Italian Resources

8 1/2
Region 1 (NTSC) 2-disc DVD set (Criterion Collection)
Federico Fellini (1963)
Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni), a film director being pressured to come up with a film, resorts to a variety of his personal life experiences to create a film full of dreams formed (with little direction) from a cluster of memories and fantasies; black & white.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
2 hours 18 minutes

Amarcord
Region 1 (NTSC) 2-disc DVD set (Criterion Collection)
Federico Fellini (1973)
Academy Award-winning classic film about daily life in a small coastal town in Italy in the 1930s, based on the director’s own childhood town of Rimini. Fellini satirizes the inhabitants of the town, including the famous and voluptuous Gradisca (Magali Noël), as well as their adventures and the town’s traditions; Disc 2 includes: the 45-minute documentary Fellini’sHomecoming; a video interview with Magali Noël; audio interviews with Fellini, his friends and family; Fellini’s drawings of characters in the film; film restoration demonstration; also included: accompanying book featuring Fellini’s 1967 essay “My Rimini.”
In Italian with optional English subtitles; also available: optional English-dubbed version
2 hours 3 minutes

Le amiche (The Girlfriends) 
Region 1 (NTSC) black and white DVD
Michelangelo Antonioni (1955)
When beautiful Cleila opens a fashion salon in Rome, she is welcomed into a group of wealthy, dramatic socialites, who mix themselves up with sex, love, and suicide.  The film captures a period in which women are just beginning to realize their independence.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 39 mintues

Amore, bugie & calcetto: l’Abc della vita moderna
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Luca Lucini (2008)
Romantic comedy that follows the lives of seven men who come together through their passion for soccer as a means of breaking up the monotony of their everyday routines; provides a glimpse into how men look at relationships — everything from marriage to friendship.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 52 minutes

Anche libero va bene (Along the Ridge)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Kim Rossi Stuart (2006)
Renato is just a man trying to keep his family together. After his wife suddenly ran off with another man, Renato is left with all the parental duties while working at the same time. Both the daughter and son each have their own problems as well. Then one day his wife returns, but Renato isn’t so quick to roll out the welcome wagon.
In Italian with optional Italian for the hearing impaired or English subtitles
1 hour 45 minutes

Basilicata Coast to Coast
Region 2 (PAL) 2-disc DVD set
Rocco Papaleo (2010)
This musical comedy follows a small band that sets out to cross Basilicata on foot in order to perform at a music festival. The unlikely group of troubadours consists of a washed up television star, a medical school drop-out, a bored high-school math teacher, and a mute fisherman. Grudgingly tagging along is a journalist who documents their journey through the region. Though they originally embark on the footpath to the music festival, each unexpectedly finds a truer course on the path of life throughout many comedic escapades coast-to-coast.
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
Versione Theatrical: 1 hour 41 minutes
Versione Worldwide: 1 hour 33 minutes

Battaglia
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Daniela Zanzotto (2004)
This documentary follows Sicilian photographer, journalist, anti-Mafia activist, and environmental politician Letizia Battaglia as she reflects on her unconventional life.  As she walks us through her city and canvas, Palermo she recounts her own inner pain, as well as the pain of others that she has captured through her lens.
In Italian with on-screen English subtitles
58 minutes

Bella addormentata (Dormant Beauty)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Marco Bellocchio (2012)
Euthanasia, literally from the Greek meaning a “good death,” is the passionately controversial social issue surrounding the final days of the life of Eluana Englaro, a woman in a persistent vegetative state who died in 2009. We also see the stories of others suffering in comparable circumstances, including the daughter of wealthy actors, a criminal drug addict, and the wife of a senator. Is it murder, an act of love, or something else?
In Italian with optional English subtitles, or Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 51 minutes

Berlinguer ti voglio bene (Berlinguer: I Love You)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Giuseppe Bertolucci (1977)
Mario Cioni (in Roberto Benigni’s debut role), a frustrated young man living with his tormenting mother, spends his days bemoaning women and sexuality.  Eventually, Cioni develops a strange attraction to his mother.  To his dismay, he comes up against competition for her heart from his friend Bozzone.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 31 minutes

La bestia nel cuore (Don’t Tell)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Cristina Comencini (2006)
The film’s protagonists, Sabina (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) and the love of her life Franco (Alessio Boni) are taken by surprise when Sabina begins to have unusual nightmares, which begin to make her doubt what she believed was a normal childhood. Pregnant with Franco’s child, Sabina visits her estranged brother in America, where she makes some startling discoveries about her past. In the end, she must come to terms with this past and rediscover happiness within her new family. Also available: 68-page book La bestia nel cuore, dal romanzo al film by Cristina Comencini; book includes a making-of description, a comparison between the book and the film, and interviews with the filmmakers.
In Italian with optional English or Spanish subtitles
2 hours

Bianco e nero (Black and White)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Cristina Comencini (2008)
This gritty whirlwind of ethnic and sexual tension not lacking in comedic touch follows the affair of Carlo and Nadine. Carlo is married to Elena, who works for an organization that raises funds for Africans. Elena’s coworker Bertrand and his wife Nadine are both natives of Dakar. When a regrettable but irresistible romance consumes Carlo and Nadine, questions arise of fidelity to wedlock, to culture, and to passion. The roller coaster of their relationship twists and turns its way to an unforeseeable end.
Includes a film study program by Roberta Tabanelli and Cristina Villa with comprehension exercises, vocabulary builders, grammar activities, class discussion prompters, and cultural readings.
In Italian with optional Italian or English subtitles
1 hour 40 minutes

La bohème
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Recording of live performance on February 25, 1993 at the Sydney Opera House of composer Giacomo Puccini’s late 19th-century opera as directed by Baz Luhrmann for the Australian Opera and conducted by Julian Smith; this production set in 1950s Paris; story of love and of the strength derived from friendship; Mimi (soprano Cheryl Barker), a seamstress, meets the poet Rodolfo (tenor David Hobson) when her candle goes out and she asks him to help her. They fall in love and she is introduced into Rodolfo’s circle of friends — Colline (Gary Rowley), Schaunard (David Lemke), Marcello (Roger Lemke), and his love Musetta (Christine Douglas). The post-war times make it impossible for these artists to live a prosperous life, and Mimi falls ill.
In Italian with on-screen English subtitles
2 hours

“Buongiorno, notte” (Good morning, Night)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Marco Bellocchio (2003)
Mixing drama and historical footage, this film follows the actions of a small faction of the Brigate Rosse (Red Brigades), a violent paramilitary organization, who kidnap Aldo Moro (Roberto Herlitzka), leader of the Democrazia Cristiana (Christian Democracy) party. Chiara (Maya Sansa), a young terrorist, starts to have misgivings about their actions. Though Moro writes many letters from his secret holding room – including letters to his party members, his family, and even the Pope – he largely receives no response. The mingling of scenes of dramatic interrogation with dream-like episodes examines what it means to be free.
In Italian with Italian for the hearing impaired subtitles
1 hour 45 minutes

Il caimano (The Caiman)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Nanni Moretti (2006)
Bruno Bonomo is a struggling movie producer. Not only does he have problems with funding his next movie, he has problems in his marriage as well. With Bruno and his wife soon to split, the parental duties over their two sons are about to become more difficult. Without much thought, Bruno decides to produce a script of a young female director. Little does he know, the script is about Silvio Berlusconi.
In Italian with optional English, French, or Italian subtitles
1 hour 52 minutes

Caos calmo (Quiet Chaos)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Nanni Moretti (2008)
After Pietro and his brother rescue two drowning women at the beach, Pietro returns home to find that his wife has died from a fall. In the following days, he vows to his young daughter Claudia that he will remain in the park outside her school all day until she is dismissed. Forsaking his office for the park bench, Pietro eventually becomes accustomed to the daily habits of the park’s passersby. On noticing his daughter’s apparent lack of grieving, he begins to reflect on his own expression of sorrow as calm and collected chaos.
In Italian with optional English or Italian subtitles
1 hour 47 minutes

