When cinema first appeared at the turn of the twentieth century, Italy with a long tradition in the visual arts embraced it fully and the first golden age of Italian cinema had emerged. At the end of the Second World War, the Italian filmmakers took their cameras to the streets and gave birth to Neorealism. Not only it proved to be a healing process for the nation but it went on to become a style that changed the course of film history.
The 33rd HKIFF in 2009 presented a focus "Italian Landscape 2008". This year with the help of the Zetema Progetto Cultura of Rome and Istituto Luce Cinecittà, the HKIFF Society is able to present a selection of films that reflect contemporary Italian cinema, from works by renowned masters to light-hearted romantic comedy. One of the highlights - Shun Li and the Poet, starring the Chinese actress Zhao Tao, is a meditative reflection on the influx of Chinese immigrants into Italy. With this inaugural edition of Cine Italiano!, we hope our audience can rediscover a rich and diverse cinematic landscape.
For the complete program >click here<