Bella Basilicata is a collection of magical realism screenplays in which Italian-American protagonists discover the Lucanian towns of their family origins. The purpose of this work is to stimulate interest in film production in Basilicata and engage a global audience with this beautiful, diverse, yet little-known region of Italy.
Venosa
Highlighting themes of love, magic, and self-discovery, Bella Basilicata envisions combining film tourism with roots tourism. Ideally, this could be a collaboration of international and regional production companies; with local directors, talent, and crews; to realize a series of features, each telling the story of a magical place and its people through a transformational journey of one of its great-grandchildren.
“Do you know how many stories there are in this city? Look! Is it possible this city doesn’t inspire you at all?”
– Antonio Capuano, “The Hand of God”
Maratea
In Paolo Sorrentino’s masterpiece, the quote refers to the glorious city of Naples, yet its sentiment also befits the villages of Basilicata—so beautiful, unique, treasuring millennia of history and yes, they do inspire and their stories should be in the movies.
The Scripts
“Something familiar, but different” is the premise that seems to be a sweet spot for Hollywood. The stories that compose Bella Basilicata are created with this in mind.
So, here’s the pitch:
Italian-American protagonists arrive in their family’s Lucanian homeland, bringing their conflict, their flaws, and the main plot of the story. Upon their arrival, each town’s unique natural, historical, and cultural features are woven into the hero’s journey. The films would be unique because specific attributes only exist in specific places in Basilicata. Offering “something familiar, but different” in Basilicata could be a way to promote the Lucanian film industry and bring economic benefits to the individual towns.
The Bella Basilicata scripts and the local features are introduced below. Please contact us for more information or to request a script.
Castelmezzano
Love Conquers All
Venosa, Romantic Historical Drama
A lonely librarian with fantasies of true love inherits a house in Venosa, Italy where she finds herself living the myth of Cupid and Psyche, while her brother, a dying, cynical war veteran, struggles to resolve his inner war—with help from three ancient Roman poets and possibly Venus, herself.
Click for a list of what’s featured
- History – Diomedes through Medieval Period
- Archaeological Site of Ancient Venusia
- Abbazia della Santissima Trinita
- Incompiuta – The Unfinished Cathedral
- Jewish Catacombs
- Aragonese Castle
- Poet Horace
No One Knows We’re Here
Pisticci, Romantic Comedy
A young chef tries get over a humiliating breakup by hiding in a small town in Pisticci, Italy. But when her ex-boyfriend’s fiancé tracks her down, there’s nowhere to run.
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- Dirupo District, History
- Essenza Lucano Museum, Amaro Lucano
- Agriturismo / Farming
- Lucanian Cuisine
- Pisticci Beach
- Tavola Palatine (Temple of Hera) in Metaponto
The Curse, The Cure, and The Wedding
Castelmezzano, Romantic Dramedy
A young man promises to end a family curse by taking his family to their ancestral home in Castelmezzano, Italy for his wedding but the mysterious little village seems to warn him that keeping his promise may be worse than the curse.
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- Path of the Seven Stones
- Norman Fortress Ruins, Templar Stairs
- Ancient folklore
- Festival (Maggio and Saint Anthony of Padua)
- Volo dell’Angelo (zipline)
The Ghost and Mrs. Mela
Policoro, Romantic Dramedy
When an injured American dancer seeks isolation in a sea-side cottage in Policoro, Italy, she finds neither solitude or peace, since the house is haunted by the ghost of a paranoid archaeologist who believes that she is an enemy spy.
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- History – Ancient Greeks
- National Archaeological Museum of Siritide
- Baronial Castle
- Dance Festival
- World Wildlife Refuge
The White Widows of Vulture
Atella, Historical Drama
While visiting her family’s ancestral town in Atella, Italy, an ambitious executive angers a mysterious “maciara” who sends her back in time to the era of the Great Emigration. As she struggles to return to the present, she endures the hardships suffered by her ancestors, and grows to respect the strong women from whom she is descended.
Click for a list of what’s featured
- History:
- 1857 Earthquake
- Establishment of the Kingdom of Italy
- Brigandage
- Lives of Lucanian women 1857-1910
- The Great Emigration
- Angevin Tower
- Lake Monticchio
- Magic and folklore
- Traditional Lucanian music
New project coming soon…
Location TBD, Comedy
We’re working on our latest inspiration, so please check back!
Photos used in compliance with https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/: Venosa – Acquario51 and Nicola Abbrescia, Pisticci – Cinzia Astorino. Castelmezzano photos used with permission from William J. Moore
Bella Basilicata Scripts
Bella Basilicata Scripts 