Il capitale umano (Human Capital)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Paolo Virzi (2013)
Two families, one middle-class family and one wealthy, find their lives intertwined after an accident that left one man dead. As someone from a mediocre socioeconomic status, Dino Ossola seeks only more wealth, equating his revenue with happiness. He sees an opportunity to achieve his greatest desire when his daughter Serena starts dating the son of the wealthy Giovanni Bernaschi. Dino is determined to enter into the Bernaschi family circle as the story of the unlikely encounter between these two families unfolds from the viewpoint of each individual member.
In Italian with optional English or French subtitles, or Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 49 minutes

Casomai (If By Chance)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Alessandro D’Alatri (2002)
The story of the relationship and marriage of Stefania (played by Stefania Rocca) and Tommaso (played by Fabio Volo) and their ability to cope with or be defeated by the pressures put upon a modern married couple.
In Italian with optional Italian or English subtitles
1 hour 54 minutes

Il caso Moro (The Moro Affair)

Region 0 (PAL) DVD
Giuseppe Ferrara (1986)
The year is 1978, and in a bloody shootout on the streets of Rome, a group of communist revolutionaries called the Brigate Rosse (Red Brigades) kidnap Aldo Moro (Gian Maria Volonté), the leader of the Democrazia Cristiana (Christian Democracy) party – the dominant political party since the end of World War II. This crime thriller chronologically follows the events of the 55 days from the kidnapping in via Fani to the discovery of Moro’s corpse in the trunk of a car in via Caetani.
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 52 minutes

Caterina va in città (Caterina in the Big City)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Paolo Virzi (2003)
During her last year of grade school, Caterina (Alice Teghil), a small town girl, moves to Rome with her mother and father. Caterina’s personal struggle to fit into this new city and new school reflects the social class implications in Rome. She goes from hanging out with the posh to the radicals. Along with her hopeful father, they learn that self-happiness is all middle-class Italians can strive for and achieve in the political and class-skewed environment.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
Approx. 1 hour 46 minutes

Cavalleria rusticana
All Regions 0 (NTSC) DVD
Disc #1 in 2 DVD-set with companion disc Pagliacci; 1982 Franco Zeffirelli production on film of Pietro Mascagni’s opera of love and betrayal, starring Plácido Domingo as Turiddu, Yelena Obraztsova as Santuzza, and Axelle Gall as Lola; Georges Prêtre, conductor of the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala; filmed on location in Sicily; Turiddu is supposed to marry Santuzza but is still madly in love with his first love Lola, who is now married to Alfio (Renato Bruson). When Alfio finds out about their love, Alfio challenges Turiddu to a duel and kills him; in Italian with the option of  Italian, English, German, French, Spanish, or Chinese subtitles; 1 hour 9 minutes. 

I cento passi (One Hundred Steps)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Marco Tullio Giordana (2000)
Based on the true story of Peppino Impastato, a young Sicilian activist who in the 1960s and 1970s spoke out against the crimes of Tano Badalamenti, a Mafia boss; As head of a local youth group rebelling against the Mafia’s power, Peppino is pitted against his own family, particularly his father, who is owned wholly by the mob and tortured by his son’s dangerous attitude; his family’s fears are realized when Peppino is assassinated by Badalamenti’s mobster thugs; documentary, backstage, trailer, and biographies of cast available.
In Italian with optional English or Italian subtitles
1 hour 54 minutes

Le chiavi di casa (The Keys to the House)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Gianni Amelio (2004)
Featuring Kim Rossi Stuart, Charlotte Rampling, and Andrea Rossi; winner of the 2005 Nastro d’argento Best Director Award and many other prestigious awards. A touching tale about the reuniting of Gianni with his estranged son of 15 years, Paolo. Born with special needs, Paolo no longer can live with his foster parents. Following the first few days of Gianni and Paolo’s meeting, this film shows the growth of a previously nonexistent father-son relationship, the delving into the pain of the past, and the resultant healing of doing so.
In Italian with English subtitles
1 hour 47 minutes

Come te nessuno mai (But Forever in My Mind)

Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Gabriele Muccino (2000)
Coming-of-age story set in a public school of the 1990s, where students want to revolt against the authoritarian structure and where they experience the tumult of young love; story of the tarnishing of relationships for the main characters Silvio (Silvio Muccino) and his big-mouthed, best friend Ponzi (Giuseppe Sanfelice).
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 28 minutes

Come tu mi vuoi
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Volfango De Biasi (2007)
Romantic comedy where a simple girl is introduced to the world of parties and glamour; Giada (Cristiana Capotondi), a social communications major trying to understand her peers, meets a party-loving group of students, including the notorious Riccardo (Nicolas Vaporidis). Taken by storm by both the young man and her new social world, Giada realizes that this social circle comes with consequences and new standards with which she is not ready to comply.
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 47 minutes

Il conformista (The Conformist)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Bernardo Bertolucci (1970)
Extended edition based on the novel by Alberto Moravia. As Fascists begin to wield influence in Italy, Marcello Clerici (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is easily persuaded to take part in an assassination plot. Disguised as honeymooners, he and his naïve wife Giulia (Stefania Sandrelli) travel to Paris in order to find and kill Marcello’s former professor, Professor Quadri (Enzo Tarascio), who fled Italy as the Fascists were coming into power. In his attempt to follow through with the assassination plan, Marcello falls in love with the professor’s wife Anna (Dominique Sanda).
Dubbed audio options: Italian, English, French, Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese, with optional English, Spanish, or Brazilian Portuguese subtitles
1 hour 51 minutes

Cristo si è fermato a Eboli (Christ Stopped at Eboli)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Francesco Rosi’s (1978)
Follows medical doctor and antifascist writer Esilia Carlo (Gian Maria Volonté), a political internee, who is sent to a town in southern Italy as desolate and hopeless as his internment. As the doctor observes in the film’s title: “Christ, nor any glimmer of hope, ever reached this desolate area.“ But as time goes by, the interned doctor learns to relieve both his own despair and that of his adopted town through painting and practicing medicine; special features include scene selections and a documentary exploring the Eboli area.
In Italian with the option of Italian or English subtitles
2 hours 25 minutes

Il Decameron (The Decameron)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Pier Paolo Pasolini (1971)
Film adaptation of the very liberal and Church-satirizing, earthy and ribald tales of of Boccaccio’s Decameron, including those of: (1) a young man from Sicily who is tricked twice but ends up rich; (2) a boy who pretends to be a deaf-mute and causes a stir in a convent; (3) a woman who has to hide her lover from her husband, who comes back early from work; (4) a criminal who fools a priest on his deathbed; (5) three brothers avenging their honor by killing their sister’s lover; (6) a girl who sleeps on her balcony roof to meet up with her boyfriend; (7) a priest who tricks his poor peasant friend; (8) two friends who make a pact to figure out what the afterlife is like.
In Italian with the option of English, French, or Spanish subtitles
1 hour 51 minutes

Il divo: La spettacolare vita di Giulio Andreotti
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Paolo Sorrentino (2008)
This film is about the life of Italy’s seven-time Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti. When those in power around him are suddenly killed, Andreotti is left as the only leading political figure. On the outside, Andreotti appears to be a very calm and peaceful person. But looks are deceiving. Having been tied to several shady deals and business with the Mafia, Andreotti is eventually found guilty of his illegal conduct.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 50 minutes

La dolce vita (The Sweet Life)
Region 1 (NTSC) 2-disc DVD
Federico Fellini (1960)
Collector’s edition; a story of a journalist, Marcello Rubini (Marcello Mastroianni), trying to find his place in the world. Aspiring to be a serious writer, he struggles as a gossip columnist not being able to write what he wants, while at the same time living in the lap of luxury with rich and infamous characters. From his playboy antics to his relationships with his suicidal girlfriend, an American actress (Anita Ekberg), and a wealthy heiress (Anouk Aimée), he tries to find love but fails every time. He further questions his own life when his mentor-friend commits suicide. Black & white.
In Italian or English with optional English or Spanish subtitles
Main program: 2 hours 54 minutes
Bonus features DVD: 1 hour

