Alfonsino Pasca

Six stories unfold in various regions, from Sicily to the northern Po Valley as American military personnel interact with a variety of Italian locals over eighteen months in the push north during the Italian Campaign of WWII as German forces retreat.

Mark Shiel is the author of “Italian Neorealism: Rebuilding the Cinematic City.” In this 2009 video essay, he discusses Roberto Rossellini’s depiction of the urban settings in Rome Open City, Paisan and Germany Year Zero.