Cinema 15+: Dog Day Afternoon (S. Lumet, USA, 1975, 125')

Cinema 15+ is Kino Valli’s film programme dedicated to young people, created by young people themselves. It was developed in response to numerous attempts over the years to create, as a cinema, programmes that would involve young people and take place during their free time, outside the education system. Through the Cinema 15+ programme, young people now have their own place at Kino Valli, their own time, the freedom to create the programme, and mentors (the Kino Valli team). Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet, USA, 1975, 125') It is a hot summer day in the New York borough of Brooklyn. Sonny Wortzik and Salvatore Naturale, known as Sal, set out to rob a bank, but arrive just after the day’s major cash delivery and manage to get away with only a modest amount of money. The police soon arrive and place the bank under siege, while Sonny and Sal take the bank employees hostage. Journalists and television crews also arrive at the scene, along with a crowd of curious neighbours and passers-by… Based on true events, the film is one of the highlights of acclaimed director Sidney Lumet’s career. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay (Frank Pierson), although the vast majority of the dialogue was the result of improvisation based on three weeks of rehearsals that the director held with the actors before filming began. This was a consequence of Lumet’s insistence on an exceptionally realistic approach, which included filming exclusively with natural light and artificial light that was already part of the set, using only diegetic music (songs played on the radio), and shooting the film in chronological order. Al Pacino, who had previously worked successfully with Lumet on Serpico, initially turned down the role because he was exhausted from filming The Godfather Part II. However, when he heard that the role had been offered to his rival Dustin Hoffman, he immediately accepted it, and it became one of the most celebrated performances of his career. In addition to winning the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, Dog Day Afternoon was also nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Film Editing and Best Supporting Actor. In 2009, the Library of Congress selected the film for inclusion in the National Film Registry as a work that is “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”