Italian cinema was born at the beginning of the 20th century, but it broke out after the Second World War, in particular starting from the 50s, when a number of Hollywood productions were hosted in Cinecittà studios and many Italian directors who then came down in history began to emerge, turning Rome into cinema capital city and into a magnet for Italian and international stars.
Fifty years after that extraordinary cinema season, and after a decrease of the prestige of Italian cinema (above all in the 80s), we can claim that Italian cinema is now emerging again, and Rome keeps being one of the most important capital cities of cinema. An evidence of the strong connection between Rome and cinema is given by the great number of cinema events that are hosted every year in the eternal city, like the International Rome Film Festival, which takes place every year in October. However, you do not need to wait for autumn to arrive to take part in an important cinema event in Rome: this summer, more precisely from the 18th of June to the 30th of August, the city will host “L’isola del cinema” (the cinema isle), a festival dedicated to prestigious Italian cinema.
The 15th edition of the event, which will take place on the Tiber Island, will be focused on one of those films of the 50s that have made history, Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, the 50th anniversary of its realisation being celebrated this year, and it will give all cinema lovers who travel to Rome the possibility to immerse themselves in Italian and international cinema. The programme of the festival, indeed, includes many projections: not only classic auteur films and a selection of the best films of last season, but also previews and premieres. Staying some days in a guest house in Rome you will have the possibility to watch films that have come down in history, some recent successful works (films like Marco Risi’ Fortapasc, Marco Pontecorvo’s Pa-ra-da, Gianni Di Gregorio’s Pranzo di Ferragosto, Roberto Burchielli’s Sbirri, Umberto Carteni’s Diverso da Chi?, Edoardo Winspeare’s Galantuomini have been chosen), but also works realised by young talented directors, and you will have the chance to enjoy the preview of some films that have not been projected in Italy yet, like Amalfi, 50 Seconds realised by Japanese director Hiroshi Nishitani.
The festival will host also various special events, like “Nati sull’Isola Tiberina” (born on the Tiber Island), which is meant to celebrate all those who were born on the Roman island, exhibitions dedicated to the theme of this year’s edition of the festival, events dedicated to poetry and literature, with meetings with important authors. Moreover the festival’s organisers collaborate with Comunità Sant’Egidio: as a result, the festival will host the projection of the film Tutta Colpa di Giuda, which was shot by Davide Ferrario in Turin’s prison, featuring not only professional actors, but also some prisoners and the prison’s staff.
One more reason to book cheap hotels in Rome and immerse in the magic of cinema in one of cinema capital cities.
Date: 18th June – 30th August 2009
Location: Tiber Island, Rome, Italy
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