazze). The four friends plan to make this coast-to-coast journey on foot accompanied by a horse and cart for their possessions. They plan to stop along the way in the small villages and perform to advertise their band. Several other significant people enter the story as they make their journey.

Basilicata Coat to Coast is sweet and simple with extremely likeable characters that engage you with their intertwined relationships.

Cast: Alessandro Gassman, Paolo Briguglia, Max Gazze, Rocco Papaleo, Giovanni Mezzogiorno, Claudia Potenza, Michela Andreozzi, Antonio Gerardi.

http://www.icff.ca/portfolio/basilicata-coast-to-coast/

Christophe Chanel