Last night, the U.S. Premiere of Marco Bellocchio’s “Exterior Night”, a selection of this year’s Spotlight section, was screened at the New York Film Festival.
One of the cast members, Fabrizio Gifuni, mentioned that Bellocchio could not be in attendance because “he’s currently editing what will be his final film. You will see that next year.”
That film is “La Conversione,” currently in post-production and, probably, aiming for a Cannes world premiere.
If this is indeed the 82-year-old’s final film then he will be closing one of the great Italian filmmaking careers. Bellocchio has been going at it now for close to six decades. His last fiction feature was 2019’s excellent mob epic “The Traitor.”
However, primo Bellocchio has got to be his directorial debut, “Fists in the Pocket”, which was a major shock to Italian cinema, and a prophetic statement on the student revolutions of the late ‘60s. His 2003 film “Vincere” is also another must-see. Ditto 1986’s “Devil in the Flesh.”
Daniel Kaluuya took a sabbatical from acting back in 2022. There have been many theories as to why, but the important thing is he’s finally back, starring in this fall’s Chris Rock-directed “Misty Green.”