This week, the Nice Cinematheque is honoring Italian cinema by presenting a “la vita è bella” cycle, providing an opportunity to rediscover some of the greatest classics of Italian cinema.
Once Upon a Time in America
Once Upon a Time in America, 1984. Sergio Leone.
A masterpiece and the last film by Sergio Leone, Once Upon a Time in America follows the gangster life of David Aaronson, known as Noodles, from the Prohibition era to the 1960s. The mobster reflects on his past, marked by numerous dealings in New York’s Jewish ghetto, the rise of his gang in the underworld, and the failure of his romantic relationship with Deborah.
This crime drama featuring Robert De Niro in the lead role will be screened on Sunday, December 26 at 5:15 PM.
Cinema Paradiso
Cinema Paradiso, 1988. Giuseppe Tornatore.
Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, this film features Salvatore, a popular filmmaker, who has just learned about the death of his old friend Alfredo. He then recalls his childhood in Sicily, spent between the church where he was an altar boy and the local cinema where projectionist Alfredo taught the young Salvatore about life through the films he showed.
The cinematheque will screen this film on December 28 at 2 PM.
The Untouchables
The Untouchables, 1987. Brian De Palma.
This classic gangster film by Brian De Palma features Eliot Ness, a federal agent tasked with tracking and arresting the illegal activities of Al Capone, played by Robert De Niro. Amidst the corruption rampant during Prohibition, Ness recruits three other agents to form a squad of untouchables aiming to take down the notorious crime boss dominating Chicago.
This masterpiece can be rediscovered on January 4 at 2 PM.
Life is Beautiful
Life is Beautiful, 1997. Roberto Benigni.
This absolutely heartwarming dramedy portrays Guido, his wife Dora, and their son Giosuè in fascist Italy at the onset of World War II. One day, Guido, who is Jewish, and his son are deported to concentration camps where Dora decides to join them. There, Guido convinces his son that camp activities are actually a game aimed at winning a real tank.
The film will be shown on December 30 at 8 PM and January 2 at 6 PM.
Amarcord
Amarcord, 1973. Federico Fellini
Fellini depicts the life of Tita, a middle school student who experiences a series of events, sometimes amusing and at other times poignant, over the course of a year in the small town of Rimini, at a time when fascism dominates Italy.
The film will be shown on January 2 at 3:45 PM and January 4 at 5 PM.