Dopo mezzanotte (After Midnight)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Davide Ferrario (2003)
An unusual love story set in the scenic Mole Antonelliana, site of the Museum of Cinema in Turin, Italy. After an incident with her fast-food employer, Amanda, in her escape from the police, finds shelter in the museum with the night watchman, Martino. The shy Martino falls in love with Amanda, whereas Amanda realizes she is actually in love with both her thug boyfriend Angel and Martino. As their story develops, an unfortunate turn of events changes each relationship.
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 38 minutes

L’eclisse (The Eclipse)
Region 1 (NTSC) 2-disc DVD set (Criterion Collection)
Michelangelo Antonioni (1962)
Vittoria (Monica Vitti), a beautiful Italian woman, breaks her engagement to her fiancé Ricardo (Francisco Rabal), a writer. Vittoria then slowly falls in love with her mother’s stockbroker, the greedy Piero (Alain Delon). As they both fall in love with each other, they also realize that an idealistic girl like Vittoria cannot maintain a relationship with as materialistic a man as Piero. Disc 2 features the following supplements:  (1) Michelangelo Antonioni: The Eye That Changed Cinema, a 56-minute documentary about Antonioni’s life and career; (2) Elements of Landscape, a 22-minute presentation about Antonioni and the film L’Eclisse with commentary by Italian film critic Adriano Aprà and Antonioni’s friend Carlo di Carlo; also available: 32-page booklet containing essays by film critics and excerpts from Antonioni’s own writings; black & white.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
2 hours 5 minutes

Educazione Siberiana (Deadly Code)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Gabriele Salvatores (2013)
Kolima and Gagarin grow up together in a Russian ghetto as members of a Siberian clan of “honest criminals” bound by strict honor codes. When Gagarin is arrested during a botched robbery, the boys are set on increasingly divergent paths. While Kolima preserves the community’s tradition of street justice, Gagarin falls in with drug dealers and human traffickers, culminating in a final brother-against-brother showdown.
In English or dubbed Italian, with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 40 minutes

Enrico IV

Region 0 (PAL) DVD
Marco Bellocchio (1984)
A costume party guest dressed as Enrico IV (Marcello Mastroianni) falls victim to a tragic accident which causes him to believe that he is in reality King Henry IV. For years he assumes the lifestyle of a king in a real castle without any concern for or interest in his previous life or the real world. After 20 years, Matilda (Claudia Cardinale), an old love interest, tries to intervene by playing along with Enrico’s assumed reality while also involving a psychologist and her daughter in hopes that they will be able together to “shock” Enrico into understanding true reality.
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 22 minutes

La famiglia (The Family)
Region 0 (PAL) DVD
Ettore Scola (1987)
This story follows the life of Carlo and his multifaceted bourgeois household. It all begins with a family portrait taken during Carlo’s baptism in 1906, and continues sequentially decade by decade through Carlo’s life: episodes of joy and sorrow, pain and passion – through recurrent bickering, juvenile monkeyshines, wars and reunions, financial difficulties, and agonizing regret of opportunities missed. The memoir is bookended with yet another family portrait on Carlo’s 80th birthday in 1986. Filmed entirely within the walls of the house, the events of Carlo’s life perhaps challenge what we are told at the beginning: that “Carlo” means “free man.”
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
2 hours 20 minutes

Le fate ignoranti (His Secret Life)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Ferzan Ozpetek (2002)
After Antonia’s (Margherita Buy) husband Massimo (Andrea Renzi) dies (as a result of being hit by a car), she stumbles upon his secret life while packing all of his belongings. Not only did Massimo have a lover, but the lover was a man with whom he had been cheating for seven years. Questioning not only who her husband was but also her own identity, Antonia befriends Massimo’s lover Michele (Stefano Accorsi) and all his friends who show her how to create for herself a new way of living and become a “free” woman.
In Italian and Turkish with optional English subtitles
1 hour 46 minutes

Filumena Marturano
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Eduardo De Filippo (1946, 1962)
This black & white film is an adaptation (made for television in 1962) of Eduardo De Filippo’s famous 1946 comedic play told in three acts. Filumena, a former prostitute, has been living with Domenico for 25 years. After discovering that he had been tricked into marriage in extremis when Filumena pretended to be near death, Domenico begins a lengthy tirade against her. Finally Filumena reveals that all she wants is a family for her three sons, who are now adults and unaware of their mother. Since he would rather marry the young Diana, Domenico attempts to have the marriage annulled. But upon learning that one of the three sons is his, he yields and decides to remarry Filumena and acknowledges all three as his children.
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 40 minutes

La finestra di fronte (Facing Windows)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Ferzan Ozpetek (2003)
Giovanna and Filippo are suffering many marital problems. One day, much to Giovanna’s dismay, Filippo decides to take in an elderly homeless man, discovered later to be a Holocaust survivor. At the same time, Giovanna has lustful feelings for their neighbor across the street, quickly placing her in a difficult situation regarding the neighbor and her husband.
In Italian with optional English or French subtitles
1 hour 46 minutes

Fiorile
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (1993)
A love story of betrayal and tragedy in the Benedetti family. Luigi (Lino Capolicchio), the youngest of the Benedetti, takes a trip with his family to see his estranged father, Massimo (Michael Vartan), who sends him away in fear of the Benedetti curse. Begun two hundred years ago, when Elisabetta Benedetti (Galatea Ranzi) fell in love with Jean (Michael Vartan), a French soldier who was killed when Elisabetta’s brother Corrado stole a chest of gold from the French army, a certain curse of misery and lost loves has haunted the Benedetti family ever since. Fear of this curse has now caused Massimo to push away all his loved ones and live in isolation on the family estate.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 45 minutes

Il gattopardo (The Leopard)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Luchino Visconti (1963)
This classic epic of Italian cinema tells the story of the aging Don Fabrizio, Prince of Salina (Burt Lancaster), during the time of Italy’s democratic revolution. Even as he witnesses the decline of his culture and fortune, Don Fabrizio uses his resources to smooth the transition to democracy and pave the way for the next generation: his nephew Tancredi and his middle-class fiancée Angelica. Included are original movie, shorter American release with English dialogue, the making of The Leopard documentary, and various interviews.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
3 hours 5 minutes

Generazione 1000 euro
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Massimo Venier (2009)
Matteo Moretti (Alessandro Tiberi) is a discouraged young professional struggling for financial success at company that wants to fire him. While smoking away his sorrow on the roof of his office, he meets Angelica (Carolina Crescentini) and they immediately hit it off. Back at home, he and his friend Francesco (Francesco Mandelli) unexpectedly greet a new roommate Beatrice (Valentina Lodovini). On a business trip, he shares an intimate moment with Angelica, but in the morning she is gone, leaving the hefty expenses with him. Matteo then comes home and shares a dinner with his new roommate, Beatrice. It seems she really understands his true dreams and deep desires, and they share their own intimate moment. To add further tension, later Angelica not only reimburses Matteo for the trip, but also offers him a lucrative position in Barcelona with her. Who will he choose?
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 41 minutes

Il giardino dei Finzi-Contini (The Garden of the Finzi-Continis)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Vittorio de Sica (1971)
Academy Award-winning (Best Foreign Language Film) film that examines the plight of the Jewish community in wartime Ferrara during the Fascist period; story of the wealthy Finzi-Contini family who opens their garden to their Jewish friends as a haven when the latter are restricted from other areas; story also of the idyllic love that blossoms between Micol, a Finzi-Contini, and Giorgio, a Jewish scholar.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 34 minutes

Il gioiellino (The Jewel)
Region 0 (PAL) DVD
Andrea Molaioli (2011)
Based on the true story of the 2003 Parmalat crash, this film follows the collapse of Leda, an international dairy agribusiness. Owner and founder Amanzio Rastelli, who transformed his father’s small salame business into the hugely successful “jewel” of a corporation, blindly entrusts management of the company to his close associates, including head accountant Ernesto Botta. Presently the company overextends itself abroad, resulting in massive debt. Unable to cope with the debt, Rastelli and Botta make an illicit choice to falsify liquidity records. Despite their best efforts, they must face the inevitable reality: without any milk, there’s nothing you can fudge – not even numbers.
In Italian with English subtitles
1 hour 45 mintues

