Andrew Gillies (3/06 Looking for Angelina)
Excerpt from This Magazine's Film Club 3/24/06: Andrew Gillies (Dr. Ken Harrison) | Looking for Angelina
Looking for Angelina
March 24th, 2006 - Toronto
LOOKING FOR ANGELINA is based on the true story of Angelina Napolitano, whose murder conviction in Sault Ste. Marie caused an uproar around the globe in the early 1900s. It was one of the greatest stories of the 20th century. On Easter Sunday in 1911, Angelina Napolitano, a 28-year-old Italian immigrant and mother of four, killed her abusive husband Pietro Napolitano (Alvaro D'Antonio) with an axe as he lay asleep in their bedroom in Sault Ste. Marie's "Little Italy". After a three-hour trial, represented by a lawyer (Keith Knight) who was given only hours to prepare, Napolitano was sentenced to hang. The story was picked up by an American reporter (Norma Dell'Agnese) and soon the signatures of hundreds of thousands of petitioners from around the world arrived at the office of Canada's Justice Minister (Andrew Gillies) demanding her release. The global media frenzy surrounding the events of Napolitano's trial and the discrimination that it highlighted in Canada's legal system are the subjects of the film. Following the "script" of the original trial, courtroom scenes were shot - most remarkably - in real time with multiple cameras on the original site.
This period piece film is in half English and half Italian (authentic Neapolitan dialect) with English subtitles. It was written by Alessandra Piccione and Frank Canino and marks the first time the story of Angelina Napolitano is being told on screen. Shot in only 14 days with a limited budget and with the assistance of 300 volunteer extras in the City of Sault Ste Marie. The soundtrack, composed by Angelo Oddi, is performed by world-renowned virtuoso musicians Quartetto Gelato and also includes a haunting "Sanctus" sung by the infamous St.Michael's Boy's Choir. The superb ensemble cast, many of whom learned a new language (Neapolitan) to authentically portray their characters, also includes Gerry Mendicino (My Big Fat Greek Wedding); Dom Fiore (The Recruit, Bonnano: A Godfather's Story); Matt Gordon (Shall We Dance); and Salvatore Antonio (The Gospel of John).
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