Spettacolo

Play trailer

2:16

Spettacolo

2017

1h 31m

Documentary

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

93%

Tomatometer

27 Reviews

100%

Popcornmeter

50+ Ratings

Villagers in a tiny Tuscan town come up with a remarkable way to confront their issues: they turn their lives into a play. Every summer, their piazza becomes a stage and residents of all ages play a part -- the role of themselves. Monticchiello's annual tradition has attracted worldwide attention and kept the town together for 50 years, but with an aging population and a future generation more interested in Facebook than farming, the town's 50th anniversary performance might be its last.

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

02/08/2018

2.5/4

Spettacolo serves as a hymn to the creative process, but also as a eulogy of sorts to the let's-put-on-a-show spirit of pre-digital times. Come for the drama, stay for the gorgeous scenery.

Go to Full Review

Gary Goldstein

Los Angeles Times

09/28/2017

An engaging and wistful look at the tiny Tuscan village of Monticchielo and its longtime tradition of producing "autodramas," works crafted by, starring and thematically inspired by its residents.

Go to Full Review

Mark Jenkins

NPR

09/08/2017

[An] engaging documentary ...

Go to Full Review

Nathan Mattise

Ars Technica

07/28/2021

Spettacolo hit home.

Go to Full Review

Paul D'Agostino

Hyperallergic

02/08/2020

Moving, maddening, heroic, tragic, enlightening, revelatory, timely and steeped in time, sad yet bursting with mirth, Spettacolo is without doubt, in many ways and on many levels, consummate spectacle.

Go to Full Review

Jon Hogan

Hyperallergic

02/08/2020

Spettacolo is a cautionary tale for the American arts community, offering an example of what can happen when populist art is marginalized and threatened by the very people who stand to benefit most from it.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Jeff Malmberg

Director

Chris Shellen

Director

Jeff Malmberg

Producer

Matt Radecki

Producer

Chris Shellen

Producer

Lele Marchitelli

Original Music

Burlesque: Heart of the Glitter Tribe

67%

56%

Burlesque: Heart of the Glitter Tribe

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Burlesque: Heart of the Glitter Tribe

Peter and the Farm

100%

74%

Peter and the Farm

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Peter and the Farm

If the Dancer Dances

93%

93%

If the Dancer Dances

Watchlist

TRAILER

for If the Dancer Dances

Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle

96%

88%

Lots of Kids, a Monkey and a Castle

Watchlist

Icarus

92%

93%

Icarus

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Icarus

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Critics’ Choice Documentary Award Winners

Critics’ Choice Documentary Award Nominations

It Is Certified Fresh

Spettacolo: Trailer 1

2:16

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Villagers in a tiny Tuscan town come up with a remarkable way to confront their issues: they turn their lives into a play. Every summer, their piazza becomes a stage and residents of all ages play a part -- the role of themselves. Monticchiello's annual tradition has attracted worldwide attention and kept the town together for 50 years, but with an aging population and a future generation more interested in Facebook than farming, the town's 50th anniversary performance might be its last.

Director: Jeff Malmberg, Chris Shellen
Producer: Jeff Malmberg, Matt Radecki, Chris Shellen
Distributor: Grasshopper Film
Production Co: Open Face
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: Italian
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 6, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 22, 2018
Runtime: 1h 31m

Most Popular at Home Now