''August Vacation'' (, also known as ''Summer Holidays'') is a 1996 Italian

comedy drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

film directed by

Paolo Virzì Paolo Virzì (; born 4 March 1964) is an Italian film director, writer and producer. Early life and work Virzì was born in Livorno, Italy, in 1964, as the son of a Sicilian police officer in the Carabinieri and a former singer. After spendin ...

. The film was awarded with the

David di Donatello The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David (Donatello, bronze), David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the ''Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (the Academy of Italian Cin ...

for Best Film.

Plot

On the small island of

Ventotene Ventotene (; locally ; or ; , or ) is one of the Pontine Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the coast of Gaeta right at the border between Lazio and Campania, Italy. The municipality of Ventotene, of the province of Latina (Lazio) had 708 perman ...

, two groups of people spend their vacation in two adjoining houses. One group is led by the journalist and self-proclaimed intellectual Sandro Molino and his partner Cecilia Sarcoli. The other group is led by Ruggero Mazzalupi, a wealthy owner of two armories, a typical representative of the "Roman ''generone''" (the wealthy, old-money class of Rome). The first group includes: Mauro, an actor and Cecilia's ex-partner; their young daughter Martina; Francesca, Mauro's friend who was once Sandro's partner; Betta and Graziella, friends of Cecilia; Ivan, Graziella's son; and finally, Roberto, a curious character and Latin lover who roams between

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

and

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

and other exotic places, claiming to have "official" assignments. In the second group, besides Ruggero, are: his wife Luciana; their two children: the teenage Sabrina and their younger son; Ruggero's elderly, senile mother; Luciana's sister, the beautiful and provocative Marisa, who Ruggero has always been in love with; Marcello, Marisa's husband, a former nightclub singer now running a perfume shop, who owes Ruggero 50 million lira; and their only son. Ruggero secretly despises Marcello but pretends to be magnanimous, continuously postponing discussions about the debt in order to keep his brother-in-law psychologically submissive and to pressure Marisa to leave her husband. The relations between the two groups of tourists are immediately conflictual. Sandro's group cannot stand the noisy, superficial, and arrogant behavior of the neighbors but, at the same time, treats their attempts at friendship with snobbery, condescension, and barely concealed mockery. Unfortunately, an immigrant is injured by a bullet fired as part of a foolish prank by Ruggero, who is then called to account by the

Carabinieri The Carabinieri (, also , ; formally ''Arma dei Carabinieri'', "Arm of Carabineers"; previously ''Corpo dei Carabinieri Reali'', "Royal Carabineers Corps") are the national gendarmerie of Italy who primarily carry out domestic and foreign poli ...

after Sandro files a report. Admitting that he committed a reckless and harmful act, and seeking to make amends with Sandro and his group, Ruggero organizes a kind of nighttime assembly. The occasion leads to accusations and interventions on different levels, including political ones. Amid accusations and defenses, but essentially in a general and confused disorientation, everything unravels into a jumble of arguments quickly flattened and inert. Under the stars, it seems that each person has succumbed not so much to political motivations and passions, but rather to their personal feelings and issues. At the end of the summer vacation, Cecilia confesses to Sandro that she is eight weeks pregnant with his child. Sandro is happy and assures her that he will love the child as he loves Martina. Mauro, realizing he cannot win Cecilia back, gets drunk at the village festival, falls, and hits his head. He is helped and hosted by a local family who takes a liking to him, and their beautiful daughter is infatuated with him. Francesca, realizing she cannot win Sandro back, befriends Marcello, who feels misunderstood by his wife and is having a crisis. Roberto, after a night of secret passion with Marisa, abandons her and leaves for

. Ruggero witnesses Marisa's betrayal and prevents his daughter Sabrina, who has fallen in love with Ivan (unrequited), from committing suicide. These two experiences bring him closer to his wife Luciana, who had long suffered from her husband's emotional distance. The

immigrant Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not usual residents or where they do not possess nationality in order to settle as permanent residents. Commuters, tourists, and other short- ...

, following the report filed by Sandro and the ensuing media uproar about principle, becomes the subject of attention by law enforcement and is eventually expelled from the island for not being in compliance with regulations. At the end of the film, most of the characters leave the island to return home. The only one left on the dock, crying but hopeful, shouting "I love you" toward the ferry on which Ivan has boarded, is Sabrina.

Cast

Silvio Orlando Silvio Orlando (born 30 June 1957) is an Italian actor. Orlando was born and raised in Naples, where he started acting in theatre in 1976. He made his film debut in 1988 with a supporting role in the comedy '' Kamikazen: Last Night in Milan'', ...

: Sandro Molino *

Laura Morante Laura Morante (born 21 August 1956) is an Italian film actress. Life and career Morante was born in Santa Fiora, province of Grosseto (Tuscany), the daughter of lawyer and playwright Marcello Morante, who was the son of Irma (née Poggibonsi) ( ...

: Cecilia Sarcoli *

Ennio Fantastichini Ennio Fantastichini (20 February 1955 – 1 December 2018) was an Italian actor. Life and career Born in Gallese, province of Viterbo, Fantastichini studied acting at the Accademia Nazionale di Arte Drammatica Silvio D'Amico. His breakout role ...

: Ruggero Mazzalupi *

Paola Tiziana Cruciani Paola Tiziana Cruciani (born 29 May 1958) is an Italian actress, comedian and playwright. Life and career Born in Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also ...

: Luciana *

Sabrina Ferilli Sabrina Ferilli (born 28 June 1964) is an Italian theatre and film actress. She has won five Nastro d'Argento (including a special award in 2016 for civil engagement for her performance in '' Me, Myself and Her''), a Globo d'oro, six Ciak d'oro ...

: Marisa * Piero Natoli: Marcello * Agnese Claisse: Martina *

Rocco Papaleo Rocco Antonio Papaleo (born 16 August 1958) is an Italian actor, film director and singer. Biography Born in Lauria, Basilicata, he moved to Rome to study math at university, while working as a plongeur. He left university to attend the theat ...

: Brigadiere * Silvio Vannucci: Mauro Santucci *

Antonella Ponziani Antonella Ponziani (born 29 February 1964) is an Italian actress. Born in Rome, she attended the academy Mimo Teatro Movimento, under the guidance of Lidia Biondi. She debuted in 1986, in Salvatore Samperi's '' La Bonne'', and appeared in Fe ...

: Francesca * Teresa Saponangelo: Irene Vitiello *

Gigio Alberti Gigio Alberti (born 19 June 1956) is an Italian actor. Background Born in Milan as Luigi Alberti, he studied at the acting school of the Piccolo Teatro, graduating in 1981. His career is mainly associated to Gabriele Salvatores, with whom he ...

: Roberto

References

External links

* 1996 films Films directed by Paolo Virzì Italian comedy-drama films 1996 comedy-drama films Commedia all'italiana Films set on islands 1990s Italian-language films 1990s Italian films {{1990s-comedy-drama-film-stub

Plot

Cast

See also

References

External links