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“LOS ANGELES, ITALIA – FILM FEST” HONORS CALOPRESTI’S HOLOCAUST DOCUMENTARY. ON FEBRUARY 18 – 5PM - SPECIAL SCREENING AT MANN’S CHINESE 6 THEATRE Book your seat at this link LOS ANGELES, January 28, 2007 – "Volevo solo vivere" ("I Only Wanted to Live” Mimmo Calopresti’s holocaust film, produced by RAI Cinema in collaboration with Steven Spielberg’ and the U.S.C. Shoah Foundation), will be the special event of the up-coming Los Angeles, Italia – Film, Fashion and Art Fest. The will be on Sunday February 18 (5.00om) at Mass’s Chinese 6 Theatre. Calopresti’s documentary, shown at the Cannes Film Festival this spring, tells the story of nine Italians who survived deportation and internment in the Auschwitz death camps of the Nazis during the most wicked period of modern times, if not all human history. The documentary includes the enactment of racial laws in Italy, the futile escape attempts of the nine, their deportation, separation from other family members, survival in the death camp, and their liberation when allied soldiers arrived. It candidly examines the responsibility of Italians for the holocaust, measured against the defense that “Italians are good people.” Calopresti researched the film by viewing hundreds of Italian testimonies collected by the USC Shoah Foundation, as well as the personal photo albums of the survivors. "This film acknowledges the past tragedy and causes us to reflect on contemporary discrimination and certainly on the horrors of all wars,” declared Pascal Vicedomini, founder and producer of The “LOS ANGELES, ITALIA” FILM, FASHION AND ART FESTIVAL” with the support of the Film Department at the Italian Ministry of Culture and the National Italian American Foundation, in collaboration with the Casinò di Venezia, Fiuggi Mineral Water, the University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts and Cim Group-USA and the Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles. “Los Angeles, Italia 2007” will features special screenings of contemporary and cult works by Italy’s most popular filmmakers, encounters with many of the key players in the film and television industry, conferences with students at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and performances and exhibits featuring award-winning costumes all offered free of charge to the public and press. Other activities include tastings of regional cuisine at our Italian Cinema Lounge at Trastevere Restaurant in the Hollywood & Highland Center and an awards ceremony for "Friends of the Italian Arts". The festivities will culminate with Grand Gala of at the American Film Institute on Thursday, February 22nd honoring Jack Valenti, longtime president of the Motion Picture Association of America. A special film program of the Academy Award-nominated works of Ennio Morricone will take place in anticipation of a Lifetime Achievement Academy Award being presented to this great director and composer. An exhibition of costumes from the film "Marie Antoinette" will take place at Hollywood & Highland Center in anticipation of a Best Costume Academy Award nomination being presented to costume designer and previous Academy Award winner Milena Canonero. Also at Hollywood & Highland Center, an exhibition of photographic film stills, curated by the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia – National Cinematheque, culled from the archives of many important films shot in and around the city of Venice. BOOK YOUR SEAT FOR THIS MOVIE AT: https://cntvcommunity.usc.edu/resources/events/event.cfm?event=464 For more infomation, please contact: caprinelmondo@tin.it