The international tour of *Viaggio in Italia* begins again in Venice. Roberto Rossellini’s film, restored in 4K by Cinecittà, will be presented on September 5 as part of the Venice Classics section ofthe 83rd Venice International Film Festival, with a screening in the Sala Corinto. The Venice screening marks the first stop on a broader tour that will take Rossellini’s work to the United States. The film will, in fact, be the centerpiece of the “Roberto Rossellini Prefers Real Life” retrospective, conceived and promoted by Cinecittà in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, the Academy Museum in Los Angeles, and the Film Forum in New York, to mark the 120th anniversary of the director’s birth.
The title of the series is inspired by the famous essay written by François Truffaut in 1963. In the essay, the French director and critic paid tribute to Rossellini, recognizing his decisive role in the birth of the Nouvelle Vague and describing him—due to his influence on young French filmmakers—as the true “father of the Nouvelle Vague.”
The retrospective will kick off on November 4 atthe Academy Museum in Los Angeles, where it will run throughout the month. Isabella Rossellini will be in attendance at the opening. Starting November 20, thanks to a collaboration with Bruce Goldstein, the retrospective will move to the Film Forum in New York, featuring the same films and offering the opportunity to enrich the program with an additional restoration.
Many of the films in the retrospective have been restored by Cinecittà itself. The program includes some of the most important titles in Rossellini’s filmography: *Rome, Open City*, *Paisà*, *Germany Year Zero*, *Love*, *Stromboli*, *Francesco, God’s Jester*, *Journey to Italy*, *The Machine That Kills the Bad Guys*, *Europe ’51*, *Fear*, and *Joan of Arc at the Stake*. Rounding out the program will be three documentaries dedicated to the director and his family: *My Dad Is 100 Years Old* by Isabella Rossellini, *Viva Ingrid! * by Alessandro Rossellini, and *Rossellini visto da Rossellini* by Adriano Aprà.
Made in 1954 and starring Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders, *Journey to Italy* is considered one of the most influential films in the history of modern cinema. The film had a particularly strong impact on French critics and those associated with *Cahiers du Cinéma*, including François Truffaut, who campaigned to ensure the film was distributed in France without the cuts imposed by the French distributor and could be shown in its uncut version. French critics thus recognized Rossellini as a key figure in the renewal of cinematic language, a point of reference for the Nouvelle Vague generation.
The third chapter in the artistic collaboration between Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman, the film was not initially understood by Italian audiences. In France, however, it was hailed as a profoundly innovative work. Jacques Rivette emphasized its modernity: “With the release of *Journey to Italy*, all films suddenly seemed ten years older.” The film’s influence has remained undiminished over time. Fifty years after its release, even Gianni Amelio recognized its value, calling it “the true film that teaches cinema.” This assessment attests to how Rossellini’s work has continued to influence directors and filmmakers across different eras and countries.
The film follows the marital crisis of Katherine and Alex, a wealthy English couple who arrive in Naples to handle the sale of an inherited house. At first, a deep coldness prevails between them. Their stay in Campania gradually brings to the surface misunderstandings, tensions, and a growing sense of alienation, but a visit to the ruins of Pompeii brings the couple’s crisis to a head. In the end, during a religious procession, lost in the crowd, Katherine and Alex find each other and embrace, rediscovering the bond that unites them.
“My father had a deep curiosity about cinema, about people, and about the world, which shaped my own curiosity and my understanding of storytelling,” said his daughter Isabella Rossellini. “I am happy to share his films and to celebrate the legacy he left behind.”
“To paraphrase Preminger, there is cinema before Roberto Rossellini and cinema after him,” emphasized Manuela Cacciamani, CEO of Cinecittà. “Cinecittà looks forward to bringing to Los Angeles and then to New York—the heart of the global film industry—a revolutionary legacy of films, stories, ideas, and emotions that originated in Italy and has become the heritage of all humanity. We are honored to celebrate Rossellini’s 120th anniversary, beginning in Venice, where the restoration of *Viaggio in Italia* will remind everyone, once again, of our country’s role in the seventh art: it is thanks to masterpieces like this one that cinema suddenly became something greater.”
|
| Rossellini’s *Viaggio in Italia*, Restored in 4K, and an Exhibition in the U.S. Celebrate the 120th Anniversary of the Director’s Birth |
Warning: the translation into English of the original Italian article was created using automatic tools. We undertake to review all articles, but we do not guarantee the total absence of inaccuracies in the translation due to the program. You can find the original by clicking on the ITA button. If you find any mistake,please contact us.
IT
FR
DE
ES
CN
