Renato De Maria
Paz!

Italian cinema has reached a dead end, and to find films that are vital and full of ideas, one must search the "underbelly" of Cinecittà...

"Paz!" is based on the works of Andrea Pazienza, one of the most visionary and brilliant Italian comic authors, active in the '70s and much of the '80s (until his untimely death). Structured in interconnected episodes, it tells the stories of three great Paz characters: Zanardi, Pentothal (probably his most famous characters), and Fiabeschi (which represents all the short stories written by the author).
The production was politically boycotted for several years, until De Maria decided to shoot it using only his own money and with the help of some friends. The actors are newcomers, often and gladly recruited from the streets and bars.

The film is set in a timeless Bologna, yet immersed in the atmosphere of the '70s, the years of protest. In this scenario, Zanardi (a perennial high school repeater), moves and intertwines with his friends Santa and Petra, in search of a way to "save their skin" from the school principal; Pentothal, a comic book author who, having been abandoned by his girlfriend, can no longer find inspiration and the will to live; and finally Fiabeschi, the film's tragicomic figure, who despite his misadventures, carries on and would do anything for a joint.

The soundtrack is a mix of typical music from those years with pieces re-sung by contemporary bands: from Skiantos to Shandon, CCCP to Tiromancino, passing through Lucio Dalla and Gaznevada.

The film is engaging, full of ingenious ideas, and especially enjoyable even for those who have never read anything by Pazienza (I recommend everyone to get the volume on "Zanardi" released by Baldini & Castoldi).
If you have a couple of free hours, I assure you that you won't regret it at all.