The Eternal Set: a Cinematic Journey through Rome

From the early days of silent cinema, Rome, the Eternal City, has been the capital of Italian filmmaking and the set to countless memorable films. A city permeated with a romanticism and realism that continues to capture the imagination of Italian and International filmmakers, Rome has transcended its role of setting to establish itself as the main character in many diverse and fascinating stories. Over the course of four lectures, we will explore the history and different souls of Rome through the eyes of Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio de Sica, Michelangelo Antonioni, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Federico Fellini and many other Italian and International maestri. Moving across Rome’s unique fusion of ancient and modern, sacred and profane, we will take a dip into the Trevi Fountain with Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg, walk along the streets of the modernist district of EUR alongside Monica Vitti and Alain Deloin and explore, with poet and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini, life in the borgate, the shanty towns at the outskirts of the glamorous city centre. Step onto the set and join us on a cinematic journey that will have you looking at the Eternal City with new eyes and learning more about its multifaceted and rich history.