The Last Mistero Buffo (L'Ultimo Mistero Buffo)

US PREMIERE OF THE DOCUMENTARY

THE LAST MISTERO BUFFO (L’ULTIMO MISTERO BUFFO)

Directed by Gianluca Rame
Written by Gianluca Rame and Piero D’Onofrio
Produced by Clipper Media

On August 1, 2016, in Rome, in front of three thousand spectators, the great actor, playwright, and Nobel Prize winner Dario Fo—ninety years old and at the end of his career—is about to go on stage with one of his signature works, Mistero Buffo, a revolutionary play that was censored at its debut.

The maestro smiles as he thinks of the many companies around the world performing his works. In Istanbul, where the company Teatra Jiyana Nu (New Life Theatre) stages the comedy Clacson, Trombette e Pernacchi in Kurdish, already censored by Turkish authorities on charges of terrorist propaganda. In Buenos Aires, where Muerte accidental de un ricotero adapts Accidental Death of an Anarchist to address the case of Walter Bulacio, killed by police in 1991.

The film follows the actors in an ongoing dialogue in which Fo’s theater becomes a space for reflecting on the human condition and the distortions of power, overcoming linguistic, geographic, and cultural differences.

The moment of his entrance is near. The sounds rising from the audience blend with memories of familiar figures: Franca Rame, with whom Dario shared both stage and life, their intense correspondence, and the many experiences they lived together.

The elderly actor rises, slowly moves from his dressing room to the wings, and after a brief hesitation steps onto the stage, bringing the wait to an end. The magic of his theater is fulfilled one last time.

In Italian with English Subtitles

Running Time: 90 min

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