Ever wondered what started the Oscar for Best Foregin Language Film category? It was Shoeshine, Vittorio De Sica‘s fifth film that initially received a Special Academy Award in 1948 and two years later for his masterpiece The Bicycle Thief. Shoeshine is a special film for many reasons. First, it marks the start of one of… Continue reading Shoeshine – Sciuscià (Vittorio De Sica – 1946)
Author: Shlomi Ron
Visual marketing guy with a penchant for fine Italian cinema.
Escape by Night – Era notte a Roma (Roberto Rossellini – 1960)
Known as the father of neorealism in Italian cinema, specifically due to his widely acclaimed masterpiece, Rome Open City – Roma, città aperta (1945), in this film director Roberto Rossellini continues his theme of personal human stories embedded in the rough realities of Italy during WWII. Portraying a common phenomenon at the time by zooming… Continue reading Escape by Night – Era notte a Roma (Roberto Rossellini – 1960)
Happy Holidays!
The Children are Watchin Us – I bambini ci guardano (Vittorio De Sica – 1944)
This cinematic masterpiece was filmed in Rome during the summer of 1942 before the Nazis arrival in October that started the occupation and devastation in the city. That’s why Rome in this film looks very clean, normal and tranquil – the serenity before the war storms broke out. Stylistically, the film belongs to the Transitional… Continue reading The Children are Watchin Us – I bambini ci guardano (Vittorio De Sica – 1944)
Shelter Me – Riparo – Anis tra di noi (Marco S. Puccioni – 2007)
To me this film is a fine example of the power of good storytelling without the need for special effects and pyrotechnics in order to engage audiences. The premise is simple, a lesbian couple returns from a vacation in Tunis and to their great surprise discover a Moroccan guy hidden in their car, with a… Continue reading Shelter Me – Riparo – Anis tra di noi (Marco S. Puccioni – 2007)