Ciak . . . si parla italiano: Cinema for Italian Conversation

Ciak si parla italiano is a new text designed specifically for courses in Italian conversation that focus on cinema as the context for discussion. This text covers sixteen films ranging from Pietro Germi's Divorzio all'italiana to Pupi Avati's Il cuore altrove. They cover a broad range of genres: comedy, drama, science fiction, historical, political, social. They are films that students and instructors find interesting and engaging. The readings which accompany each film vary, and augment the film screenings and class discussions. There are five types of readings: background information on the director and film, cultural explications, scene transcriptions, directors comments, and poetry. While the first two serve to orient and contextualize the films for the students, the transcriptions allows for a more detailed linguistic analysis of a particular scene. The directors comments provide an insightful interpretation to stimulate discussion. The poetry readings were inspired by filmic references and inspire students to expand their insights beyond the specific film. The text is entirely in Italian and each chapter provides a wealth of exercises and activities (both individual and group) from which to choose depending on the abilities of the students. Exercises include vocabulary building, character analysis, narrative comprehension, scene analysis, advanced grammar, imaginary interviews, creative script writing, further research suggestions, and poetry analysis. Brief readings accompany each film.