Film lovers will have a rare opportunity this summer to experience some of the most influential works in Italian cinema as Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà present History, Italian Style, a major retrospective examining the birth and evolution of modern Italy through film.
Running through June 25 at the Walter Reade Theater, the ambitious 29-film series explores Italy’s journey from the Risorgimento—the movement that unified the country in the 19th century—through the rise of Fascism and World War II. Through classics and contemporary works, the program examines how generations of filmmakers have wrestled with a central question that continues to shape the nation: What is Italy?
The series brings together masterpieces from some of Italy’s most celebrated directors, including Bernardo Bertolucci, Luchino Visconti, Federico Fellini, Roberto Rossellini, and the filmmaking duo Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani. The lineup also includes works by contemporary auteurs such as Alice Rohrwacher and Pietro Marcello.
Opening the series is Bertolucci’s landmark epic 1900, widely regarded as one of the greatest historical films ever made. Starring Robert De Niro and Gérard Depardieu, the sweeping drama follows two childhood friends whose lives become intertwined with the rise of Fascism, class conflict, and political change in Italy. The film will be screened in its original director’s cut, running more than five hours and presented with an intermission.
Other highlights include The Leopard, The Conformist, Two Women, Vincere, and The Organizer, each offering a unique perspective on political upheaval, social transformation, and national identity.
Curated in collaboration with film scholar Emiliano Morreale and director Pietro Marcello, the retrospective highlights how Italian filmmakers have repeatedly revisited the nation’s past to understand its present. From failed revolutions and monarchy to war and dictatorship, the films reveal a country continually confronting its own history.
Presented through beautifully restored prints and digital restorations, History, Italian Style promises to be one of New York’s most significant film events of the summer, offering audiences a cinematic journey through more than a century of Italian history and culture.