The White Lady of Poggio Catino

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the movie

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The White Lady of Poggio Catino (La dama)

The White Lady of Poggio Catino (La dama)

The White Lady of Poggio Catino (La dama)

original title:

La dama

directed by:

cast:

Costanza Spurio, Geronimo Wilson Brengola, Martina Bolzoni, Ettore Ismael Borghetto, Marco Pitorri, Lorenzo Galassetti, Giovanni Cianfa, Orso De Felice

screenplay:

cinematography:

set design:

Manuele Grilli, Lorenzo Galassetti, Lorenzo Ramazzotti, Pinti Noel Sebastian

costume design:

production:

Comitato Giovanile di Poggio Catino, con il patrocinio del Comune di Poggio Catino - contact: grillimanuele@libero.it

country:

Italy

year:

2015

film run:

24'

format:

colour

status:

Ready (21/01/2015)

festivals & awards:

  • Morandini - Corti d'autore 2015

In Italy of the 16th century, two powerful noble families, the Orsini and the Colonna are locked in a bloody power struggle.
In 1510, the Lady of Geppo Colonna, tired of his abuses and maniacal possessive ways, escapes from the castle with some of her trusted men.
During their journey, the Lady and her band of men are accosted by the castellans of Tancia and Fatucchio, two disreputable brothers named Losco and Ildo, who have turned the surrounding forest into a place of robbery, abuse and terror.
The confrontation turns deadly. The only survivor is the Lady, identified as valuable the spoils of war by a terrible brand on her calf that depicts a Column, the symbol of the powerful family to which she belongs.
The neighbouring Castle of Poggio Catino was the possession of the Orsini, and Losco thought, “What better prize could there be for the Orsini than the woman of their hated enemy Geppo Colonna?” Losco and his gang are richly rewarded by the Orsini for the Lady.
The fitting end for so valuable an enemy would be to throw them in prison and put them in the pillory for the “pleasure” of the people, but Ruberto the Lord of Poggio Catino, who is a priest, sees the White Lady in her robe so white and pure, and falls in love with her at first sight. This incurs the wrath of the enigmatic and scheming courtesan Crezia, against whom Ruberto must protect the Lady, for Crezia is a real threat.
Crezia sends word to Ruberto’s brother Camillo who tries to bring his brother back in line. Ruberto, not being belligerent and infatuated by the Lady, tries in vain to put an end to the ongoing feud with the Colonna, but Camillo orders his brother to stick to his ecclesiastical path, for reasons of family power and prestige, and to return the Lady to her husband Geppo for the sake of peace between the families… All this, just to please the jealous and ambitious Crezia who wants to get rid of the Lady as soon possible.
Ruberto ends up being sorely deceived. Camillo never means for the Lady to be returned to the enemy, as he does not want peace. Rather he hopes to crush the rival Colonna family with force of arms, though these clashes are often unsuccessful and end in bitter defeats.
Ruberto, on his part, only wants the lady, but since he has been ordered to hand her over to Geppo, makes a plan to escape with her while enroute to the chosen rendezvous point, thinking thus to deceive his brother Camillo and at the same time thwart the scheming Crezia. Ruberto’s plan, however, is discovered and Crezia, with the support of Camillo, plans a counter move. Crezia buys the help of Losco and his gang to create a mock ambush to make Ruberto believe he has been tricked by the evil Colonna.
The plan succeeds. Ruberto’s escort is decimated. Ruberto himself is wounded, then knocked senseless in the ambush. At the same time the Lady is escorted back to the Orsini court so Crezia can exact her terrible revenge.