HOTEL MEINA
Tuesday, April 21
7:00 pm
Strosacker Auditorium, Case Western Reserve University
The film is based on actual events as recounted in the book of the same name by Marco Nozza. Lago Maggiore, September 1943. A group of sixteen Jewish Italians are guests at Hotel Meina, the property of Giorgio Benar, a Jew with a Turkish passport (thus making him the citizen of a neutral country in WWII). Following the September 8th armistice between Italy and the Allies, an SS unit commanded by Commander Krassler arrives at Meina. Two teenagers-in-love, Noa Benar and Julien Fendez, are torn apart by the brutal arrival of the Nazi squad. The Jews, held hostage in the Hotel, begin a week of waiting, terror and hope. It is a strange coexistence among Jews, non-Jewish hotel guests and SS soldiers. The Jews discuss the possibility of a escape, while the Germans await their orders. Perhaps for them the end of the war is near.
Director: Carlo Lizzani
Cast: Benjamin Sadler, Federico Costantini, Ursula Buschhorn
Year: 2007
Duration: 110 min.
Genre: Drama
Awards: 1 nomination
- Nominated Best Costume Design: David di Donatello
Official Italian Web Site:
Trailer:
Film courtesy of RAI Trade.
© RAI Trade
CLEVELAND
April 16-21, 2009
Strosacker Auditorium, Case Western Reserve University