Una giornata particolare (A Special Day)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Ettore Scola (1977)
Set in fascist Italy in the 1930s and starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni; Antonietta (Sophia Loren) is left home alone while her family goes off to witness Mussolini and Hitler’s historic encounter. Antonietta realizes how unhappy she is with her life and strikes up a unique friendship with her gay neighbor Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni), a relationship that opens their eyes and gives them both a new outlook on life.
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 45 minutes

Un giorno devi andare (There Will Come a Day)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Giorgio Diritti (2013)
Seeking greater self-knowledge and sense of purpose, Augusta left Italy for Brazil to work with Catholic missionaries. After not finding quite what she wanted, she transfers to a job assisting in a favela. Augusta is finally able to open up about the grief of her past in the comfort of the family that has welcomed her. But after a community member’s death, she picks up again and continues on through the Amazon, eventually arriving at an uninhabited island and subsequently dissolving into the solitude of nature.
In Italian, no subtitles
1 hour 47 minutes

Un giorno perfetto (A Perfect Day)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Ferzan Ozpetek (2008)
After a year of separation from his wife Emma (Isabella Ferrari) and two children, Antonio (Valerio Mastandrea) wants to reconstruct his family. However, Antonio cannot get over his manic-depression and jealousy. Forced to live with her mother, Emma struggles as a single mother with three jobs. One day Antonio meets Emma and stresses his need to have his family back. He deceives his family into spending time with him; however, during that time, he abuses his wife and eventually murders his children.
In Italian with the option of English or Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 45 minutes

Gomorra
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Matteo Garrone (2008)
Based on the book by Roberto Saviano. This film deals with how the modern-day Camorra, a mafia-like organization, functions via drug dealing, murders, and extortions. Centered around an apartment complex in Italy, the film details the lives of six people who want to be or end up being associated with the group: (1) a young boy who becomes the Camorra’s delivery boy; (2) an old man who is tired of extortions; (3) two young men who want to rival the local Camorra; (4) a young man who is starting to learn the business aspect of the Camorra; (5) a simple tailor who is trying to get ahead in the world.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
2 hours 10 minutes

Habemus Papam (We Have a Pope)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Nanni Moretti (2011)
A newly elected pope does not want to accept the position, much to the shock of the papal conclave. But when the conclave brings in a psychiatrist to discuss the new pope’s misgivings and to ease his anxiety, he escapes and wanders about town. Meanwhile, the entire world awaits the announcement of the next pontifex.
In Italian with optional English and Spanish subtitles
1 hour 45 minutes

Happy Family
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Gabriele Salvatores (2010)
Colorful in all senses of the word, this wildly entertaining meta-film pieces together the work of Ezio, a writer struggling to finish a screenplay. Ezio plays a double role as both narrator and character within his own story, one which he leaves vaguely open-ended. Both dissatisfied with Ezio’s creative choices and personally insulted, his vibrantly unique characters come to life and encourage him to finish the story.
In Italian with optional for the hearing impaired and English subtitles
1 hour 30 minutes

In nome del papa re (In the Name of the Pope King)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Luigi Magni (1977)
Award-winning film (4 Nastro d’argento and 3 David di Donatello Awards) set in 1867, when civil unrest ruled the streets of Rome due to the efforts of Garibaldi’s forces to bring Rome into the Italian kingdom. Monsignor Colombo da Priverno (Nino Manfredi), a noble and influential priest, is tired of the increasing violence and is ready to resign. All is taking its toll on Monsignor Colombo when he discovers that he has a son of whom he was unaware and who is now in prison for having blown up the Zouaves’ barracks.  With his connections and powers of influence, Monsignor Colombo secures his illegitimate son’s release and hides him; however, his power cannot match that of the Pope or of the incoming government forces.
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 42 minutes

Io e te (Me and You)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Bernardo Bertolucci (2013)
Lorenzo is an introverted fourteen year old who exhibits some aberrant social behaviors. Without telling anyone, he skips out on a week-long ski trip with classmates in order to furtively spend the week alone, holed up in the basement of his apartment building. Crashing Lorenzo’s stealthy staycation, his estranged older half-sister Olivia comes looking for a box of her old belongings. Without a place to sleep while attempting to kick a heroin addiction cold turkey, she decides to join her brother for the week as they catch up and come to terms with their family situations and life struggles.
In Italian with optional English subtitles, or Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 33 minutes

Io non ho paura (I’m Not Scared)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Gabriele Salvatores (2003)
The story of Michele’s uncovering of a monumental secret. Michele is a young boy from a southern Italian town who soon learns that no one can be trusted. In this film of thrills, betrayal and twists, one learns that to truly not be afraid, one must be willing to discover the truth, no matter the costs.
In Italian with the option of English or Spanish subtitles
1 hour 41 minutes

Io sono Li
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Andrea Segre (2011)
Shun Li is an immigrant working in a textile factory outside of Rome trying to save money to bring her son over from China. After being transferred north to a bartending position close to Venice, she meets an old fisherman of Yugoslavian origin. When their friendship agitates both the local Chinese and Italian communities, Li must consider how it will affect her son’s immigration prospects. Text of original film script also available.
In Italian with on-screen Italian subtitles
1 hour 38 minutes

Italian Classic — Karaoke
All regions NTSC DVD
28 classic Italian popular songs presented in karaoke style against backdrops of footage videotaped in various locations throughout Italy; includes such songs as “Torna a Surriento,” “O Sole Mio,” “Funiculi, Funicula,” and “Santa Lucia;”
Approx. 30 minutes

KAOS
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Paolo & Vittorio Taviani (1984)
The film consists of four short stories and an epilogue. In The Other Son, the first tale, a mother waiting to hear from her beloved emigrated sons, neglects her third, for he reminds her of his father who raped her. The second tale, Moon Sickness, is about a newly wedded peasant couple plagued by the husband’s mind-altering reaction to the full moon. In the third tale, The Jar, a mysterious craftsman traps himself in the jar he was hired to fix. In Requiem, a tribe of villagers attempts to bury their dead against their oppressive landowner’s rules. Finally, in Conversations with Mother, the film’s writer talks with his mother about a story he has longed to write.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
3 hours 8 minutes

Ladri di biciclette (The Bicycle Thief)
All-regions (NTSC) DVD
Vittorio de Sica (1948)
Black & white film starring non-actors Lamberto Maggiorani and Enzo Staiola. Story of Antonio Ricci, a poor man in post-war Rome whose bicycle is stolen on his first day of work as a laborer hired to deliver movie posters, a job that requires he have a bicycle. Poignant portrait of a father and son whose search for the stolen bicycle leads them through a world of indifference and challenges to the human spirit.
In Italian with option of English subtitles; option of dubbed English dialogue soundtrack also available
1 hour 29 minutes

Lezioni di cioccolato
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Claudio Cupellini (2007)
A romantic comedy about Mattia (Luca Argentero), a corrupt building contractor, who must become an excellent chocolate chef to avoid having Kamal (Hassani Shapi), one of his exploited workers, denounce him to the police. Mattia has to pose as Kamal, a former pastry chef in Egypt, so that Kamal can win a contest and be able to own his own pastry shop in Italy. In order to win the contest, Mattia must convince everyone that he is Kamal, including fellow classmate Cecilia (Violante Placido). When she falls in love with him, complications ensue both in the competition and in Mattia’s personal life.
In Italian with optional Italian and English subtitles
1 hour 35 minutes

La locandiera di Carlo Goldoni
DVD+R
Nathaniel Hibner & Danielle Auriemma (2010)
Presented on May 6, 2010 by the students of BC course RL522 The Most Beautiful Pages of Italian Literature (Prof. Rena A. Lamparska, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures)
In Italian, no subtitles
28 minutes

