Susan Emerling

Showtime's "In the 20th Century" is a millennium-related strand of feature-length documentaries in which famous directors take on major subjects of their choosing. In the fourth of the six films, "The Pursuit of Happiness," filmmaker Robert Zemeckis delves into the history of America's relationship with mind-altering substances over the past 100 years, presenting interviews with historians and professionals in the drug treatment field, interspersed with a treasure trove of film and television clips depicting the highs and lows of smoking, drinking and drugging in the 20th century.

The Levys, a glamorous couple, used to make their living robbing golfers, until they met their fatal handicap. Years later, scriptwriter Remy Gravelle decides to observe the Levy progeny as they sail endlessly round Manhattan in their luxury yacht.

Inspired by J.G. Ballard's novel Crash, the film focuses on Jack and Diana Weston, who, after suffering a car crash, find their lives intruded upon by Dr. de Freis, a chronicler of car accidents who attempts to verify the psychological changes that occur in victims of accidents and the subsequent articulation of their anxieties.

The short film, a collaboration between the multimedia research group Giovanotti Mondani Meccanici and Loretta Mugnai, combines both film and electronic elements. It is an adaptation of the famous story by Kafka. Julia Anzillotti portrays Mrs. Samsa, known for her work with the Italian theater-dance group Parco Butterfly, while Rolando Mugnai of the Magazzini plays Mr. Samsa, having previously performed in computer comics by GMM. Teresa De Sio makes a friendly appearance as an ironic Grande Diva who communicates solely through soprano vocalizations, accompanied by comedian Daniele Trambusti as her interpreter. The true core of the story consists of the Samsa household televisions, which emphasize and amplify the narrative's emotions.