General Della Rovere
From the 1940s to 1970s, Vittorio De Sica secured his place in the pantheon of Italian filmmakers. s one of the pioneers of neorealism, he created some of the movement’s most emblematic works. Yet, he also managed to break away from it, embracing new genres in the following decades, adapting the great authors of his time, riding on the popularity of sketch film, excelling in both comedy and drama, and offering his actors some of their finest roles, led by Sophia Loren. A master of on-screen emotion, De Sica always portrayed Italian society with both clarity and deep humanity. In addition to his career as a filmmaker, he was also a prolific actor, a facet of his work showcased in two standout performances in this retrospective.
Winner if the Golden Lion, 1959 Venice International Film Festival
A man takes advantage of the German presence in Fascist Italy to exploit the families of deported partisans. Discovered by the Germans, he is forced to take the place of resistance leader General Della Rovere in prison.
Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Rossellini is one of the most influential directors in the history of Italian cinema, playing a key role in bringing it to international prominence with films like Rome, Open City (1945), Paisan (1946), and Germany, Year Zero (1948), cementing his place as a founding figure of neorealism. Born into a bourgeois Roman family, Rossellini grew up in a rich artistic and cultural environment. His father, who built Rome’s first cinema, exposed him to film from an early age, allowing him to attend countless screenings. After directing several short films, he made his first three features, The White Ship (1941), A Pilot Returns (1942), and The Man with a Cross (1943), collectively known as his Fascist Trilogy. Shot as the fascist regime was collapsing, Rome, Open City (1945) won the Grand Prize (Palme d’or) at the Cannes Film Festival in 1946. He followed with Paisan, featuring non-professional actors, and Germany, Year Zero (1948), which earned the Grand Prize and Best Screenplay Award at the Locarno Film Festival. In the late 1940s, a letter from Ingrid Bergman sparked a relationship that placed them in the public eye. Together, they collaborated on several films throughout the 1950s, beginning with Stromboli. Rossellini continued making films until the mid-1970s, shortly before his death.
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