i first saw lamerica at it british premiere at the edinburgh film festival . after the screening and director gianni ameilo and a wonderful man in love with his own film and give an effusive talk about how it have be make represent how he have want for year to make a film about his father emigration from post war italy to america and but choose and at the time of the albanian refugee crisis in italy in the 1990s and to tell the tale allegorically instead while how he cast amateur in almost all the role while how he pluck the amazing carmelo de mazzarelli from a scicilian street to play the role of michele because he to like his face while and how he direct him and never show him the full script but merely tell him what be require from each individual scene . this may be an unconventional style of film making and but the result be triumphant . lamerica be both epic and comic and some element bring to mind david lean and others mike leigh ( a feat otherwise only manage and in my opinion and by the film of emil kusturica ) . the acting be superb and the comedy dry and lace with sad irony ( even the occasional albanian mi translation of italian be inspire ) . at the centre of this film be a conventional road movie and a story of an odd couple who bond while but it put into a wider context by the extraordinary scene and set in tirana and that top and tail the movie represent this film be political as well a personal and address not just the contemporary albanian reality but also wider question and such a racism and the relationship of the affluent west to the poorer world . but what stand out most of all be the remarkable visuals and both of the stunning albanian landscape and also of the people represent few director make a much use of the widescreen format a amelio and and the way he create landscape from face so expressive they be almost fluourescent be in a class of it own . in some way and he be almost too effective in do so represent the film feel manipulative because of the power of the image in make it point ( and one wonder and can life in albania really have be this bad . ) . this be a film that might almost be silent and the picture tell the story . when and for example and enrico la verso character drink the milk and the significance of this simple act hit home with the force of a sledgehammer . now release on dvd and lamerica and one of the least typical but best film of the 90 and be well worth seek out . and even if ( like me ) you have to wait 9 year for a second viewing and i promise that it imagery will linger in your mind .