Cinema

People across the globe were shocked and saddened to hear about the death of actress Diane Keaton on Oct. 11. Keaton had a way of connecting with audiences of every walk of life and Italians were among her biggest fans. Keaton captivated Italian audiences with her lively personality and immense talent, but she became even more popular when she played Sister Mary in Paolo Sorrentino’s 2016 HBO series, “The Young Pope.” In the show, Sister Mary is a hip American nun who raised the orphaned Lenny Belardo, aka Pope Pius XIII, played by Jude Law. Sorrentino spoke to Keaton’s dramatic …

Upon hearing the news of Claudia Cardinale’s passing on Sept. 23, film fans throughout the world expressed their sorrow at the loss of an elegant, down-to-earth icon who always greeted fans with a warm smile and embraced her stunning beauty with humor and sophistication rather than conceit. Cardinale was born in Tunisia in 1938 to Sicilian parents. Her maternal grandparents were originally from the Sicilian island of Trapani but settled in La Goulette, Tunisia, where a large Italian community was established. Her early life seems something of a fairytale, but success brought its share of problems. As a young girl, …

Just as the Venice International Film Festival wrapped up in September with the Best Actor prize awarded to Toni Servillo for his role in Paolo Sorrentino’s “La grazia,” the Toronto International Film Festival began with 10 Italian films making their North American premiere. Among them was Pietro Marcello’s much anticipated “Duse,” which was featured in the festivals Centerpiece program. The film follows the last years of Italian stage actress Eleonora Duse who was active in the later part of the 1800’s until 1909 when she retired from acting. “The choice to focus on the last years of her life came …

Gianfranco Rosi premiered his much-anticipated documentary at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival in September. “Sotto le nuvole” (“Below the Clouds”) takes a deep dive into the rich history and culture of Naples and the area surrounding Mount Vesuvius. The film focuses on the inhabitants of the region over the millennia and their coexistence with the land and the volcano. The synopsis reads, “The land around Vesuvius is a vast palimpsest. On the surface, underground and even beneath the sea of the modern city of Naples and its surroundings, the memory of history is etched into tunnels, walls and fissures, …

The 82nd Venice International Film Festival is upon us and as usual, offers a diverse lineup, embracing many genres of film with dozens of Italian works spanning across the festival’s programs and five in the main competition. Paolo Sorrentino’s “La grazia” starring Toni Servillo and Anna Ferzetti opens the festival on August 27. “I am very happy that the 82nd Venice International Film Festival will open with the new and highly anticipated film by Paolo Sorrentino,” stated the festival’s artistic director, Alberto Barbera, on the festival’s website. Sorrentino has a long history with the festival having made his debut there …

A retrospective dedicated to the films of Italian cinema icon Monica Vitti was held at Lincoln Center in New York City in June. The event, titled “Monica Vitti: La Modernista,” was presented by Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà and served as the first North American retrospective celebrating Vitti’s distinguished career. “It is a privilege to present decades’ worth of films from Monica Vitti’s illustrious and prolific career, especially with many restored versions of her legendary works,” said Film at Lincoln Center Vice President of Programming Florence Almozini. Vitti, a key figure in film history, began her career in the …

Fourteen contemporary Italian films took center stage at the 24th annual Open Roads: New Italian Cinema series, hosted by Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà from May 29 to June 5. The event featured several North American premieres along with a delegation of filmmakers who introduced their works and engage in discussions. The series kicked off at the Walter Reade Theatre with Francesca Comencini’s “The Time it Takes,” a film that explores her experiences growing up with her father, Luigi Comencini, a prominent director of the commedia all’italiana genre. Following the screening, the film’s star, Fabrizio Gifuni, participated in a …

The 2025 Cannes Festival has concluded, leaving a buzz around the Italian biopic “Fuori,” directed by Mario Martone. The film, which premiered at the festival, delves into a pivotal period in the life of the late Italian writer and actress Goliarda Sapienza. “Fuori” recounts Sapienza’s brief incarceration at Rome’s Rebibbia prison in 1980 for stealing jewelry after falling on hard times. The film speaks to her life following her release from prison, focusing on her friendship with two young women, including Roberta, a habitual criminal and political activist. Through this bond, Sapienza experiences a personal rebirth and resumes writing, which …

In her 2023 documentary “We Are Art Through the Eyes of Annalaura,” Naples-based multimedia artist and filmmaker Annalaura di Luggo embarks on a creative journey to construct an interactive multimedia art installation in the shape of a giant eye. Di Luggo’s project is not just about art; it also tells the stories of four young individuals who have overcome personal challenges. These young people have found a path out of darkness, reclaimed their self-esteem, and discovered new value in life. She explains that the name of the multimedia installation — Occulus-Spei — was inspired by the Latin words “Colloquium,” which …

Directed by the Italian filmmaking duo Massimo D’Anolfi and Martina Parenti, “Bestiaries, Herbaria, Lapidaries” is an encyclopedic documentary that features non-human protagonists, offering reflections on humanity. The film is divided into three segments, each approximately 40 minutes long, focusing on a single subject: animals, plants, and stones. In this tripartite format, each segment pays homage to a specific genre of documentary filmmaking. The first volume, “Bestiaries: Cinema Invents New Cages,” is a found-footage exploration of animals and their representation throughout cinema’s history. The second segment, “Herbaria: The Cure,” is an observational documentary about the world’s oldest botanical garden, founded in …