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.
Session Information
La Dolce Vita and the Road to Recovery (1950s–1960s)
As Italy entered a period of rapid modernization in the late 1950s and early 1960s, its cinema reflected a society in transition. The economic miracle of these years—characterized by consumerism, urbanization, and shifting values—gave rise to films that mixed satire, nostalgia, and bold experimentation.
Hirsh explores how directors such as Federico Fellini and Pier Paolo Pasolini responded to postwar complexities. Works like Fellini’s The White Sheik and La Dolce Vita captured the disorientation and allure of a changing Italy, while Pasolini’s Mamma Roma, Decameron, and short film La Ricotta reflected on morality, poverty, and the visual legacy of Italian Renaissance painting.
Hirsh also revisits the role of Cinecittà—Mussolini’s 1937 state-run studio turned postwar refugee camp—and its reinvention during this cultural revival.
Additional Sessions of the Postwar Italian Cinema Series
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