Italian Cinema Forum Workshop 1: Bellissima

Join a discussion about Visconti's 1951 movie, presented by Dr Mark Nicholls, University of Melbourne.

A collaboration between three giants of the golden age of Italian cinema, star Anna Magnani, screenwriter Suso Cecchi d’Amico and director L Visconti, Bellissima places its focus on the industry’s consumer. A Roman woman (Magnani), who spends her life making ends meet, thrusts her daughter into the limelight via a mass child audition conducted in the hubbub of Cinecittà.

Selected clips will be shown as a basis for group discussion. For a more engaging conversation, it's a good idea to watch the full movie beforehand.

Dr Mark Nicholls is Senior Lecturer in Cinema Studies at the University of Melbourne, where he has taught film since 1993. Mark has worked as a film journalist for ABC Radio and The Age, and has a list of over 20 stage credits as a playwright, performer, producer and director.