Fireworks

10/8/2023

Intolerance against members of the gay community has long been a theme in LGBTQ+ cinema, one that has become so common that it’s indeed familiar, if not overdone. However, when it’s set in a historical context, it can be valuable for illustrating how far this segment of society has come (and in a relatively short time, too), as well as a legacy instructional tool for younger members of the community. Such is apparently the intent behind writer-director Giuseppe Fiorello’s debut feature, a sincere effort at telling the fact-based story of a pair of teenage gay men (Gabriele Pizzuro, Samuele Segreto) in 1982 Sicily who face growing prejudice and harassment from locals and family members as their relationship begins to surface publicly. It’s a bittersweet heart-tugging tale of friendship, lov

2/16/2025

Set against a backdrop of the 1982 World Cup, this is the story of the young “Nino” (Gabriele Pizzurro) who lives in Sicily. He is regularly bullied by the villagers and it’s assumed that he is gay. Nearby, “Gianni” (Samuele Segreto) helps his father run their fireworks business, a popular enterprise that manages to capitalise on the frequent religious festivals and fairs that take place across the island. The two meet after “Nino” has had the latest in a series of arguments with his stepfather and they have a near miss on their mopeds on the mountainous roads. After their introductions, “Gianni” helps to find him work in the local quarry that’s run by his uncle “Pietro” (Roberto Salemi). As the two start to hang out together, tongues in this rather small-minded community start to wag and

8/29/2026

This was a long movie that invoked different emotions. Spoilers ahead! This is about two young guys who meet and fall in love, but it turns out they both come from homophobic families who work to keep them apart once they are outed. The guys were really cute together, not just their looks, but the way they acted with each other, I wish they had more time together on film. Basically the first hour is all set up and they really could have cut that down and done more with the guys. After the families break them up they get back together briefly, but the movie ends when their lives do as they are shot in their sleep just for being gay. A very sad ending. While this story is fictional, it was inspired by a real event that contributed to the gay rights movement in Italy.