PRESS RELEASE (12/08/2014)
Wednesday, August 13, a Loano, the second round of the film festival will take place. “Cardboard Stories, promoted by the’Department of Tourism, Culture and Sports of the City of Loano and organized by the I.So THeatre with the artistic direction of Paul Borio.
The review of animated films dedicated to. Enzo D'Alò will host, at 21.30 in the’Prince's Garden Summer Arena, the screening of the film “The Gabby and the Cat” (Italy, 1998).
Based on the novel by Chilean writer Luis Sepúlveda “Story of a Little Seagull and the Cat Who Taught Her to Fly.”, the animated film is voiced by Sepulveda himself and actors Carlo Verdone, Antonio Albanese, and Melba Ruffo.
The film tells the story of Kengah, a seagull poisoned by an oil slick, who manages to entrust her dying egg to the cat Zorba, wringing from him three promises: that of not eating the egg, caring for it until it hatches, and teaching the unborn baby to fly. Zorba seeks advice from his friends Colonel, Secretary, Pallino and Diderot, and thanks to their indispensable help, the little creature manages to be born without any problems. The orphaned gull is christened Fortunata (Fifì) by the cat community. Little Fifì is faced with a strange task: that of learning about herself and understanding that she is not a cat, before she learns to fly.
When the gull is now a teenager, the cats decide to teach her how to fly. They try all kinds of gimmicks and a thousand exercises, but she fails. So Zorba asks Bubulina and her mistress Nina for help to take her to the top of St. Michael's bell tower, from where she can launch herself and, at last, fly. Once at the top, Nina and Zorba help the little gull overcome all fears. Fifì swoops down, risking crashing to the ground, but lo and behold, she finally opens her wings and manages to soar. Fortunata says goodbye to Zorba and her friends and goes to the sea where, meeting a flock of seagulls, she finds her future.
The film has as an important element the presence of musical animations that make up the film's soundtrack. The main songs include “So volare” and the “Song of Kengah,” written and performed by Ivana Spagna, “Siamo gatti” by Samuele Bersani, “Non sono un gatto” by Leda Battisti, “Duro lavoro” and “Noi siamo topi” by Gaetano Currieri and Antonio Albanese.
The festival dedicated to one of Europe's leading exponents of animated cinema will close on August 20 with “Pinocchio”.
The evenings are at free admission.
