The legacy of Roberto Rossellini is returning to the United States in a major celebration that strengthens the cultural bridge between Italy and America. Marking the 120th anniversary of the Italian director’s birth, the retrospective “Roberto Rossellini Prefers Real Life” will bring some of his most important films to Los Angeles and New York, two cities with historic connections to Italian culture and international cinema.
The initiative is conceived and promoted by Cinecittà in collaboration with Italy’s Ministry of Culture, the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles and Film Forum in New York. The American tour begins November 4 at the Academy Museum, where the retrospective will continue throughout the month. Isabella Rossellini will attend the opening, adding a personal connection between the director’s family legacy and its American celebration.
On November 20, the program moves across the country to New York, where Film Forum will present Rossellini’s work in collaboration with programmer Bruce Goldstein. The selection offers American audiences an extraordinary journey through Italian film history, including Rome, Open City, Paisà, Germany Year Zero, Stromboli, Europe ’51 and Journey to Italy, alongside several other works and documentaries about Rossellini and his family. Many of the films have been restored by Cinecittà.
The American retrospective is especially significant because Rossellini’s influence extends far beyond Italy. One of the fathers of Italian Neorealism, he helped transform international filmmaking and inspired generations of directors.
Bringing these restored works to Los Angeles – the symbolic capital of American cinema – and New York creates another powerful chapter in the long cultural relationship between Italy and the United States. It is also a showcase for Cinecittà’s work in preserving Italy’s cinematic heritage and sharing it internationally.
More than seven decades after Rossellini transformed cinema, America will once again encounter an unmistakably Italian vision that became part of the world’s cultural heritage.