Magnifica presenza (A Magnificent Haunting)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Ferzan Özpetek (2012)
Living alone for the first time, Pietro moves into a timeworn apartment in Rome to pursue an acting career. However, he soon discovers that he is not as alone as he had anticipated. Sharing his new abode is a disquieting but benevolent troupe of ghostly vaudeville actors, apparently trapped and unaware of their cadaverous state, in search of their star actress. Growing accustomed to his new roommates, Pietro continues to pursue his dream of becoming an actor. Taking some outdated acting advice from the ghosts leads to a disastrous audition experience, and Pietro suffers a mental break. Even more, his doctor finds associations with Pietro’s personal history and his description of the “ghosts.” Are these phantoms just a case of dissociative identity disorder, a fiction Pietro merely hallucinated?
—Finzione, finzione!
—Ma quale finzione? Realtà!
In Italian with optional English subtitles, or Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 42 minutes

Maria Stuarda
Region 0 (NTSC) DVD
Conductor: Antonino Fogliani (2008)
Live recording of the tragic opera by Gaetano Donizetti from the Teatro Alla Scala di Milano. Featuring Mariella Devia as Maria Stuarda, Anna Caterina Antonacci as Elisabetta, Francesco Meli as Roberto, conte di Leicester, and Simone Alberghini as Giorgio Talbot.
In Italian with optional English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish subtitles
2 hours 18 minutes

Massacre in Rome
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
George P. Cosmatos (1973)
Based on the historical Adreatine Massacre of March 24, 1944. Just weeks before the end of the occupation of Rome by the Nazis, there was a surprise assault on an SS brigade by Roman civilians, in which 32 German soldiers were killed. In retaliation, 320 Italians were sentenced to death, a sentence carried out by Lt. Col. Herbert Kappler (Richard Burton) without the consent of Italian authorities.
In English
1 hour 47 minutes

Mediterranea
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Jonas Carpignano (2015)
In French, Italian, English and Arabic with optional English or Spanish subtitles
1 hour 50 minutes

La meglio gioventù (The Best of Youth)
Region 1 (NTSC) 2-disc DVD
Marco Tullio Giordana (2003)
The story of two brothers, Nicola (Luigi Lo Cascio) and Matteo Carati (Alessio Boni), dating from their university years to their adulthood and unfolding from within the context of the historical events of Italy from 1966 to 2000 — from the flood of 1966 in Florence to the infamous Mafia murders in the early 1990s.
In Italian or French with optional English or Spanish subtitles
Disc 1 (1966–1980): approx. 3 hours 3 minutes
Disc 2 (1982–2000): approx. 3 hours 5 minutes
Total time: approx. 6 hours 8 minutes

Miele (Honey)
Region All (PAL) DVD
Valeria Golino (2013)
Based on the novel A nome tuo by Mauro Covacich, this film tells the story of Irene, called “Miele” (Honey). Irene is a young woman in her thirties who makes a living from discreetly offering a means of assisted suicide for the terminally ill. But when her services are requested by a depressed but physically healthy septuagenarian, an existential crisis ensues as Irene questions her role and what it means to suffer.
In Italian, no subtitles
1 hour 34 minutes

Mine vaganti (Loose Cannons)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Ferzan Ozpetek (2010)
Tommaso is a young adult who intends to reveal his homosexuality to his conservative family. However, interrupted by his brother during family dinner, Tommaso second-guesses his plans to come out. Moreover, when Tommaso’s boyfriend and other friends come to visit, his real identity is further obscured.
In Italian with optional Italian or English subtitles
1 hour 48 minutes

Mio cognato (My Brother-In-Law)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Alessandro Piva (2003)
Vito, a timid, innocent man, has his car stolen on the day of his nephew’s baptism. He seeks help from his shady brother-in-law Toni, who accepts only out of familial duty. Over the next 24 hours, Toni reluctantly navigates the two of them through a criminal underworld seeking the stolen car, having to resolve some blunders caused by Vito’s naivety. It is Vito, however, who is undeservedly thrown into a world of threats, ransoms, broken noses, and run-ins with crime bosses, and it starts to seem that the car theft might not have been so random. The events of the search conclude in a shocking final scene involving a curious lemon.
In Italian with optional Italian or English subtitles
1 hour 30 minutes

Mio fratello è figlio unico (My Brother is an Only Child)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Daniele Luchetti (2007)
Manrico and Accio are brothers set on different paths. Manrico becomes a leader among the Communists, while Accio gets involved with the Fascists. The two brothers are placed at odds repeatedly. At the same time, Accio begins to fall for Manrico’s girlfriend.
In Italian with optional Italian for the hearing impaired or English subtitles
1 hour 40 minutes

Mosaici: Snapshots of Contemporary Italian Life
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD to accompany textook Mosaici: Snapshots of Contemporary Italian Life by Anna Clara Ionta and AnnaTaraboletti Segre (Edizioni Farinelli c. 2014)
Includes clips from 6 contemporary Italian films (Focaccia Blues, Generazione 1000 Euro, Scrivilo sui muri, Pranzo di Ferragosto, La ragazza del lago, Giorni e nuvole), as well as short videos containing interviews, news or reports related to topics included in the textbook
In Italian, no subtitles
approx. 57 minutes

Noi credevamo (We Believed) 
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Mario Martone (2010)
Three friends, Angelo, Domenico, and Salvatore, decide that they want to end the pointless struggle between various political factions in Italy. They support Giuseppe Mazzini, who believes in a united republic. All three go their separate ways in accomplishing their dream. However, they meet difficulty along the way as they question whether their dream is worthy and can even be achieved.
In Italian with optional Italian for the hearing impaired or English subtitles
3 hours 15 mintues

Non pensarci (Don't Think About It)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Gianni Zanasi (2007)
Stefano (Valerio Mastandrea) is a punk rocker living in Rome and suffering a mid-30s crisis. Seeking solace, he returns to his hometown of Rimini only to find that his family has just as many issues. Rather than receiving the comfort of home, he finds that he must help solve everyone else’s problems. This unexpected turn of events is perhaps just what Stefano needs to fill the void of responsibility in his life.
In Italian with optional Italian, English, French, or Spanish subtitles
1 hour 52 minutes

La notte di San Lorenzo (The Night of the Shooting Stars) 
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Paolo and Vittorio Taviani (1982)
Cannes Film Festival winner, La notte di San Lorenzo is a World War II-themed story told through the memories of Cecilia who now as a mother tells her son about the night of the shooting stars back in 1944 when she was just six years old. At that time anticipating that sections of their Tuscan village, San Martino, would be bombed by the German Army, some villagers flee to the presumed safety of the village cathedral, while Cecilia's family and many others decide to look for the Americans who are supposedly nearby and prepared to liberate them. Spending countless days searching for the Americans, the group finds rest for the first time on the night of the shooting stars, only to be forced the following day to confront the Germans whom they had hoped to escape.
In Italian with optional English or Spanish subtitles
1 hour 43 minutes

Nuovomondo (Golden Door)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Emanuele Crialese
Award-winning (Silver Lion Award, Venice Film Festival) film of the romance that develops between Salvatore Mancuso, a Sicilian peasant and Lucy, a worldly Englishwoman, who meet while traveling to the New World of America via Ellis Island.
In Italian with optional English, French or Spanish subtitles
1 hour 58 minutes

Oggi in Italia, 8th edition
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Tto accompany Oggi in Italia, 8th edition textbook by Franca Celli Merlonghi, Ferdinando Merlonghi, Joseph Tursi, Brian Rea O’Connor © 2007 Houghton Mifflin Co; includes scripted scenes and on-the-street interviews to reinforce vocabulary, structures and themes of each lesson.
Lesson titles: Lei come si chiama? (Lesson 1); Presentazioni (Lesson 2); Che cosa fai di bello? (Lesson 3); Cosa prendono i signori? (Lesson 4); Ad un ballo in maschera (Lesson 5); Dov’è andato in vacanza? (Lesson 6); Il mercato all’aperto (Lesson 7); In famiglia (Lesson 8); Un anno all’estero (Lesson 9); Ad una mostra cinematografica (Lesson 10); La settimana bianca (Lesson 11); Chi gioca? (Lesson 12); Cento di questi giorni! (Lesson 13); In cerca di un appartamento (Lesson 14); Il telegiornale (Lesson 15); Che cosa è in programma? (Lesson 16); E dopo la laurea? (Lesson 17); Abiti sempre in città? (Lesson 18)
In Italian with optional Italian captioning for the hearing impaired; 3 copies available
Total time: approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

