CIAO, PROFESSORE!
Paolo Villaggio, Isa Danieli, Gigio Morra, Sergio Solli, Esterina Carloni
Miramax; Directed by Lina Wertmuller
Rated R; 91 minutes; 1994
From Lina Wertmuller, the internationally acclaimed director of "SEVEN BEAUTIES" and "SWEPT AWAY," comes the comedy CIAO, PROFESSORE! --a funny adventure set amongst the chaos of an Italian village’s third-grade classroom. Known for her explorations of such bold concepts as beauty, sexuality, revenge, madness and love, Wertmuller, looks at the simple wonders of hope in this amusing story of a kind-hearted teacher who finds that his students are everywhere - except in the classroom.
SCREENPLAY/NOVEL Screenplay by Lina Wertmuller, Leo Benvenuti, Piero De Bernardi, Alessandro Benvivenni and Domenico Saverni, loosely based on the book, "Me, Let’s Hope I Make It"
Reviews
"A rambunctious comedy!
—Peter Rainer, LOS ANGELES TIMES
"Lina Wertmuller’s CIAO, PROFESSORE! Bursts on the scene with a refreshing vitality!"
—Henry Sheehan, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
"If you liked the kid in ‘CINEMA PARADISO’ you’ll love these youngsters!"
—Yardena Arar, LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
"A fine heart-warming picture! Deftly directed by Lina Wertmuller."
—Paul Wunder, WBAI RADIO
"Unforgettable! It will steal your heart! Wildly funny and very moving."
—Jeanne Wolf, JEANNE WOLF’S HOLLYWOOD
"A splendid achievement! A beautifully wrought film."
—Desmond Ryan, PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
"Absolutely wonderful!"
—Jeffrey Lyons, SNEAK PREVIEWS