Addio is very similar to the English word farewell in that it is dated, quite formal and dramatic, and rarely used in speech, if not in an ironic or humorous way. It also has a definite rather than temporary feel to it. Situations in which you would use addio include funerals and the end of a romantic relationship.
In 2012, the Taviani brothers won the Golden Bear at the Berlinale with Caesar Must Die [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Paolo and Vittorio Taviani
film profile]. Now, four years after the death of Vittorio, Paolo Taviani returns to the festival with a film dedicated to his brother, Leonora addio [+see also:
trailer
interview: Paolo Taviani
film profile]. Consisting of two distinct parts, it again displays the old master's lightness of touch in what is an homage to Luigi Pirandello, his own youth, his country and its cinema.
Leonora addio is a fitting film for the twilight of a master's cinematic journey. The first half, with its affection for his people and nostalgia for his youth, feels more like one of those classical Italian flicks than a modern work. A couple of touches of absurdist humour are a nod to Pirandello's own poetics, which also dealt with the ephemerality of human existence. The second segment is a classically made short film in which Nicola Piovani's classy string- and female vocal-led score carries a particular gravity.
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