Director Wenders to film in Italian region

CATANZARO, Italy, July 25 (UPI) -- The governor of Italy's Calabria region says German director Wim Wenders has plans to shoot a 3-D film about the region's recent history of immigration.

Calabria Gov. Agazio Loiero said Friday that Wenders will begin filming "The Flight" in Scilla, Italy, on Sept. 7 in an attempt to capture the experiences of immigrants to the region starting a decade ago, the Italian news agency ANSA reported.

"This is one of the most important things that has happened in the last 4 1/2 years that I have been governor," Loiero said.

"Calabria is not just about (crime syndicate) 'Ndrangheta, but also and above all about hospitality. Since the seventh century B.C. Calabria has been offering hospitality to strangers without asking where they come from."

"The Flight," which will star U.S. actor Ben Gazzara, represents the most recent film that Wenders has set in Italy.

ANSA said the German director previously used Italy as filming locale for "Palermo Shooting," a romantic thriller that enjoyed a U.S. premier at San Francisco's Berlin and Beyond Film Festival in January.