Love and death, not necessarily in that order, are the storyteller's two chief inspirations.

Both are found in abundance in this bittersweet Danish pastry of a film called Italian for Beginners, opening tonight at the Princess Theatre. The body count rivals a Steven Seagal flick - a wife, a mother and a father, just to start with - tragedies setting the stage for six lonely people who find love while attending an Italian class at a community college in Copenhagen.
Full Story

The most remarkable thing about the day-brightening Danish confection Italian For Beginners is that it's a light-hearted romance from a heavy-hearted "collective" of European filmmakers.

That would be Dogme 95, the movement that gave us Lars Von Trier and an organization that requires its filmmakers to sign an anti-Hollywood manifesto before giving films their stamp of approval.
Full Story