While a trip to Italy may not be on the cards, thankfully we can immerse ourselves in the beauty of Italian films with the upcoming Studio Italia Cinema Italiano Festival. Celebrating seminal movies from one of the most globally influential film movements, this year’s Cinema Italiano Festival is screening at 20 cinemas country-wide from the 17th of June. (Auckland’s dates are from the 22nd of June until the 11th of July.)
The excellent line-up includes an eclectic mix of both classic and contemporary films for audiences to be moved and amused by, challenged, inspired and entertained in a quintessentially Italian way. The festival’s organisers say they have aimed to create a programme that combines “the best in contemporary Italian cinema with masterpieces from Italy’s rich cinematic tradition, that also provides meaningful insights into society.”
Here, we delve into the plots of four films we are particularly looking out for — but we recommend checking out the full selection as there is a plethora of gems to see.
La Dea Fortuna | The Goddess of Fortune, 2019
Directed by prolific and celebrated filmmaker Ferzan Özpetek, The Goddess of Fortune is the story of a couple whose lives are turned upside down when they must take care of a sick friend’s children. This seemingly simple set-up is never treated superficially, and therefore all the humour and drama reveals completely unexpected layers. Filled with warmth, gentle humour, and heartfelt drama, The Goddess of Fortune is a festival highlight.
Io Sono L’Amore | I Am Love, 2009
From Luca Guadagnino comes I am Love, the irresistibly stylish film starring acclaimed British actress Tilda Swinton, who speaks Italian throughout. In this operatic family drama, she plays Russian-born Emma Recchi, the wife of the heir to the Recchi business and fortune, Tancredi. She becomes romantically entangled with a handsome young chef, and in the process, awakens a side of herself that until then had lain dormant.
Il Gattopardo | The Leopard, 1963
This film won the Palm’D’Or at Cannes for its sumptuous beauty and timely subject matter — director Luchino Visconti was from a prominent aristocratic background (although he himself was communist), and this film about the crumbling aristocracy in Italy came in a time of massive social change. An adaptation of the 1958 best selling novel by the same title by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, the story is set during the tumultuous times of Garibaldi’s revolution to unify Italy, and explores love and class with masterful beauty.
Matrimonio All’Italiana | Marriage Italian Style, 1964
A gorgeous representation of the golden age of Italian cinema, Marriage Italian Style stars Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, both of whom were highly acclaimed and award-winning by this point in their careers. Loren shows her hand as a masterful actress in her portrayal of Filumena, an ex-prostitute who is strung along by Domenico in a passionate love affair that lasts for over two decades. When she notices Domenico’s attention waning, she concocts a number of schemes to have him marry her. “It’s hard to imagine that such a pointed critique of Italian patriarchal chauvinism could be so entertaining,” says director Paolo Rotondo of this must-see classic.
To see the full festival programme, click here. And for screening locations and booking details, visit the Cinema Italiano website here.
To celebrate the Studio Italia Cinema Italiano Festival, we have six double passes to give away to enjoy the opening night sessions at Bridgeway, Silky Otter and Capitol cinemas.
This competition has now closed.
