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Italian Cinema

The history of Italian cinema began with a few seconds footage of Pope Leo XIII blessing the camera. Historical dramas were most popular in these early years before sound. During and after WWI, funds were short and nothing much of interest was made until the 1920s. With the rise of fascism the film industry was encouraged and in 1937 Cinecitta was built on the outskirts of Rome. Literally a 'cinema city', it contained everything a film maker could need or want, including theatres, and even a cinematography school. The slogan on posters at the time read "Cinema is The Most Powerful Weapon". Newsreels and propagandistic documentaries were filmed here but by 1939, feature film productions were underway. Visconti ('Ossessione'), Rossellini (Rome, Open City') and De Sica ('Bicycle Thief') all began their careers here. Post-war, two distinct trends emerged in Italian cinema: on the one hand, the neo-realist films of Rossellini and De Sica, made chiefly on location in the streets of Rome and surrounding towns; and on the other, the American megaproductions, filmed almost entirely on sets constructed in the Cinecitta studios. In 1948, 'Quo Vadis?', 'Roman Holiday (1952), 'Three Coins in a Fountain' (1954), 'Farewell to Arms' (1957), 'Ben Hur' (1958) and 'Cleopatra' (1961), to cite only the most famous. Federico Fellini shot most of his films, at least in part at Cinecitta and to this day the studios are used for television and film productions. Mention must also be made of Pasolini, Bertolucci, Zeffirelli, Antonioni, Sergio Leone - Italy has given cinema some of its greatest individuals and auteurs. Pictured: The lost kisses from 'Cinema Paradiso'

Marriages (Per tutta la vita) (2021)

5.9/10
Starring: Carolina Crescentini, Claudia Gerini, Filippo Nigro, Fabio Volo

Four married couples find out that their marriage is not valid because celebrated by a man that was not a real priest. The four stories intertwine and... Read more

To Chiara (2021)

Follows the story of 15-year-old Chiara whose close-knit family falls apart after her father abandons them in Calabria. Read more

My Brilliant Friend: Series 2 (2020)

8.6/10
Director: Saverio Costanzo

Based on Elena Ferrante's second book of her four-part series, Season 2 begins with Lila (Gaia Girace) newly--and unhappily--married to upper crust gr... Read more

Martin Eden (2019)

6.9/10
Director: Pietro Marcello
Starring: Luca Marinelli, Marco Leonardi, Pietro Ragusa

Martin Eden struggles to rise above his destitute, proletarian circumstances through an intense and passionate pursuit of self-education, hoping to ac... Read more

Into The Labyrinth (2019)

5.6/10
Director: Donato Carrisi
Starring: Toni Servillo, Dustin Hoffman

Samantha, a young kidnapped girl, resurfaces in shock after being imprisoned and hospitalized. Next to her is Dr. Green, a profiler who investigates v... Read more

Dogman (2018)

7.3/10
Director: Matteo Garrone

Marcello is a mild-mannered dog groomer who commits petty crimes for Simoncino, a former boxer who terrorizes the neighborhood. When Simoncino's abuse... Read more

Perfect Strangers (Perfetti sconosciuti) (2016)

7.8/10
Director: Paolo Genovese
Starring: Giuseppe Battiston, Kasia Smutniak, Alba Rohrwacher, Valerio Mastandrea, Marco G...

During a dinner party, seven friends decide to play a dangerous game. The attendees place their cellphones on the table and agree to make all texts an... Read more

Like Crazy (2016)

7.3/10
Director: Paolo Virzi
Starring: Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi, Micaela Ramazzotti, Valentina Carnelutti

Donatella and Beatrice reside in a psychiatric facility in Tuscany. They have very different life stories, but a chance to escape brings them together... Read more

Where Am I Going? ( Quo vado? ) (2016)

6.6/10
Director: Gennaro Nunziante
Starring: Eleonora Giovanardi, Checco Zalone

Checco is born on the privileged side of life in an Italian small town, with a guaranteed job as a public servant. When a new reformist government vow... Read more

God Willing (2015)

6.7/10
Director: Edoardo Falcone
Starring: Alessandro Gassman, Laura Morante, Marco Giallini

The #1 smash-hit comedy success of the 2015 Lavazza Italian Film Festival, this wildly entertaining and multi award-winning debut feature is the story... Read more