The Thing (La Cosa)

Saturday, March 31 - Sunday, April 1, 2012

THE THING (1990, 59 min.)

The events that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War prompted changes in the Italian Communist Party (PCI), which in 1989 announced a historical svolta (sharp turn). A companion piece to Nanni’s 1989 PALOMBELLA ROSSA, this documentary tackles the future of the PCI and the future, if any, of a socialistic utopia. Nanni Moretti comments: “THE THING isn’t a cinema citation; it’s the term people used for what was coming into being — this ‘thing’ which would replace the old Communist party.” From the confronting debates depicted to the re-evocation of the history of the Italian Left and of its founding principles, Moretti expresses here a nostalgic longing for a style of politics that has disappeared in Italy.

Screening with:

THE LAST CUSTOMER (2003, 23 min., digital projection, it Italian with English subtitles)

Moretti’s doc portrait of the last day of business for a small, family-owned New York City pharmacy.

Part of the series La Vita e Cinema: The Films of Nanni Moretti

IFC Center does not generally provide advisories about subject matter or potentially triggering content in films, as sensitivities vary from person to person. In addition to the synopses, trailers and other links on our website, further information about content and age-appropriateness for specific films can be found on Common Sense Media, IMDb and DoesTheDogDie.com as well as through general internet searches.