Flavio Insinna Movies

Oscar-nominee Omar Sharif stars as devoted disciple Peter in director Guilio Base's look at the tension that arose between the Christians and Romans following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. As the unwavering faith of the disciples makes them the target of persecution in the Roman Empire, Peter begins to realize that in order to prove their loyalty to the word of God the followers of the Christian faith may be forced to endure the same humiliation and suffering that Jesus experienced when crucified on the cross. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Young married couple Giovanna (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) and Filippo (Filippo Nigro) have been married long enough to have become almost completely jaded by their lots in life, with most of their individual aspirations having been set aside some time ago. As their marriage begins to fall apart, the two encounter a strange old man (Massimo Girotti) who calls himself Simone since he can't seem to recall his real name or much about his past history. Filippo brings the man home to stay with them, which initially irritates Giovanna. Over time, she gradually befriends the confused old man and eventually notices a tattoo on his arm indicative of his being a WWII Holocaust survivor. Taking "Simone" to an old Roman ghetto, she helps him remember his name (Davide) and his time spent in that very ghetto -- which includes recalling the very painful memory of his lover Simone's capture and murder at the hands of the Nazis. Meanwhile, Giovanna has been spending her free time impulsively peeping across the street at her attractive neighbor Lorenzo (Raoul Bova) -- who in turn has been spying on her. Giovanna is thus forced to decide between Filippo and Lorenzo, as well as possibly realizing a long dormant professional dream that her new friend Davide may be able to help her undertake. ~ Ryan Shriver, Rovi

Delving into the uncharted territory of hardcore melodrama and three-hanky pornography, director Davide Ferrario recounts this tale of the life and death of an Italian X-rated icon. Nina (Elisabetta Cavallotti) is a middle-class woman who finds herself drawn to the adult film industry because she really, really likes sex and because she enjoys having men ogle her. Yet in spite of her daily rounds of athletic heterosexual coupling, she becomes romantically attached to Cristiana (Stefania Orsola Garello), an editor of a hardcore magazine. During a checkup, Nina learns that she has cancer and tries to continue to work in spite of ongoing chemotherapy treatment. Yet when word of her malady gets around, she soon learns that she is no longer in demand. The weight of Nina's illness proves to be too much, and she dumps Cristiana in favor of fellow cancer victim Flavio (Flavio Insinna). Ferrario punctuates this work with sketches of the porn biz including bored set technicians and sleazy producers who are into S&M. This film was screened at the 1999 Venice Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi