Popular Movies
Caesar Must Die is a documentary drama that follows a group of high-security prisoners in Italy as they rehearse and perform a production of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The film explores themes of freedom, tyranny, and the power of art to transcend boundaries.
Kaos is an anthology of five stories set in Sicily, each focusing on different characters and themes. The stories include tales of love, betrayal, comedy, and drama, all intertwined with the unique Sicilian culture and landscape. From a feud between two families to a newlywed couple experiencing marital difficulties, Kaos offers a glimpse into the lives of the people living in this beautiful and complex island.
Fiorile is a drama set in Italy, delving into themes of generational conflicts, family discord, and symbolism. The story revolves around a family with a dark secret involving murder and poisoning. It is a thought-provoking exploration of the consequences of family actions and the symbolism that transcends generations. As the plot unfolds, the audience is captivated by the intertwining of relationships and the metaphorical significance of bare feet and showers.
The Night of the Shooting Stars(1982)
85%TomatometerThe Night of the Shooting Stars follows the journey of a 6-year-old boy and his family in a small town in Tuscany during World War Two. As they hide from the Nazi occupation, the boy experiences a series of surreal and imaginative events, including witnessing a shooting star. The film explores themes of war, resistance, and the power of imagination.
In 1870s Italy, amidst political turmoil and class struggle, a man descends into insanity while imprisoned.
Wondrous Boccaccio is an anthology film set during the black plague in Italy. It tells the story of a group of friends who escape a city hit by the plague and find refuge in a country manor. As they pass the time, they entertain each other with tales of forbidden love, death, and fear.
Good Morning, Babylon is a movie about two Italian brothers who emigrate to America and work as extras in the early days of Hollywood, during the silent era. They experience the highs and lows of the movie industry, while also dealing with personal struggles and the impact of World War One.
Rainbow: A Private Affair is a drama and romance movie that takes place in Northern Italy during World War Two. It revolves around unrequited love and explores the struggles and challenges faced by individuals during wartime. Based on a novel, the movie delves into the experiences of the characters amidst the backdrop of war and the complexities of their relationships.
Padre Padrone (1977) is a biographical drama that tells the story of a young shepherd in Sardinia, Italy, who struggles with his abusive father and the challenges of growing up. The film explores themes of illiteracy, friendship, and the complexities of family relationships. Based on a book, it depicts the harsh reality of rural life, highlighting the social and cultural issues of the time.
Allonsanfan is a period drama set in Italy during the 1810s cholera epidemic. It tells the story of a man torn between his political ideals and family relationships, and his struggle with betrayal, foreign occupation, and loss of faith. The movie explores themes of anarchism, individualism, and the impact of political upheaval on personal lives.
Elective Affinities is a 1996 movie that explores the complexities of marriage and infidelity. It tells the story of a couple struggling with their relationship and the temptations of extramarital affairs. Set in Europe, the movie takes viewers on a journey filled with comedy, drama, and romantic entanglements.
During the Armenian Genocide, a family living on a farm in Turkey is faced with the destruction of their civilization and must struggle to survive.
This film is very much a docudrama which portrays the difficulties of Italian life circa 1963 due to the absence of a divorce law. Five scenarios with different actors portray realistic situations where divorce is clearly warranted but, because marriage was strictly in the purview of the Catholic Church at that time, which strictly forbade divorce, these people are shown to suffer the consequences in their daily lives. Italy got its first civilian divorce law in 1970.
Set in the 18th century, Night Sun tells the story of a nobleman who falls in love with his sister's mistress. As their forbidden relationship unfolds, they face societal and religious obstacles, leading to a tragic outcome.
The film combines actual footage of Communist leader Palmiero Togliatti's funeral with the intermingled stories of four people affected by his death: Ettore, a Venezuelan radical who abandons the wealthy Italian woman he loves to go back to his country and help his cause; Ludovico, an ailing filmmaker who finds out that art alone is not enough; Giulia, a woman who embarks upon a lesbian affair with a former mistress of her husband; and Ermanno, a philosophy graduate who breaks up with his past.
In the movie 'You Laugh,' a husband and wife find themselves facing the aftermath of a kidnapping. As the plot unfolds, the couple navigates their way through the world of opera, while also struggling with their own thoughts of suicide.
Romantic entanglements develop between three young Italians frustrated by their current economic and social status.
An 18th-century true story about a rebel and his lover's attempt to overthrow the Italian monarchy.
An island has been decimated by a volcanic eruption and the few survivors escape to a nearby island. Led by Rutolo, they know that their new home is equally susceptible to such a catastrophe via its own volcano, but they are unable to convince the current inhabitants of Island #2 to flee with them to a mainland.
Vittorio Taviani
Paolo Taviani (born 8 November 1931) and Vittorio Taviani (20 September 1929 – 15 April 2018), collectively referred to as the Taviani brothers, were Italian film directors and screenwriters who collaborated on film productions. At the Cannes Film Festival, the Taviani brothers won the Palme d'Or and the FIPRESCI prize for Padre Padrone in 1977 and the Grand Prix du Jury for La notte di San Lorenzo (The Night of the Shooting Stars, 1982). In 2012 they won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival with Caesar Must Die. Vittorio Taviani died on 15 April 2018 at the age of 88. Both born in San Miniato, Tuscany, Italy, the Taviani brothers began their careers as journalists. In 1960 they came to the world of cinema, directing with Joris Ivens the documentary L'Italia non è un paese povero (Italy is not a poor country). They went on to direct two films with Valentino Orsini, Un uomo da bruciare (A Man to Burn) (1962) and I fuorilegge del matrimonio (Outlaws of Marriage) (1963). Their first autonomous film was I sovversivi (The Subversives, 1967), with which they anticipated the events of 1968. With actor Gian Maria Volonté they gained attention with Sotto il segno dello scorpione (Under the Sign of Scorpio, (1969) where one can see the echoes of Brecht, Pasolini, and Godard. In 1971, they co-signed the media campaign against Milan's police commissioner Luigi Calabresi, published in the magazine L'espresso. The revolutionary theme is present both in San Michele aveva un gallo (1971), an adaptation of Tolstoy's novel The Divine and the Human, a film greatly appreciated by critics, and in the film Allonsanfan (1974), in which Marcello Mastroianni has a role as an ex-revolutionary who has served a long term in prison and now views his idealistic youth in a much more realistic light, and nevertheless gets entangled in a new attempt in which he no longer believes. Their next film Padre Padrone (1977) (Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival), taken from a novel by Gavino Ledda, speaks of the struggle of a Sardinian shepherd against the cruel rules of his patriarchal society. In Il prato (1979) there are nonrealistic echoes, while La notte di San Lorenzo (The Night of the Shooting Stars, 1982) narrates, in a fairy-tale tone, a marginal event in the days before the end of World War II, in Tuscany, as seen through the eyes of some village people. The film was awarded the Special Jury Award in Cannes. Kaos (1984)—another literary adaptation—is a poignantly beautiful and poetical film in episodes, taken from Luigi Pirandello's Short Stories for a year. In Il sole anche di notte (1990) the Taviani brothers transposed in 18th century Naples the story from Tolstoy's Father Sergius. From then onwards, the Tavianis' inspiration proved faltering. Successes like Le affinità elettive, (1996, from Goethe) and an attempt to woo the international audiences like Good morning Babilonia, (1987), on the pioneers of cinema history, alternate with lesser films like Fiorile (1993) and Tu ridi (1996), inspired by the characters and short stories of Pirandello. ... Source: Article "Paolo and Vittorio Taviani" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
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