Paolo Sorrentino leads a collection of cinematic gems from the north and south of Italy

While "La Mano di Dio" remains unconvincing, Frammartino's "Il Buco" is a timeless masterpiece

While a film shot in Matera dominated the box office at every other cinema in town, at the 2021 London Film Festival, which ended recently, a handful of Italian films provided more authentic visions of life in the peninsula.

The biggest of these was the only disappointment, Paolo Sorrentino’s È stata la mano di Dio opens with a magnificent panorama of hi…