Q&A
following
the screening, with Director-Writer-Producer
James Hill
Awards:
2003 Best Picture (English Language)
-
Italian Film Awards
2003 Nomination for Best Picture,
Screenplay
& Director - ARPA Festival, Los Angeles
2003 Selected by San Diego Opera for
annual
fundraiser for patrons of the opera
2003 Selected by New York City Opera
hosted
sneak preview for their patrons
Description:
Drama, Unrated. Screening
Time:
109 Minutes
Official site: www.thestreetsweeper.com
Story:
Set in San Diego, The
StreetSweeper
is a snapshot of a few days in the life of a street sweeper operator
named
Enzo,
who is played to perfection by veteran song-and-dance man, Paul
Michael.
Enzo
is an elderly gentleman approaching retirement who is loved by all for
his simple approach to life, coupled with a seemingly inexhaustible
commitment
to helping those around him reach inside themselves to become all they
can be. An opera singer in his youth, Enzo still
loves
to sing and does so in an engaging, robust style from the time he's
shaving
in the morning until lying on his bed at night. Even during work
hours, Enzo is known for traversing his downtown San
Diego
sweeper route in a battered Elgin Eagle with a horn speaker attached to
the roof of the cab blaring -- what else... invigorating opera
tunes
at upwards of 100dBA!
Although clearly down in his
fortunes,
Enzo
lives a simple, exuberant life, reminiscent of Chauncey the gardener in
the classic movie gem, Being There. He has been pouring
his
life's savings into the dream of his lifetime, covering the Harvard
schooling
costs of his son, Joey, played with conviction by
Michael Cavalieri.
Plot twists concerning the return of
Joey
and his girlfriend bring audiences through a range of emotions, from
disdain
to empathy and to tears. This is a movie which warms the heart,
portrays
brightness of spirit, and conveys a clear message of goodness and
vitality,
if ultimately tempered by the grim realities for those caught in the
backwaters
of twenty-first century life.
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