''Caro diario'' () is a 1993 Italian-French

semi-autobiographical An autobiographical novel is a form of novel using autofiction techniques, or the merging of autobiographical and fictive elements. The literary technique is distinguished from an autobiography or memoir by the stipulation of being fiction. Bec ...

comedy film written, directed and co-produced by Nanni Moretti, who also stars as himself. The film is structured in three anthological episodes, presented as the chapters of Moretti's open diary, in which he describes his thoughts about various slice of life situations. The film was selected to compete for the Palme d'Or at the

1994 Cannes Film Festival The 47th Cannes Film Festival was held from 12 to 23 May 1994. The Palme d'Or went to the American film ''Pulp Fiction'' directed by Quentin Tarantino. The festival opened with ''The Hudsucker Proxy'', directed by Joel Coen and closed with ''Seri ...

, where Moretti won the

Best Director Award Best or The Best may refer to: People * Best (surname), people with the surname Best * Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer Companies and organizations * Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain * Best Lock Corporation, ...

Plot

Chapter I: ''In Vespa'' (''On My Vespa'')

Putting the hot Roman summer to good use, Nanni Moretti dedicates himself to his favorite hobby, riding his Vespa through the streets of the half-deserted city. Here, Moretti lets the landscape inspire his thoughts: he laments the banalization of politics in contemporary Italian cinema, comments on the gentrification of the quarters of Rome, mocks the overzealous critical reception of movies like '' Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer'', and confesses his love for dance caused by the movie '' Flashdance'' –later meeting its star Jennifer Beals. Finally, he visits the place in

Ostia Ostia may refer to: Places *Ostia (Rome), a municipio (also called ''Ostia Lido'' or ''Lido di Ostia'') of Rome *Ostia Antica, a township and port of ancient Rome *Ostia Antica (district), a district of the commune of Rome Arts and entertainment ...

where Pier Paolo Pasolini was killed, to pay his respects.

Chapter II: ''Isole'' (''Islands'')

Having to work on an idea for a new movie, Moretti decides to leave Rome for a while for the more peaceful

Aeolian Islands The Aeolian Islands ( ; it, Isole Eolie ; scn, Ìsuli Eoli), sometimes referred to as the Lipari Islands or Lipari group ( , ) after their largest island, are a volcanic archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea north of Sicily, said to be named after ...

. In Lipari he's the guest of his friend Gerardo, an austere scholar who moved there eleven years earlier to better study James Joyce's ''

Ulysses Ulysses is one form of the Roman name for Odysseus, a hero in ancient Greek literature. Ulysses may also refer to: People * Ulysses (given name), including a list of people with this name Places in the United States * Ulysses, Kansas * Ulysse ...

'' without being distracted by modern commodities such as television, which he despises. However, both are unable to find the tranquility they're searching for since the number of tourists has suddenly increased. They move to Salina, where they are guests of two couples friends of Gerardo, both incapable of managing their hyperactive children, a feature that seems rampant on the entire island. Meanwhile, Gerardo begins watching television and gradually becomes completely addicted to it, and especially to soap operas. They move again, this time to

Stromboli Stromboli ( , ; scn, Struògnuli ) is an island in the Tyrrhenian Sea, off the north coast of Sicily, containing Mount Stromboli, one of the four active volcanoes in Italy. It is one of the eight Aeolian Islands, a volcanic arc north of Sici ...

, where they are constantly bothered by a megalomaniac mayor who tries to involve them in the oddest projects. They finally move to

Alicudi Alicudi () is the westernmost of the seven islands that make up the Aeolian archipelago, a volcanic island chain north of Sicily. The island is about west of Lipari, has a total area of , and is roughly circular. It is located at . History Th ...

, frugal and isolated, lacking water and electricity. Here Moretti seems to have found the right place to focus on his project, but soon Gerardo runs away in despair to catch the last

ferry A ferry is a ship, watercraft or amphibious vehicle used to carry passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A passenger ferry with many stops, such as in Venice, Italy, is sometimes called a water bus or water taxi ...

, unable to live without his favorite soap operas, while disavowing his ideals and proclaiming undying love for cheap entertainment.

Chapter III: ''Medici'' (''Doctors'')

Moretti clarifies to the audience that the following chapter will be based on a true story happened to him some years earlier; one day, he begins to suffer from persistent itching and insomnia. He visits many doctors and specialists, but they all dismiss him with different diagnosis, prescribing to him a lot of costly drugs and prohibiting him to eat most of his favorite food. Seeing no improvements, Moretti unsuccessfully tries alternative cures like reflexology and acupuncture. After almost a year, a doctor notices his developing cough during a visit and suggests him an X-ray. That reveals a mass on his lung, which after a biopsy is discovered to be a still-curable Hodgkin's lymphoma. Moretti successfully goes through chemotherapy and has the lymphoma cured. Sometime later, he reads the definition of Hodgkin's lymphoma in a basic medical encyclopedia, finding out that its most common symptoms are exactly itching and insomnia. Surrounded by the dozens of useless drugs he bought, Moretti laments the incapability of most doctors of listening to their patients, before making a bitter

toast Toast most commonly refers to: * Toast (food), bread browned with dry heat * Toast (honor), a ritual in which a drink is taken Toast may also refer to: Places * Toast, North Carolina, a census-designated place in the United States Books * '' ...

"to health" with a glass of water.

Cast

Source: ; Chapter I (''In Vespa'') ; Chapter II (''Isole'') ; Chapter III (''Medici'')

Reception

The film grossed L8.3 billion in Italy It also grossed $3.1 million in France.

Year-end lists

* 9th – Janet Maslin, '' The New York Times'' * Honorable mention – David Elliott, '' The San Diego Union-Tribune'' * Honorable mention – Jeff Simon, '' The Buffalo News''

Accolades

References

External links

*
Maslin, Janet. "One Worldview, Many Lively Vantage Points," ''The New York Times'', Monday, September 26, 1994.

* ttps://web.archive.org/web/20091027060401/http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/Choir/4792/moretti.html Shaked, Guy. "An analysis of Nanni Moretti's ''Caro Diario'' (''Dear Diary'')," geocities.com. {{Authority control 1993 comedy films 1993 films French comedy films Films directed by Nanni Moretti Films set in Rome Films set in Sicily Films set on islands Italian comedy films 1990s Italian-language films Self-reflexive films Slice of life films Films about cancer Films about film directors and producers Fictional diaries European Film Awards winners (films) Films scored by Nicola Piovani 1990s French films