L’Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio
Region 0 (PAL) DVD
Agostino Ferrente (2006)
Documentary film recounting how the L’Orchestra di Piazza Vittorio came into being in a time of racism and conflict in the Piazza Vittorio in Rome; documentary follows the arduous efforts of the Orchestra’s founders to create and maintain this unique, multicultural orchestra and documents the group’s first performance; includes audio CD Made in Piazza Vittorio featuring music from the film.
Iin Italian with optional Italian or English subtitles
1 hour 30 minutes

Pagliacci
All Regions 0 (NTSC) DVD
Disc #2 in 2 DVD-set with companion disc Cavalleria rusticana; 1982 Franco Zeffirelli production on film of Ruggiero Leoncavallo’s opera of love, jealousy, and revenge starring Plácido Domingo as Canio, Teresa Stratas as Nedda, Juan Pons as Tonio; Georges Prêtre, conductor of the Orchestra e Coro del Teatro alla Scala. When clowns Canio and his wife Nedda come to town with their amazing circus act, Nedda falls in love with Tonio, a man in the town. Beppe (Florindo Andreolli), another clown, is mad Nedda does not love him, so he tells her jealous husband about her and Tonio. Canio vows to avenge his betrayal by tricking Nedda to give up her lover’s name during a performance.
In Italian with the option of Italian, English, German, Spanish, or Chinese subtitles
1 hour 11 minutes

Palio
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD-R
Cosima Spender (2015)
In English and Italian with optional English subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 31 minutes

Pane e tulipani (Bread and Tulips)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Silvio Soldin (2000)
Donatello Award-winning film featuring Licia Maglietta as Rosalba, a housewife accidentally left behind while on vacation with her family, who decides to hitchhike home but finds herself heading to Venice, a place she has always wanted to see. Deciding she needs an extended vacation, she finds a job in a florist shop and rents a room from a kind waiter. While in Venice, all the while trying to escape the amateur detective her husband has sent from home to track her down, Rosalba befriends an odd mix of people, each teaching her something new about herself. Scene selections and bonus trailer options available.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 56 minutes

Parlami d’amore (Tell Me About Love)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Silvio Muccino (2008)
Sasha (Silvio Muccino), a young man trying to get away from the demons in his past, meets a married Frenchwoman, Nicole (Aitata Sánchez-Gijón), in Rome. Nicole helps Sasha win over the love of his childhood, the troubled but beautiful Benedetta (Carolina Crescentini). When Sasha finally “conquers” Benedetta, he slips back into his troubled past and realizes that he is in love with Nicole, who has a few demons of her own that she must first overcome.
In Italian with the option of Italian or English subtitles
1 hour 50 minutes

Pinocchio
Region 1 (NTSC) 2-DVD set
Roberto Benigni (2002)
Starring Roberto Benigni as Pinocchio, a wooden puppet come-to-life, who learns some of life’s lessons the hard way despite the advice of the Blue Fairy and the love of Geppetto, his father. DVD set includes the original Italian language version of the film and a version dubbed in English by Hollywood actors: Breckin Meyer, Glenn Close, Queen Latifah, James Belushi, Regis Philbin and others; special features include: “The Voices of Pinocchio: Creating the English dubbed version.”
Italian, English, French audio tracks with optional English subtitles
1 hour 40 minutes

La prima cosa bella (The First Beautiful Thing)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Paolo Virzi (2010)
Anna is a mother known for her beauty and vitality, but also plagued by unfortunate relationships combined with her own frivolity. Her son Bruno, who had grown up ashamed of his mother and had renounced the family as a teenager, is now a world-weary professor in Milan. Bruno returns to his hometown of Livorno after his sister Valeria informs him that their mother is sick. As he attends to his mother in her final days, Bruno has the chance to look back on episodes in his life with fresh eyes, and to reconnect one last time with his mamma bellissima.
In Italian with optional English, French, and Italian for the hearing impaired subtitles
1 hour 58 minutes

I promessi sposi
All-regions DVD
Mario Camerini (1941)
Film version of Alessandro Manzoni’s novel; black & white.
In Italian, no subtitles
1 hour 55 minutes

I promessi sposi
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Mario Camerini (1941)
Film version of Alessandro Manzoni’s novel; black & white.
In Italian, with optional Italian subtitles for hearing impaired
1 hour 52 minutes

I promessi sposi 
4 (PAL) DVDs
Sandro Bolchi (1967)
Dramatization of Alessandro Manzoni’s novel presented in 8 episodes for RAI television; black & white.
In Italian, no subtitles
Each episode: approx. 45-60 minutes
Total time of series: approx. 8 hours

Quando sei nato non puoi più nasconderti (Once You’re Born You Can No Longer Hide)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Marco Tullio Giordana (2005)
Film which captures the fear and internal change that accompanies an extremely traumatic experience. When 12 year-old Sandro is cast off his sailboat, all seems lost until he is rescued by a boat of illegal migrants. A change occurs in Sandro when he compares his life of wealth to the poverty of the migrants, a change that will lead him to worlds of trouble; a story of trust and betrayal, of growth and pain.
In Italian with option of English or Italian for the hearing-impaired subtitles
1 hour 55 minutes

Radiofreccia
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Luciano Ligabue (1999)
In a small town in Italy in the 1970s, five friends decide to establish an independent radio station. Spending most of their days in their local bar and nights in their town’s disco, one of them, Freccia (Stefano Accorsi), becomes addicted to heroin and dies, despite the group’s efforts to help him overcome his addiction. After Freccia’s death, the remaining friends live out their lives in their small town, but keep their deceased friend’s memory alive by naming the radio station “Radiofreccia.”
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired

La ragazza del lago (The Girl by the Lake)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Andrea Molaioli (2007)
In Italian with optional English or Spanish subtitles
1 hour 36 minutes

Reality
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Matteo Garrone (2012)
Big Brother, a popular reality TV show in which the contestants live together in an isolated house under 24-hour surveillance for months, is holding auditions at a local shopping mall. Keeping a promise to his children, Luciano inveigles his way into an audition for the show even after the venue was closed. Convinced of his own stellar performance with the producers, Luciano spends the following weeks counting his chickens before they hatch. He sells his fish stand and begins to donate all his possessions under the assumption that the producers have sent spies to check up on his moral fiber. He spends his waking hours obsessively watching the TV show he believes he was meant to participate in, ever awaiting an invitation that never comes. Though racked with anxiety over Luciano’s mental departure, his family remains supportive and enrolls him in therapy. But can Luciano ever leave the Big Brother house of his mind?
In Italian with optional English or French subtitles, or Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 52 minutes

Renzo e Lucia
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Francesca Archibugi (2004)
Loosely based on the Manzoni novel I promessi sposi; story of the struggles endured by a pair of lovers, Renzo (Stefano Scandaletti) and Lucia (Michela Macalli), before they eventually “live happily ever after.” Among these struggles are the willingness of the town’s prince to sacrifice Renzo so that he (the prince) might himself marry Lucia; Lucia’s being sent away to a convent where she meets Suor Virginia (Laura Morante), a woman with a hidden past; Renzo’s suffering due to hunger, imprisonment, and eventual contracting of the Black Plague.
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
3 hours 9 minutes

Respiro

Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Emanuele Crialese (2002)
Cannes Film Festival Critics Week Award-winning film starring Valeria Golino; Respiro tells the story of a free-spirited, slightly manic-depressive woman, Grazia, who lives with her husband and three children in the small seaside village of Lampedusa. Grazia has a hard time with the finer points of proper social etiquette and often allows her feelings to sweep her away. Her unconventional behavior alienates the small community. When they finally convince her husband to send her away to a clinic in Milan, Grazia commits an even more impulsive act in a last, desperate attempt to remain free; DVD-ROM special feature facilitates access to Respiro website.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 35 minutes

Rigoletto
All-regions (NTSC) DVD
Jean-Pierre Ponnelle (1983)
Ffilm version of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera; filmed on location and featuring Luciano Pavarotti as the Duke of Mantua, Ingvar Wixell as Rigoletto, the hunch-backed court jester, and Edita Gruberova as Gilda, his daughter. Wiener Philharmoniker conducted by Riccardo Chailly.
In Italian with option of Chinese, English, French, or German subtitles
1 hour 56 minutes

Risate di gioia (The Passionate Thief)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Mario Monicelli (1960)
Starring Totò; on New Year’s Eve, Gioia (Anna Magnani), an actress, is invited to a series of parties. At one of the parties she meets up with another actor named Umberto (Totò), an old acquaintance, who is there less to party than to help his con artist friend Lello (Ben Gazzara) steal from the guests while they are distracted by all the festivities. Ignorant of his true purpose for attending the evening’s many parties, Gioia begins to fall in love with Lello. One comical situation follows another to make this New Year’s Eve an unforgettable one for all involved; black & white.
In Italian, no subtitles
1 hour 42 minutes

Roma (Fellini’s Roma)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Federico Fellini (1972)
An autobiographical account of film director Federico Fellini’s life beginning with his education as a child in the countryside of Italy to his arriving in Rome as a young man at the beginning of WWII. Upon encountering Rome for the first time, he is able to decide for himself whether the new Rome he has stumbled upon is anything like the Rome he has always studied.
In Italian with optional subtitles in English, French, or Spanish
2 hours

Roma, città aperta (Open City)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Roberto Rossellini (1945)
The story of Rome during World War II and of the desperation and fear that existed in Italy during the German occupation; black & white.
In Italian with on-screen English subtitles
1 hour 45 minutes

Romanzo criminale (Crime Novel)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Michele Placido (2005)
Three lifelong friends decide to take over the crime ring in Italy after obtaining ransom money. They start off as a small group, slowly gathering members until eventually they take control from those presently in charge. They face complications since the police are constantly on their trail, and romance further infects the friends’ plans.
In Italian or dubbed French with optional English or French subtitles
2 hours 33 minutes

Romanzo di una strage (Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Marco Tullio Giordana (2012)
After the bombing at Piazza Fontana, chief inspector Luigi Calabresi interrogates Giuseppe Pinelli, a nonviolent man who claims that he and his anarchist comrades had nothing to do with it. But much to Pinelli’s shock, a fellow anarchist Valpreda suddenly pleads guilty to having planted the bomb. Soon after, Calabresi finds Pinelli’s body in the street, supposedly having fallen from the fourth floor of the police station. He questions whether or not his fellow officers had a role in Pinelli’s death. As Calabresi continues to investigate, he finds that the bombing and Pinelli’s death may have deeper connections than he anticipated.
In Italian with optional English subtitles, or Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
2 hours 4 minutes

Sacro GRA
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Gianfranco Rosi (2013)
A creative look at a different side of Rome: the GRA, Grande Raccordo Anulare, the ring-shaped highway surrounding the city. Filmed in an unnarrated observational style, the director shows us scenes in the lives of an ambulance worker, a group of prostitutes, a former prince, a botanist, an eel fisherman, and others who encounter the encircling highway.
In Italian, no subtitles
1 hour 31 minutes

Salvatore Giuliano
Region 1 (NTSC) 2-disc DVD set (Criterion Collection)
Francesco Rosi (1962)
When Salvatore Giuliano, an infamous outlaw, is found dead in the middle of a Sicilian courtyard, the authorities try to understand why he was murdered and why he had ordered a massacre at a peaceful rally. The film goes back and forth through time to try and recreate the events that led up to the May massacre, the death of Giuliano, and eventually the trial of the alleged participants in both crimes. As the trial progresses, alliances are discovered, broken, and formed; and it becomes apparent that corruption has penetrated all sectors of Italy. Disc 2 features: (1) Witness to the Times, a discussion between director Francesco Rosi and film critic Tullio Kezich; (2) excerpt of 7/12/50 news report on the death of the real-life Salvatore Giuliano; (3) Il cineasta e il labirinto, 55-minute documentary about Francesco Rosi’s life and career; black & white.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
2 hours 3 minutes

Saturno contro (Saturn in Opposition)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Ferzan Ozpetek (2007)
When tragedy strikes a close-knit yet disparate group of friends, they must learn how to help each other deal not only with the situation, but also to address and overcome  their own demons. The group includes Antonio and Angelica Pontesilli (Stefano Accorsi & Margherita Buy), a married couple dealing with infidelity; Neval and her husband Roberto (Serra Yilmaz & Flippo Timi), who do not seem like they are married; Roberta (Ambra Angiolini), a drug addict; Sergio (Ennio Fantastichini), the newest member of the group; and Davide (Pierfrancesco Favino), the grieving boyfriend of Lorenzo (Luca Argentero), the charismatic leader of the group.
In Italian with on-screen English subtitles
1 hour 48 minutes

Scialla! (Easy!)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Francesco Bruni (2011)
Luca (Filippo Scicchitano) is a ne’er-do-well high-school student. When his mother accepts a job overseas, she approaches Bruno (Fabrizio Bentivoglio), a worn out professor turned writer. When asked why he of all people is called upon to accommodate the boy, she informs Bruno that Luca is in fact his long-lost son. When Bruno attempts to discipline his new ward, Luca pushes back and gets further involved in thieving shenanigans with deadly consequences. Luca realizes his mistake and seeks help from Bruno, and the two finally come to terms with their father-son relationship. Additionally, this film offers a good example of the slang, accent, and rap music of Rome (Lazio).
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 40 minutes

La siciliana ribelle (The Sicilian Girl)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Marco Amenta (2008)
As a young girl in Sicily, Rita Atria witnessed the murder of her father, followed a few years later by the assassination of her brother. To avenge her loved ones, Rita goes to an anti-mafia prosecutor with intent to bring down the crime family. Rita quickly finds herself in danger, and she is forced to move under witness protection. But despite the threat to her safety, Rita is resolute to bring down the mob.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 50 minutes

Lo spazio bianco (The White Space)

Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Francesca Comencini (2009)
Maria is pregnant, and with little direction in her life, she’s not prepared for her new baby. The upcoming baby affects her romantic life: her boyfriend Pedro breaks up her after he learns that she’s pregnant. Maria then has an affair with her doctor. To make matters even more complicated, her baby is born premature.
In Italian with optional Italian for the hearing impaired or English subtitles
1 hour 36 mintues

La stanza del figlio (The Son’s Room)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Nanni Moretti (2001)
This film depicts the impact that the death of a son has on an upper-middle-class family. The director shows how things that seem trivial take on greater importance in the aftermath of tragedy. Winner of FIPRESCI Prize and Golden Palm at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival; 2001 David di Donatello Awards for Best Actress (Laura Morante), Best Film, and Best Music; 2002 Guild of German Art House Cinemas Silver Guild Film Award for Best Foreign Film; 2001 Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists Silver Ribbon Award for Best Director; additional features include optional widescreen version, scene selection, and theatrical trailer.
In Italian or French with optional English subtitles
1 hour 40 minutes

La strada
Region 1 (NTSC) 2-disc DVD set (Criterion Collection)
Federico Fellini (1954)
Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina, Fellini’s wife), a poor, peculiar girl, is sold by her mother to the famous travelling performer Zampanò (Anthony Quinn), who mistreats her. She helps him with his stunts, but eventually runs away from him because of his abuse. Upon finding her, Zampanò takes Gelsomina back to a circus where he meets his rival, the tightrope walker Il Matto (Richard Basehart), who convinces Gelsomina that Zampanò may well be in love with her. Be that as it may, the lives of these three characters who travel the road (la strada) together end tragically. Also included in this set: Federico Fellini’s Autobiography, a documentary by Paquito del Bosco, an essay by film scholar Peter Matthews, audio commentary by Peter Bondanella; optional English-dubbed soundtrack; black & white.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 48 minutes

