“Mountainmen: Gothic Line 1945”. Des Plaines Theatre • 1476 Miner St. Des Plaines, IL. 7:30 p.m. • Thursday, June 20 Free seating • RESERVATIONS REQUIRED here. It took Allied forces nearly two brutal years from July 1943 to May 1945 to topple Mussolini’s regime and drive Hitler’s forces from the Italian peninsula during World War II.

Key to their success was the U.S. Army’s 10th Mountain Division, which fought ferociously from January to May 1945 to wrestle the Gothic line from the Nazis and secure the North of Italy for the Allies. “Mountainmen: Gothic Line 1945” shares the personal experiences of the tens of thousands of brave soldiers who endured frigid mountain conditions and withering enemy fire on the road to victory.

Set in the villages and battlefields of the time, the film recreates the bloody battles of that pivotal campaign, spotlighting the soldiers’ heroism and their interaction with the civilian population.
 
Produced by Giuliano Gandolphi and Gruppo Culturale Il Trebbo, the two-hour documentary is in Italian with English subtitles. A delegation from Italy will be on hand for the June 20 screening at the Des Plaines Theatre. The screening will be hosted by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans and Onesti Entertainment in collaboration with the Chicagoland Combined Veterans Museum, Park Ridge Historical Society and Italian American Veterans Museum.