Eye on the Movie: Teaching what good cinema is, in order to grow together as a family

The Eye on the Movie (In Italian “Occhio al film”) manual by Franco Olearo and Cecilia Galatolo (Punto Famiglia publishing house, 2022) was recently released in bookstores and digital libraries.

While it’s true that there are many books like this, Eye on the Movie has something special that makes it worth reading. The book, authored by Franco Olearo and Cecilia Galatolo, lead us reflect on the extraordinary ability stories have to shape popular culture, and so morals and costumes. The authors offer a practical guide to successfully comprehending all that a film or t.v. series proposes, going beyond looking at the plot alone. It encourages readers to use an educational and value-based perspective, leading them to discover for himself a work’s overall meaning, which may have a life-long impact.

Eye on the Movie isn’t a typical critical guide to film-watching. It goes beyond that, training viewers to form their own criterion of judgment to bypass the barriers of political correctness and mainstream culture. This will ultimately enable them, especially with their families, to think more deeply and consciously about the movies they watch.

Who it’s for

Eye on the Film is not only for adults or movie experts, but it’s especially made for young people, to nurture their narrative intelligence. Narrative intelligence is an ability that may help them grasp not only the meaning of the actions narrated but also the language of human actions, thereby being able to discern a work’s underlying message. Obviously, Eye on the Movie is a book that can also be helpful and inspirational for parents, grandparents, formators, and educators. The goal, as the authors themselves write, “is to contribute to the acquisition of healthy discernment. Simply put: to identify what are the most appropriate criteria to adopt in order to succeed in watching a film/t.v. series from an effective, educational perspective.”

Who are the authors

Franco Olearo: a grandfather of eight (so far), founder of familycinematv.it web portal, and engineer with a passion for cinema.

Cecilia Galatolo: a young mother and passionate writer. Her best-known work is You were born an original, don’t live as a photocopy (“Sei nato originale, non vivere da fotocopia,” 2017).

They both have a passion for cinema and educating young people. Their work is a good instance of intergenerational dialogue.

Where to find it

Eye on the Movie is available in Italian at:

Happy reading!