Mid-August Lunch (originally released as Pranzo di ferragosto) is a 2008 Italian comedy-drama and the directorial debut of Italian actor and screenwriter Gianni Di Gregorio.[1] It was produced by Italian writer-director Matteo Garrone whose 2008 film Gomorrah was co-written by Di Gregorio.[2] It currently is being distributed in the US by Zeitgeist Films.[3] It was remade in 2024 as the Irish film Four Mothers.[4]
| Mid-August Lunch | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical movie poster | |
| Directed by | Gianni Di Gregorio |
| Written by | Gianni Di Gregorio Simone Riccardini |
| Produced by | Matteo Garrone |
| Starring | Gianni Di Gregorio Valeria De Franciscis Marina Cacciotti Maria Cali Nazan Kırılmış |
| Edited by | Marco Spoletini |
| Distributed by | Zeitgeist Films |
Release date |
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| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
Plot
editGianni (Gianni Di Gregorio) is a middle aged man who is struggling to pay their flat's communal charges, but is unemployed, spending his days between home and the local wine bar. He is looking after his 93-year-old mother during Italy's biggest summer holiday, Ferragosto. He is an only child, and his mother is demanding and capricious, and the pair live together in an apartment in Trastevere, Rome. The day before Ferragosto, his landlord Alfonso turns up to collect the debts owed to him by Gianni. Gianni proposes a deal - that Alfonso forgive all his debts if he looks after his elderly mother, Marina, overnight, and for the day of Ferragosto so that he is able to go to a spa to cure his dermatitis. Alfonso agrees to this, and then further tries to convince Gianni to host a second lady, his aunt Maria, who has memory problems (but makes excellent baked pasta). Gianni is reluctant but Alfonso convinces him by offering him money to do so. Gianni is then forced to look after a third woman, against his will, by his friend, who is also the local doctor, Marcello. Marcello must work the night shift at the hospital, and as his mother's usual carer is away for the holiday, he is left with no one to look after his mother, Grazia. Gianni is involved in a series of difficult situations as a result of the differing personalities of the four women in his care, and the difficulties of prepping the for the holiday mean - however lunch the following day is a surprisingly happy event. When the time comes for them all to leave, the women offer Gianni a large sum of money to stay with him, which Gianni gladly accepts.
Awards and nominations
editThe film won the Grand Prix Award and the Audience Award at the International Film Festival Bratislava,[5] and also won the FIPRESCI Award.[6] It was awarded the "Luigi De Laurentiis" Award for a First Feature Film at the 65th Venice Film Festival in 2008.[7] Additionally, it won awards at several other film festivals including the David Di Donatello Awards,[8] the Satyajit Ray Award at the London Film Festival,[9] and the Golden Snail award at the Academy of Food and Film in Bologna.[10] It was remade in English as Four Mothers (2024 film).[4]
Cast
edit- Gianni Di Gregorio
- Valeria De Franciscis
- Maria Cali
- Grazia Cesarini Sforza
- Marina Cacciotti
- Alfonso Santagata
References
edit- ^ "Pranzo di Ferragosto". Cineuropa - il meglio del cinema europeo (in Italian). Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "Matteo Garrone". Cineuropa - il meglio del cinema europeo (in Italian). Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "Mid August Lunch". Zeitgeist Films. Archived from the original on 2 January 2010.
- ^ a b "Review: Four Mothers – Film Ireland Magazine". Film Ireland. 4 April 2025. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "2008 Award Winners". International Film Festival Bratislava. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010.
- ^ "Premiati Pranzo di Ferragosto e Teza". Cineuropa - il meglio del cinema europeo (in Italian). 6 September 2008. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ Marshal, Lee. "Mid-August Lunch (Pranzo di Ferragosto)". Screen. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "Accademia del Cinema Italiano - Premi David di Donatello". www.daviddidonatello.it. Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ Dottore, Dino (31 October 2008). "PRANZO DI FERRAGOSTO vince al London Film Festival | Teatro.it". www.teatro.it (in Italian). Retrieved 21 April 2025.
- ^ "'Mid-August Lunch'". Los Angeles Times. 9 April 2010. Retrieved 21 April 2025.