Three Non-Holiday Films to Watch This Week: Orson Welles, Icelandic Eco-Sabotage, and Mortal Engines

Three films opening in Italian cinemas the week before Christmas 2018 avoid holiday themes. 'The Eyes of Orson Welles' (Italian title 'Lo sguardo di Orson Welles') is a documentary directed by Mark Cousins that explores Welles's life through his drawings, sketches, and illustrations, offering a portrait of the filmmaker as a total artist. It is distributed by I Wonder Pictures. 'La donna elettrica' (English title 'Woman at War'), directed by Benedikt Erlingsson, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. It follows Halla, an Icelandic woman who secretly sabotages multinational corporations destroying her country's landscape, while also facing the surprise adoption of a child. The film combines comedy, environmental activism, and the Icelandic landscape. It is distributed by Teodora. 'Macchine mortali' (English title 'Mortal Engines') is a fantasy adventure based on Philip Reeve's young adult novel. Produced by Universal Pictures, the film adaptation was championed by Peter Jackson, who co-produced and co-wrote the screenplay with Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. Christian Rivers, a longtime Jackson collaborator, directed. The story is set in a post-apocalyptic world where cities move on wheels, exploring themes of archaeology, adventure, family, love, and revenge.