La Nostra Terra (Mafia and Red Tomatoes), (Giulio Manfredonia, 2014): Italy

Reviewed by Raven Arce. Viewed at Santa Barbara Film Festival.

Think planting tomatoes is an easy job, well then you should probably watch this movie. La Nostra Terra or also known as Mafia and Red Tomatoes (Giulio Manfredonia, 2014) is a definate must see film for any movie goer willing to read and follow along with subtitles. My initial thought when going to see this film was that it would have a lot more serious notes then what were actually in it. However, La Nostra Terra was full of comedic moments to ease any seriousness.

Watching this as part of the Santa Barbara Film Festival was a nice add to all the different cultural movies. There were so many films from so many different countries all with their own unique style. The actors play the characters very well. Particularly Sergio Rubini as Cosimo, Iaia Forte as Azzurra, and Stefano Accorsi as Filippo .

We open with a tale of the land that was stolen by Mafia. How Cosimo learned to grow up and act as the lands caretaker. Eventually the boss in that area, Nicola Sansone (Tommaso Ragno), goes to jail and the land gets seized by the government. A group of people including Azzurra and Filippo decide to create a cooperative to help people work on the land without being afraid of the mafia threat.

Despite the threats made, Filippo decides to stay and help with the cooperative making it run a little against what Cosimo has in mind for it. Natural vs chemical, old ways vs new. Trust is always tested within the group and the strength of will to stand up for what you believe in. If you have strength enough you can overcome whatever causes you trouble, like the cooperative did with the mafia.

I feel like one of the best aspects of the film are its characters. Each one of them is so unique and different, all bringing something interesting to the table. They make the film filled with live and a vibrant energy that the audience cant help but feed into.

This movie was one of my top favorites of the Santa Barbara Film Festival, it was not only well done in cinematography but it also was a movie that everyone could love. While you do find yourself possibly a little lost in the translation on occasion, the film is quick to make up for that with its witty characters and comical scenes.