Italia Mia 2021

EVENT DESCRIPTION

The Consulate General of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Hong Kong jointly present Italia Mia, the major annual celebration of Italian culture and lifestyle, from 4 October to 19 December, 2021. In its third edition, the Festival, supported by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Macau, strings together over 40 programmes, from cinema to theatre, from opera to visual arts, from fine dining to wine tastings, from design to cooking classes. A few events pay tribute to the 700th anniversary of the death of the great poet Dante Alighieri, celebrating his work and exploring his time and the cities where he lived. While it is still so difficult to travel, the organisers are proud to bring a diverse programme from around Italy to your fingertips.

Key programmes of the Festival include:
A screening of four prominent Italian films and videos at Premiere Elements: “Tre Piani” (Three Floors) by director Nanni Moretti, presented at Cannes Festival this year, starring Margherita Buy, Alba Rohrwacher and Riccardo Scamarcio, “Pinocchio” by director Matteo Garrone staring actor Roberto Benigni (“Life is beautiful”), “Rita” and “Waitress on Top”;

Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, jointly produced by Opera Hong Kong and Slovene National Theatre Maribor, a perfect amalgam of eastern culture and traditional western opera. This emotional heart-wrenching love story will be performed by much sought-after artists from Asia and Europe, turning the entire stage of the Grand Theatre at Hong Kong Cultural Centre into Cio-Cio-san (Butterfly)’s house;

Talks at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival by Francesca Borri, Italian war journalist speaking live from Afghanistan, and Gianrico Carofiglio, an Italian best-selling novelist and former anti-Mafia prosecutor;

“Synthing the 80’s – The music that made us” pop concert rewinding to the iconic Italian (and international) 80s pop songs. From Battiato to Ah-Ah, Matia Bazar to Pet Shop Boys, all the songs that “made” us will be back on stage, revisited in a new electrifying arrangement, celebrating pop culture from one of the most unforgettable eras ever!

An exclusive retrospective of Silvano Agosti at THY LAB, featuring six films across four weeks. It also includes a Q&A with the director, masterclasses and a performative aspect. The Chinese edition of Agosti’s book “Letters From Kirghisia” will also be presented for the first time in Asia.

Also inseparable from Italian culture is its gourmet traditions. Be it farm produce, cheeses and wines, or sit down dinners, Italian cuisine never fails the taste buds with its creative treatment of farm-to-table ingredients. Italia Mia is happy to bring you a series of seasonal Italian dishes and experiences:

● Dinner with Dante — Dante Alighieri Society and the Italian Academy of Cuisine join forces to organize a culinary journey that follows the adventurous life of Dante Alighieri, il sommo poeta. During the dinner, we will explore some of the most iconic Italian cities where Dante lived, worked, travelled to or wrote about.

● Knights of Alba Gala dinner — The 76th Chapter of the Hong Kong Delegation of the Order of the Knights of the Truffle and Wines of Alba will host the annual White Truffle Gala Dinner. Guests will taste the iconic wines from the Piedmont region and indulge in the “diamonds of the table”, the legendary White Truffles of Alba.

All programme here: https://www.italiamiafestival.com

ABOUT THE ARTIST / ORGANISER

Italia Mia, the Italian Art and Culture Festival in Hong Kong, is here again presenting, across 3 months, a new exciting program rich in culturally enriching experiences, where fine food meets artistic heritage.

Italia Mia - a no-profit partnership between the Consulate General of Italy and the Italian Cultural Institute in Hong Kong with the support of the Italian Chamber of Hong Kong in Hong Kong and Macau - debuted in 2019. In the first edition, the Festival presented tens of events, including the show “Leonardo Da Vinci- Art & Science Now & Then” exhibiting 12 original drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. Last year, Italia Mia celebrated the master Sandro Botticelli with the exhibition “Botticelli and His Times – Masterpieces from the Uffizi” and the great director Federico Fellini with a retrospective of his movies on the 100th anniversary of his birth.