“Ottimismo Democratico" (Democratic Optimism) is a video-itinerary of short films by Flavia Mastrella and Antonio Rezza created and produced between 1990 and 1999. A constant feature is the presence of Antonio Rezza 's tragic-catastrophic figure and (hypnotic) voice. The events tell of a culture in decadence. The stories, the voice and the settings are all dense with atmosphere, the body seen to be trapped in an alienating space where, in the fragments pieced together, the protagonism of a pedantic humanity stands out in all its meanness yet is extremely comical.

Flavia Mastrella and Antonio Rezza have made an infinite number of short films, three full-length films, nine theatre performances, television programmes and various artistic and literary works. Their productions, all in black and white, have never been issued as home videos but have won numerous prizes in the main festivals of independent cinema and are now considered cult movies.

Ten years of original, visionary and surreal productions immortalised by the photographer Martina Villiger in the book edited by the authors themselves.

Special contents: photo gallery, graphic gallery and the unpublished documentary “Il passato è il mio bastone” (The Past is My Stick, Venice Days 2008) with amusing images filmed and unedited and with critical interventions by Cristina Piccino, Steve Della Casa, Giovanni Spagnoletti, Fabio Ferzetti, Marco Dotti, Paolo D'Agostini, Morando Morandini, enrico ghezzi and Roberto Silvestri.

Includes the films:

- Suppietij (1991)
- Larva (1993)
- De Civitate Rei (1994)
- Il piantone (1994)
- Fiorenzo (1995)
- Zero a zero (1995)
- Schizzopatia (1995)
- L'handicappato (1997)
- Hai mangiato? (1997)
- Porte (1997)
- Virus (1997)
- Il Mosè di Michelangelo (1999)
- Il passato è il mio bastone (2008)