{"id":4373,"date":"2025-09-02T07:57:01","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T11:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/?p=4373"},"modified":"2025-09-03T18:10:27","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T22:10:27","slug":"italian-neorealism-and-the-best-of-eastern-european-cinema-in-septembers-lineup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/italian-neorealism-and-the-best-of-eastern-european-cinema-in-septembers-lineup-02092025\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Neorealism and the Best of Eastern European Cinema in September\u2019s Lineup"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Film Archive of Cuba has scheduled two major film cycles for September: one dedicated to Italian Neorealism, marking the centenary of Alfredo Guevara\u2014the founder of the Cuban Institute of Cinematographic Art and Industry (ICAIC), a passionate admirer and promoter of this cinematic legacy\u2014and another showcasing the work of screenwriter Cesare Zavattini, the movement\u2019s leading figure.<\/p>\n

The second cycle offers a curated selection of films from socialist Eastern European countries spanning the 1960s to the 1980s. The program includes both popular titles of that era and standout examples of Eastern Europe\u2019s finest cinema. Each screening will be preceded by an edition of the ICAIC Latin American Newsreel, recognized by UNESCO\u2019s Memory of the World Register.<\/p>\n

In addition, the Film Archive will continue its weekend animation programming for children and young audiences, with screenings every Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 a.m., according to programmer Antonio Maz\u00f3n Robau.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo: Infobae<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Italian Neorealism Through the Eyes of Alfredo Guevara<\/strong><\/p>\n

Italian Neorealism is typically associated with powerful dramas such as Ladr\u00f3n de bicicletas<\/strong> and El limpiabotas<\/strong>. Yet, this postwar movement also produced comedies of significant cultural weight, including Cuatro pasos por las nubes<\/strong> and Milagro en Mil\u00e1n<\/strong>. The movement left a deep imprint on ICAIC\u2019s early years, largely through the presence in Cuba of screenwriter Cesare Zavattini.<\/p>\n

Moreover, pioneering Cuban filmmakers Julio Garc\u00eda Espinosa and Tom\u00e1s Guti\u00e9rrez Alea studied in Rome, where they embraced Neorealism\u2019s socially rooted, naturalistic approach\u2014real settings, non-professional actors\u2014which provided an appealing model for ICAIC\u2019s founding generation. Their aim was to portray national reality while distancing themselves from both the stylistic concerns of 1950s Hollywood and pre-Revolution Cuban cinema.<\/p>\n

Combined with the revolutionary drive to transform society, these influences explain the distinctly social character of Cuban cinema from its inception.<\/p>\n

On the centenary of Alfredo Guevara\u2019s birth, the Film Archive of Cuba presents a wide-ranging selection of Italian Neorealist films, reaffirming the movement\u2019s essential place in the history of cinema.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Photo: Criticxs_by_silvia_ayciriex \/ Facebook<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Screenings Begin Wednesday at 23 y 12 Theater<\/strong><\/p>\n

The cycle opens this Wednesday with Obsesi\u00f3n<\/strong>, directed by Luchino Visconti, at the 23 y 12 Theater, Maz\u00f3n Robau confirmed. The film stars Clara Calamai, Massimo Girotti, Juan de Landa, and Elio Marcuzzo, and is a loose adaptation of James M. Cain\u2019s novel The Postman Always Rings Twice<\/strong>, set in the plains near Ferrara. The plot follows a young drifter who arrives at an inn run by a married couple, falls in love with the wife, and begins a clandestine affair.<\/p>\n

The second feature, Cuatro pasos por las nubes<\/strong> by Alessandro Blasetti, stars Gino Cervi, Adriana Benetti, Giuditta Rissone, and Carlo Romano. In this story, a traveling salesman meets a young pregnant woman on a bus and agrees to pose as her husband in front of her family. The film, co-written by De Benedetti, Cesare Zavattini, and Giuseppe Amato, was nominated for Best Film at the BAFTA Awards.<\/p>\n

Other September screenings will include Los ni\u00f1os nos miran<\/strong>, Roma<\/strong>, ciudad abierta<\/strong>, El limpiabotas, Ladr\u00f3n de bicicletas<\/strong>, and Pais\u00e0<\/strong>, among others. For younger audiences, films such as El retorno de Jaffar and La tierra tiembla will be featured, along with other family-friendly titles.<\/p>\n

Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez<\/p>\n

Film Roma, Open City Photo: Jard\u00edn Film Festival<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In September, the Film Archive of Cuba presents two cycles: one dedicated to Italian Neorealism and another featuring the cinema of socialist Eastern European countries from the 1960s to the 1980s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4374,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[1007],"ppma_author":[178],"class_list":["post-4373","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-new-cuba","tag-italian-neorealism"],"authors":[{"term_id":178,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"alicia-soto-smith","display_name":"Alicia Soto Smith","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4373","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4373"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4381,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4373\/revisions\/4381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4374"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4373"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.radioenciclopedia.cu\/cultural-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=4373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}