Lucca Film Festival

Lucca last Saturday night turned into a Hollywood movie studio. Throughout the city in various Piazzas and Bars were film sets from famous movies. Chicago was there right next to Dirty Dancing and then around the corner was Zombie. Batman seemed to have various filming locations about the city. The reason for the transformation from Tuscany to California was The Lucca and Europa Cinema Film Festival.

The festival wasn’t just confined to the city but included locations as far away as Barga. The Lucchesi seem to have penchant for dressing up and had taken this occasion to their hearts.

Schools students also took to the film sets. My personal favourite was Romeo And Juliet interpreted by young actors from Liceo Classico Niccolò Machiavelli. Their location was an ice-cream parlour, which had been transformed into the magic fish tank scene from Baz Luhrmann's rendition of Romeo and Juliet 

For those who prefer a more hard-hitting genre of cinema there was the Zombie set. The director himself, George A. Romero was here for the occasion and I am told even put his hands into fresh cement. Are we starting our own Lucca walk of fame?

It was good to see Lucca swinging again after winter, this city is for me a film set in itself and I often have to kick myself as a reminder that I am living a reality and not playing a part in a movie.

For more information about the festival look at their website is http://luccafilmfestival.it/en/