Verdi’s Requiem stands alongside Mozart’s in a class of its own: written by a genius (as Johannes Brahms put it), overwhelmingly grand yet surprisingly intimate, traversing the entire spectrum of human emotion.
Discover moreDirected by Vittorio de Sica
Rome, shortly after the Second World War. Antonio finally finds a job putting up posters, but he needs a bicycle to do it. When it appears to be stolen, he sets out with his young son Bruno in search of the thief. Vittorio De Sica’s neorealist masterpiece shows post-war Italy in all its poverty and despair, but also its humanity. The film received an honorary Academy Award and is still considered one of the greatest films ever made. Simple, direct, and heartbreaking. This is Italian cinema at its purest.
Directed by Federico Fellini
Journalist Marcello drifts through 1960s Rome in search of stories and meaning. Federico Fellini’s iconic film captures the decadence and emptiness of Italy’s post-war elite. From Anita Ekberg in the Trevi Fountain to late-night parties among ancient ruins, La dolce vita is a visual symphony that both fascinates and exposes. The film not only defines an era, but also shapes the visual language of Italian cinema. Nino Rota’s score is as melancholic as it is enchanting.
Directed by Luchino Visconti
Sicily, during the Risorgimento. Prince Don Fabrizio watches as the old aristocratic order gives way to a new Italy. Luchino Visconti’s epic (based on the novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa) reflects on change and loss. “If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change,” the prince says. Burt Lancaster portrays the noble protagonist with dignity, against the backdrop of a Sicily that feels like a fading paradise. The film won the Palme d’Or in Cannes and remains a landmark of Italian cinema.
Directed by Sergio Leone
Sergio Leone takes the American Western and transforms it into an Italian operatic spectacle. A mysterious harmonica player arrives in a frontier town to settle a score with the ruthless Frank. Leone’s visual language—extreme close-ups, vast panoramas, and silences that speak volumes—became iconic. Ennio Morricone composed one of his most memorable scores, giving each character their own musical theme. C’era una volta il West is not just a Western, it’s a symphony of revenge and redemption.
Directed by Giuseppe Tornatore
Another Ennio Morricone classic. Young Salvatore grows up in a Sicilian village where the Paradiso cinema is the cultural heart. His friendship with projectionist Alfredo changes his life. Giuseppe Tornatore’s affectionate tribute to cinema and nostalgia won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Morricone’s score is as tender as it is heartbreaking. Cinema Paradiso celebrates not only film itself, but also the power of memory and the bittersweet pain of growing up.
Directed by Enrico Casarosa
A more unexpected addition to this list, Luca is an American animated film by an Italian director. Two sea monsters discover they can transform into human boys on land. In the picturesque (and fictional) seaside town of Portorosso, they experience a summer of friendship, adventure, and… gelato. Pixar director Enrico Casarosa, who grew up in Genoa, creates a love letter to the Italian Riviera of the 1950s. Every frame is bathed in Mediterranean light; every scene breathes la dolce vita. From colourful houses to Vespas and the Piazza Garibaldi, Luca celebrates Italian culture with a tenderness that resonates with both children and adults.
Inspired by the concert programme of Sibelius 7, film journalist Robin Broos has curated a personal film selection: films with iconic landscapes, instantly recognisable images that have become part of our collective film memory.
From tender classics to dramatic passion—these timeless romantic films perfectly match the mood of Daphnis et Chloé.
Themes of tradition and transformation unite Messiaen, Stravinsky—and these thought-provoking cinematic gems.
