Closely shot, fast-cut drama about an angry, idealistic young prison tutor forced into an explosive face-off with his father, a convicted murderer: the Italian debut of the year.
Screened as part of NZIFF 2007
Salty Air 2006
L'aria salata
Superb performances mark this absorbing debut by Alessandro Angelini. Fabio, a prison social worker, oversees the rehabilitation of inmates and assesses their eligibility for short-term parole. His life is mainly confined to his stressful job and he resents criticism from his sister, Cristina, and his girlfriend about his almost obsessive commitment to it. One day, while reviewing a new case, he panics: Sparti, a man serving 20 years for murder, is the father Fabio hasn’t seen since childhood. Fabio ignores Cristina’s pleas that he have nothing to do with the man who wrecked their lives, in the hope of finally letting go of his painful past.
“Proving again that emotionally riveting movies are made of imagination and not a bulging pocketbook, Alessandro Angelini’s small powerhouse Salty Air may qualify as the Italian debut of the year… Closely shot, fast cut drama about an angry, idealistic young prison tutor forced into an explosive face-off with his father, a convicted murderer, bursts with energy and a feeling for how actors plus camera can equal a serious moviegoing experience.” — Deborah Young, Variety