To mark the nomination of Rome to Expo 2030 the Italian Cultural Institute in London has curated the series “Roman nights”, showcasing some of the best films shot in Rome. While most of the choices will belong to the Neorealismo – a movement in Italian cinema characterised by stories set among the poor and the working class, filmed on location and often with non-professional actors – Rome will also feature in all its glory in our choice of more recent cult and Oscars winning films.
Thursday 2 March 6pm
La dolce vita
Director: Federico Fellini
Cast: Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimee
Music by: Nino Rota
Comedy/Drama 1960/2h54mins/ B&W
In Italian with English subtitles
Introduction and post screening discussion with Nick Walker
La Dolce Vita (Italian for “the sweet life” or “the good life”) is a 1960 satirical comedy-drama film directed and co-written by Federico Fellini. The film stars Marcello Mastroianni as Marcello Rubini, a tabloid journalist who, over seven days and nights, journeys through the “sweet life” of Rome in a fruitless search for love and happiness. The screenplay, written by Fellini and three other screenwriters, can be divided into a prologue, seven major episodes interrupted by an intermezzo, and an epilogue, according to the most common interpretation.
Released in Italy in 1960, La Dolce Vita was both a critical success and worldwide commercial hit, despite censorship in some regions. It won the Palme d’Or at the 1960 Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award for Best Costumes. It was nominated for three more Oscars, including Best Director for Federico Fellini, and Best Original Screenplay. Its success proved a watershed moment for Italian cinema and European cinema-at-large, and it has come to be regarded as a masterpiece of Italian cinema and one of the greatest films of all time.
Nick Walker has worked in the film industry, wrote film articles for The Guardian, is a film lecturer, programmer and host of film salon events in London and Rochester. Nick has a Master’s Degree in Film Culture.