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Pentimento

Rated: Not Rated


        Pentimento is a word heaped with meaning. It is the Italian word for repentance, or penitence. It also has meaning in the art world, as “a visible trace of earlier painting beneath layers of paint on a canvas.” (Definition from Google).  

        There really aren’t many words that have two such distinctly different definitions; and it is from both definitions that filmmaker Loredana Gasparaotto drew upon for her new film Pentimento.

        Pentimento is Loredana’s third film, and her first feature. It tells the story of Sophia, an immigrant from Transylvania who is having a hard time making it on her own as a singer in New York City. When she starts dating Connor things start to look up, but she quickly realizes that Connor’s family will go to any means necessary, including violent ones, to tear them apart.

        The film has a rather gritty feel to it, and showcases areas of New York that most people, outside of the City, would recognize. I asked Loredana about including such ambiguous locations. She said, “I believe we are used to seeing a glamorized NY, through shows like Sex and The City or Girls. That’s a City only maybe 10% of New Yorkers can afford. The rest of us live on the breach of survival in the stinky, shabby parts of Brooklyn, Queens or the Bronx. I truly wanted to show my side of NY to the ones who don’t live in NY, and usually see it on TV or films.”
Sofia scrubs a statue in Pentimento (Photo courtesy of Loredana Gasparotto)

Sofia scrubs a statue in Pentimento (Photo courtesy of Loredana Gasparotto)


        I usually ask filmmakers what their inspiration for a given film is, but thanks to Loredana’s IMDB bio, I was able to spare her that question. Part of the bio reads, “Through film….I could expose on screen the struggles that the chaotic, creative, and yet fertile mind experiences as it constantly faces opposition from a society that craves order and favors mediocrity. Because of film I understood that I could relate a story to the audience that would speak to and awaken the dormant artist within them. Pentimento was conceived because of this desire to live a true life.”

        Laura Pelligrini, who played the lead, Sophia, was phenomenal. She took a role that would be difficult for anyone, and elevated it to a place of determination, bravery, and grace. Some of the scenes in the film were difficult to watch, on many levels, but Laura was able to depict them in a way that made them hit home all the more. Watching her in this role was a joy.

        Trevor Swann, as Connor, managed to take a character who you’d love to hate by the end of the film, and flip things, so that instead you’re left with a feeling of heartbreak. That, in itself, surprised me, and proves that he’s got what it takes to make it in the film industry. I really wanted to despise him, but by the time the credits appeared I was left feeling like, at the very least, he needed a hug.
Connor realizes what he's lost in Pentimento (Photo courtesy of Loredana Gasparotto)

Connor realizes what he's lost in Pentimento (Photo courtesy of Loredana Gasparotto)


        Before sending me Pentimento, Loredana warned me that some of it may come across as “artsy”, which I told her I didn’t mind. After seeing the film, I asked if her other films could be considered “artsy” as well. Her answer made me laugh. She said, “Do you want to know something funny? I actually can’t stand artsy experimental movies! Especially video art. I do not get it at all!  I grew up watching Italian neorealistic films, but I love fairy tales. I feel that all my movies are combinations of these two elements. I am interested in portraying the struggle of ordinary people, but I utilize the surreal, (and) dream sequences to express their feelings, desires and fears.”

        Pentimento is a film with many layers, as the title alone suggests. It’s a love story, but so much more than just a love story. It’s a story about the plight of creatives trying to make it in the world. It realistically portrays the struggles down on their luck immigrants to New York City experience and the strife they encounter as they try to not only survive, but to rise above and thrive. It uses both straight forward and conceptual means to tie things together, but does so in a way that’s accessible, as long as you’re paying attention.

        Pentimento is not rated, was written and directed by Loredana Gasparotto and stars Laura Pelligrini and Trevor Swann.  It is currently making the festival rounds, with hopes of wider distribution in the future. More information about Pentimento and Loredana Gasparotto can be found here: 
  • Loredana Gasparotto on IMDB
  • Pentimento and Loredana on Twitter