Surreally Scozzese: Enrico Cocozza 1921 - 1997

A documentary exploring the life and work of experimental Scots-Italian filmmaker Enrico Cocozza through excerpts from his films and interviews with those who knew him. Cocozza gained recognition on the amateur film circuit during the 1940s and 1950s, but his work was largely forgotten in later years. In old age, he became deeply anxious that The Golden Fry—the chip shop beneath his flat, in premises that had once housed his family’s café—might catch fire and destroy the films he kept in storage. This fear ultimately led to his collection being deposited in what is now the National Library of Scotland’s Moving Image Archive, allowing his remarkable body of work to be preserved and rediscovered. Created with limited resources but extraordinary visual ambition, Cocozza’s films were, in the best sense, “cheaply extravagant.”

Directed by Les Wilson, Surreally Scozzese: Enrico Cocozza 1921 - 1997 leans on a strong ensemble — Daniela Nardini, Enrico Cocozza, Tony Delicata — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about documentary titles of 2001.