Few national cinemas offer as compelling a mirror to social transformation as Italy’s. In the decades following World War II, Italian filmmakers shaped a legacy of innovation, reflection, and artistry that still resonates on the global stage. A four-part series explores pivotal moments in Italian cinema—from the birth of Neorealism to the bold experimentation of contemporary filmmakers.
Art historian Jennie Hirsh guides participants through the films, directors, and cultural shifts that defined this cinematic evolution, offering a deeper understanding of how Italian film captured—and questioned—its time. Through clips, discussion, and visual analysis, Hirsh illuminates the aesthetic and ethical foundations of each period in Italian cinema and its enduring legacy in world film.
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Neorealism and the Rise of Postwar Cinema (1943–1950s)
In the aftermath of World War II, a seismic shift transformed Italian filmmaking. Known as Italian Neorealism, this groundbreaking movement captured the lived realities of working-class life in a devastated nation. With its focus on location shooting, non-professional actors, and stories rooted in social struggle, Neorealism offered a raw, poignant counterpoint to the escapism of earlier genres.
Hirsh examines this powerful moment through pivotal works such as Vittorio De Sica’s Bicycle Thieves, and Luchino Visconti’s Ossessione. She also explores Roberto Rossellini’s influential trilogy—Rome, Open City; Paisà; and Germany Year Zero—as well as Giuseppe De Santis’s genre-blending Bitter Rice, a compelling intersection of Neorealism, melodrama, and noir.
Additional Sessions of the Postwar Italian Cinema Series
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