Together with VACA, he has worked since 1995 to draft four films to tell the Romagna of the 20th century. Still there are three that have been made a national distribution and have screened in international festivals. Giovannini works as the main actor, co-writer and designer.
BÉRBABLÙ
Feature Film - Fiction.
The story of an accordion player in Romagna in 1914: here, within a rural reality that is awakening from old power constraints, resurfaces a sensual world rich in archaic practices. Life, love, war and death flow over a fire fuelled by feminine passion.
Directed by: Luisa Pretolani & Massimiliano Valli. 2001, Produced by VACA & Pahni Productions. Running time 110 minutes, black and white. Cast: Umberto Giovannini (Bérbablù), Ivano Marescotti (Arfur), Elena Bucci (Nora), Maria Costantini (Lucia). Umberto Giovannini authors collectively the screenplay and the set designing.
Fruit of seven years of work, Bérbablù is the third feature film produced by VACA it is played mostly in the Romagna dialect.
Premio Solinas 1998 for the script
Festivals: 'Quintus Film Festival', Canada, 2004; 'Festival Cinema e Donne', Florence 2004, 'Bellaria Film Festival', 2005; tour in Argentina, 2005; 'Festival of Bastia', Corsica, 2006; 'Annecy Cinéma', France, 2006.
TANABÈSS
Feature Film - Fiction.
In the changing Romagna of the seventies, a youth faces an inner journey towards a difficult freedom, between tradition and desire to escape.
First feature film, produced by VACA.
Directed by: Luisa Pretolani & Massimiliano Valli. 1997, Produced by Vaca & Pahni Productions. Running time 80 minutes, color.
Umberto Giovannini plays the main role (Gibo) and authors collectively the screenplay and the set designing.
Festivals: '27th Festival Internacional de Cinema da Figueira da Foz', Portugal, 1998; 'Visioni Italiane', Bologna, 1998; 'Romagna: memoria e nuovi interpreti', New York University, 1999; 'New York Independent Film Festival', 1999, 'Anthology Film Archives', New York, 1999, 'Festival delle Nazioni' di Città di Castello , 1999, 'Long Island International Film Festival', New York, 1999; selected for 'Chicago Critics Award', 1999, 'Los Angeles Film Festival', 2000.
TIZCA. BIRDS PAINTINGS OF CAUCASUS
Feature Film - Fiction.
Thriller set between Rimini and New York as the protagonist Tizca, a prostitute and Russian painter, is unwillingly involved in a crime story that will change her profoundly.
Directed by: Luisa Pretolani & Massimiliano Valli. 2001, Produced by VACA & Pahni Productions. Running time 90 minutes, color.
Elena Bucci (Tizca). Umberto Giovannini plays co-star (Marco) and authors collectively the screenplay and the set designing.
Distributed in digital (the first Italian film shot in digital format to get a censorship certificate pass) is the second feature film, produced by VACA.
