BELLA CIAO! is a compassionate and heartfelt ensemble drama that comes to life in Vancouver’s eclectic Commercial Drive neighborhood. It is a film about displacement, home, isolation and solidarity. Unfolding over the course of one day, the story hinges on Constanza (Leo Award-nominee Carmen Aguirre), a Chilean refugee and activist, whose relationship with her daughter is tested by serious health concerns they’d rather not confront. But this mother-daughter storyline is just one thread amidst an Altmanesque carnival of characters: artists, activists, hustlers, restauranteurs and coffee house consiglieri, who converge daily on the Drive. With Tony Nardi, Alexandra Lainfiesta, Taran Kootenhayoo, April Telek, John Emmett Tracy, Frank Ferrucci.

Cast and crew in attendance for Q&A... and more!

"Bella Ciao! takes a dreamlike wander through the cultures that coalesce on Commercial Drive." (The Georgia Straight)

"Oneiric and dramatic, fictional and realistic, Bella Ciao! tells stories about a community, first and foremost. It includes marginalized people and depicts generous acts and incongruous situations; all exist in daily life, but are “not part of the stories we tell,” [in director] Carolyn Combs’ words." (Beatroute)

Presented by Rio Theatre and the Italian Contemporary Film Festival, in partnership with the Consulate General of Italy in Vancouver and Fare Cinema 2019, and with the generous support of Il Centro – Italian Cultural Centre in Vancouver.

Monday, June 17
Doors 6:00 pm | Movie 6:30 pm
Advance tickets $10.50 | $12.50 at the door

*Must be 19+ w/ID for entry and bar service.
**Rio Theatre Groupons and passes OK! Please redeem at the door.

BELLA CIAO! (Carolyn Combs, 2018 / 90) Carmen Aguirre and Tony Nardi star in a remarkable story of friends, lovers, seekers and thieves. Set at the intersection of the Latin American, First Nations and Italian communities, "Bella Ciao!" captures a struggle towards solidarity in East Vancouver's urban mix.