Vittorio D.

Pontecorvo is one of those Italian filmmakers marked for life by neorealism. He declares that he decided to do cinema after leaving a screening of "Paisa" by Roberto Rossellini. The future filmmaker was then in Paris, a year after a war during which he became one of the main figures of the Italian resistance and one of the founders of the Youth Front. Leaving his status as a war hero behind him, Pontecorvo made his directorial debut with "Giovanna", a short film heralding a cinematic career dedicated to what he himself calls the "dictatorship of truth."

The documentary focuses on Marco Ferreri and shows an unconventional man, extreme, provocative in ways, always a step ahead in its work, and often considered a visionary and experimental. The documentary honors the memory of a filmmaker too soon forgot that left an indelible mark in the seventh art.

The life and work of master Italian filmmaker Mario Monicelli (1915-2010).

After shooting to fame with Federico Fellini’s “La Dolce Vita” (1960), actor Marcello Mastroianni (1924-1996) starred in more than 160 films in his nearly half-a-century career. Directors Mario Canale and Annarosa Morri look into the melancholic charm of one of the most famous Italian actors through interviews with his two daughters, Barbara and Chiara; directors Fellini and Luchino Visconti; actresses Claudia Cardinale and Anouk Aimee; and in archival footage of Mastroianni himself. The subject matter ranges from Mastroianni’s passion for kidney-bean pasta and his addiction to the telephone to his famous laziness, humility and talent. Shown in black-and-white, Mastroianni — elegantly holding a cigarette in between his fingers — is undeniably the dandy.

In an enchanting documentary, Mario Canale recounts the most significant stages of Taviani brothers’ cinema. A journey through the most famous Taviani’s films, such as “Padre Padrone” and “Notte di San Lorenzo”, from their hometown San Miniato to their last film “Maraviglioso Boccaccio”.

Explore the life and work of acclaimed Italian filmmaker Carlo Mazzacurati, who passed away in 2014. It delves into his distinctive poetic style, blending genres, and portraying rarely seen parts of Italy with empathy and dignity.