Italian Film Festival Playing on Campus Through December
Six classic Italian films will be shown on campus throughout the semester as part of the Italian Classic Film Festival sponsored by the Honorary Consulate of Italy/Pittsburgh in collaboration with the 40th Western Pennsylvania Symposium on World Literatures and the Center for International Relations (CIR) at Duquesne.
The festival, which kicked off earlier this week with The Conformist / II Conformista, continues on Tuesday, Sept. 30, with A Special Day / Una Giornata Particolare at 6 p.m. in Room 719, Fisher Hall. This 1977 dramatic comedy plays out against the backdrop of the day Hitler visited Mussolini in Rome.
“The films we have chosen for the festival capture the economic boom and rebirth of Italy in post-war Europe through the eyes of the Italian people,” Dr. Carla Lucente, associate director of the CIR and Honorary Consul of Italy/Pittsburgh. “We selected directors who became the most influential for their experimental techniques, some of whom paved the way for other directors in both Italy and Hollywood. For example, Bernardo Bertolucci’s film The Conformist was a direct influence on The Godfather II.”
Also included in the film festival are:
- Don Camillo, Tuesday, Oct. 14
- The Easy Life / Il Sorpasso, Tuesday, Oct. 28
- Rocco and His Brothers / Rocco E I Suoi Fratelli, Tuesday, Nov. 11
- Amarcord, Tuesday, Dec. 2
“The film festival is an opportunity to introduce viewers to these directors and their works,” said Marco Centurione, an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Modern Languages and Literatures. “Each film is a way to witness the impact of historic Italian cinema and be immersed in the language and culture of Italy at a pivotal time in its history.”
All screenings begin at 6 p.m. in Room 719 of Fisher Hall and are open to the Duquesne community and the general public. For more information, contact ir@duq.edu or italyconsulpgh@gmail.com.