Terraferma (Mainland)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Emanuele Crialese (2011)
Filippo and his family live on a small island off the coast of Sicily known for fishing and tourism. This island also tends to be the destination of immigrants from Africa seeking asylum. Filippo’s family loses their only source of income after their fishing boat is seized for having rescued immigrants stranded at sea. The law of the city forbids assisting illegal immigrants, but the age-old “law of the sea” forbids any sailor from leaving a man overboard. Herein lies the ethical quandary that affects southern Italy today: assisting illegal immigrants burdens the local community, but at the same time these immigrants are human beings who have suffered immense hardships and are desperately risking their lives for refuge.
In Italian with optional Italian for the hearing impaired or English subtitles
1 hour 30 minutes

La terra trema
Region 0 (PAL) DVD
Luchino Visconti (1948)
Film that chronicles the rise and fall of a tight-knit family in Sicily. By working for himself, the eldest brother tries to defy wholesale buyers who maintain a monopolistic hold on the poor, individual fisherman. An unfortunate event at sea rips his dreams apart, however, leaving his family with nothing.Filmed on location with real Sicilian fishermen.
In Italian, including Sicilian dialect, with the option of Italian, French, or English subtitles
2 hours 34 minutes

La tigre e la neve (The Tiger and the Snow)
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Roberto Benigni (2005)
In the days following the 2003 American invasion of Iraq, Attilio, a romantic Italian poetry teacher (Roberto Benigni), learns that the woman he loves (Nicoletta Braschi) has been seriously injured in Baghdad.  Attilio must cross battle lines and overcome extreme odds to save her, with the help of his friend Fuad, an Iraqi poet (Jean Reno). The comic and beautiful mix with the somber and tragic in this story of love and war.
In Italian with English subtitles
1 hour 50 minutes

Tosca 
All-regions (NTSC) DVD
Gianfranco de Bosio (1976)
Film version of the Giacomo Puccini opera; filmed on location in Rome in the historical settings specified by the composer; features Raina Kabaivanska as Tosca, Plácido Domingo as Cavaradossi, and Sherrill Milnes as Scarpia; New Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Bruno Bartoletti.
In Italian with optional Chinese, English, French, German, or Spanish subtitles
1 hr 56 minutes

Tutta la vita davanti (Your Whole Life Ahead of You)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Paolo Virzì (2008)
Comedy; when Marta (Isabella Ragonese) graduates from college with a degree in philosophy, she must go into the world and find a job. She is lured into the world of telemarketing, where she is brainwashed through motivational exercises and rewards. Collaborating with a union worker, Marta aspires to bring change to this call center world.
In Italian with optional Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 46 minutes

L’ultimo bacio (The Last Kiss) 
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Gabriele Muccino (2001)
In this Donatello Award–winning film, eight principal characters wrestle with the fear of growing up, responsibility, and the fear of growing older in this “story of all love stories” that focuses on Carlo (Stefano Accorsi) and Giulia (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), two middle-class thirtysomethings, who are about to get married and have a child.
In Italian, with option of English, French, or Spanish subtitles; also available in VHS (PAL) video without subtitles
1 hour 58 minutes

L’uomo che verrà (The Man Who Will Come) 
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Giorgio Diritti (2009)
This film follows one child’s journey through World War II. Martina has refused to speak ever since witnessing her baby brother’s death. Life in her rural village is difficult, and most are struggling just to make ends meet. As the war draws closer and closer, some of the villagers form a resistance group against the Nazis called the “Partisans.” But the Nazis overwhelm them, leading to the Marzabotto massacre. Martina only hopes that she and her family won’t be killed.
In Italian with optional Italian for the hearing impaired or English subtitles
1 hour 56 minutes

Il vento fa il suo giro (The Wind Blows Round)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Giorgio Diritti (2005)
Ex-professor Philippe Héraud (Thierry Toscan) seeks a new home for him and his family in the Occitan Alps. Having left civilization due to its unnecessary bureaucracies and nuclear power plants, Philippe, who had become a shepherd, now makes goat cheese for a living. He settles in the quiet mountain village of Chersogno, provoking the suspicion of its elderly inhabitants. Along with these few residents, the isolated Occitan village is supported only by summer tourists. Recognizing the shepherd’s benevolence and desiring any kind of civic restoration, the town’s council accepts the newcomers. Presently, however, misunderstandings abound due to Philippe’s rugged individualism and insensitivity to local cultural traditions and property rights. These combined with jealousy culminate in a sour feud between the residents and the newcomers.
In Italian, French, & Occitan with optional Italian, English, & French subtitles
1 hour 50 minutes

Viaggio sola (A Five Star Life)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Maria Sole Tognazzi (2013)
Irene Lorenzi is a hotel inspector who poses as a guest and reports on the quality of luxury hotels around the world. She spends her off-time with either her ex-turned-friend or her sister’s family, at once a comfort but also a gnawing reminder of her own loneliness. At a hotel in Berlin, she meets an anthropologist who suggests that life should be an adventure of fulfilling experiences with others. When her new friend suddenly dies of a heart attack, Irene who once thought of herself as a free person, traveling the world in luxury and living a better life than most, now admits that it’s not in freedom she’s lived, but in isolation.
In Italian with optional English subtitles and Italian subtitles for the hearing impaired
1 hour 18 minutes

Videocracy
Region 0 (NTSC) DVD
Erik Gandini (2009)
This documentary focuses on the celebrity empire of Silvio Berlusconi, who was Italy’s most powerful political figure. Berlusconi started his media image with a late night broadcast of a game show with a stripping housewife. Eventually, that game show would expand and help him claim the media throne. Aside from Berlusconi, director Gandini interviews a mechanic aspiring to make it big, and a paparazzo who blackmails celebrities with his photos.
In English and Italian with English subtitles

La vita è bella (Life is Beautiful) 
Region 1 (NTSC) DVD
Roberto Benigni (1998)
Academy Award-winning (“Best Foreign Language Film”) film starring “Best Actor” Roberto Benigni; Benigni plays a silly and imaginative Jewish Italian waiter named Guido. Years after successfully wooing the woman of his dreams, their young family is taken to a Nazi concentration camp near the end of WWII. Guido uses his humor and ingenuity to protect his son from the horrors of the camp; special features include a “making of,” commercials, and trailers.
In Italian or English with optional English subtitles
1 hour 56 minutes

I vitelloni
Region 1 (NTSC) 2-disc DVD set (Criterion Collection)
Federico Fellini (1953)
Comedic-dramatic film; in a small Italian coastal town, five friends refuse to grow up, even though they are almost in their thirties. Fausto Moretti (Franco Fabrizi), the most notorious of them, has to marry his friend Moraldo Rubini’s (Franco Interlenghi) sister Sandra (Leonora Ruffo) after she becomes pregnant with Fausto’s child. He is forced to get a job at a shop for religious relics but is fired because he makes a pass at his boss’s wife. Fausto still wants to live the carefree life that the rest of his bachelor friends enjoy; however, one day his wife Sandra disappears with their child, and Moretti realizes that he has to grow up and become a responsible man. Disc 2 includes: (1) Vitellonismo, documentary featuring interviews with actors, assistant director Moraldo Rossi, Fellini’s biographer, Fellini’s friend Vincenzo Mollica et al.; (2) photos, posters and memorabilia; set also includes an essay by Tom Piazza; black & white.
In Italian with optional English subtitles
1 hour 47 minutes

Viva la libertà (Long Live Freedom!)
Region 2 (PAL) DVD
Roberto Andò (2013)
Overwhelmed by falling approval ratings, Senator Enrico Oliveri needs to get away. Without word he disappears to Paris to stay with an old girlfriend and her husband until he can regain his footing. Back in Rome, however, the situation is tense with the politico’s disappearance. Desperate for a solution, Oliveri’s assistant contacts the senator’s twin brother, a gregarious writer and philosopher and part-time patient of a mental hospital. Could this lovable doppelgänger be the answer to their problems?
In Italian with on-screen English subtitles
1 hour 34 minutes