cinematography
Simone Amendola
editing
Matteo Serman
music
Marta Lucchesini
sound
Arianna Arcangeli
Tullio Arcangeli
Andrea Malavasi

production
Blue Desk
co-production
Apollo Film
producers
Simone Amendola
Floriana Pinto
co-producer
Nazareno Neri

in collaboration with
Piano Nazionale Cinema e Immagini per la Scuola
Serman Studio
with the support of
Regione Puglia

Inspired by the English filmmaker and his tales of redemption, a group of teenagers in Italy’s Salento discover cinema through to their teacher, and write a new chapter in the chronicles of their hometown. The Piccolo Cinema Ken Loach is born.

2026 Waiting For Ken Loach (doc)
2019 Nessun nome nei titoli di coda
2016 Zaza, Kurd (doc)
2010 Alisya nel paese delle meraviglie (doc)
2009 Quando combattono gli elefanti
2004 Grattachecca & Fighetto (doc)

“Not all long waits are the same. In southern Italy, which considers itself preordained, waiting for Ken Loach isn’t waiting for Godot. In this documentary, it’s at once a wait and the characters’ faith, and mine, in cinema. I was mostly a witness to the adventure of Il Piccolo Cinema Ken Loach, but I also did my own part, and the film became a story that could only be understood if it contained something of mine, more private. I delved into my store of mini dv cassettes and went back in time, to twenty years ago.” (Simone Amendola)

Simone Amendola is a filmmaker and playwright. He attracted attention with his documentary Alisya nel paese delle meraviglie (2010 Ilaria Alpi Award). In 2011, he teamed up with Iraqi artist Ali Assaf to make the video Narciso for the Venice Biennale. In 2014, he won a Solinas Special Mention for his scripting of the comedy series I-Maya. His feature film Nessun nome nei titoli di coda premiered at the Rome Film Fest in 2019. In 2020, five of his stage plays, among them the multi-award-winning L’uomo nel diluvio, were published in a collection by Editoria & Spettacolo. Amendola holds a workshop at Link University (Dramatic Arts) and designs film projects for schools and the disadvantaged.