Spettacolo

Spettacolo is a 2017 documentary film about a small hilltown in Italy that practices a unique form of theatre called "autodrama".

It is the second feature of Marwencol filmmakers Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen, made through their production company, Open Face.

Monticchiello, a tiny hill town in Tuscany, has found a unique way to confront its problems – the people turn their lives into a play.

The film tells the story of Teatro Povero ("Poor Theatre"), interweaving episodes from its past with footage from the present as the villagers turn a series of devastating blows – financial ruin, rising neo-fascism, a dwindling future generation – into a play about the end of their world.

The three-week run at the Quad included a short film before the feature by Jeff Malmberg and Chris Shellen, Amleto, focusing on the daily life of one of Monticchiello's cats.