Ambrosia
From the Archives
•
Documentary, LGBT, Short Films, 30-Jun-2020
Vincenzo D’Ambrosio aka “Ambrosia” trades the fluorescent lights of his family’s tobacco shop in Naples for the spotlights of "La Boum" - Milan's premiere drag revue. Peter Spark directs “Ambrosia,” a moving documentary portrait toggling between spirited performances and personal reflection — D’Ambrosio is compelling onstage, but perhaps even more so offstage, as he ruminates on his life path, his family, his future. It unfolds into a rich exploration of a young life, set in motion by the realization that as a boy, Vincenzo was attracted to other boys and loved being seen by them. Years later, as he comes fully into his body and sensuality, he heads to Milan and (sort of by accident) becomes a popular drag persona. All the while, he maintains a presence with his traditional Italian family and hometown, and spends time with his much younger brother, himself around the age D’Ambrosio was when he describes his first sexual awakening. Spark finds a nice balance of the extravagant and the subdued, allowing for opposing sides of personality to co-exist, full of passions and doubts. -KA. Director, Cinematographer, and Editor: Peter Spark. Colorist: Marcy Robinson. Post Sound Mix: Brian Beatrice. Cast: Vincenzo D'Ambrosio.
Up Next in From the Archives
-
Space Lady
An aging synth-pop musician reflects on her past as a “street-level superstar” and her present isolation in rural Colorado. “Space Lady,” directed by Sophia Feuer, is a quietly absorbing documentary portrait of an outsider, a mystic with paranormal intuitions. As she tells it, the Space Lady (aka...
-
End of the Boardwalk
A Russian immigrant looks for life beyond busking at the Brighton Beach boardwalk. Theo Belci’s “End of the Boardwalk” offers a momentary look at moving to a new place and the obstacles that come with acclimating. To stay afloat financially, the young woman busks on the Brighton Beach boardwalk w...
-
Trailer | February Blues