''Celluloide'' is a 1996 Italian

historical drama film A historical drama (also period drama, period piece or just period) is a dramatic work set in the past, usually used in the context of film and television, which presents historical events and characters with varying degrees of fiction such as c ...

directed by Carlo Lizzani from a screenplay by Furio Scarpelli, Ugo Pirro and Lizzani, based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Pirro. It stars

Giancarlo Giannini Giancarlo Giannini (; born 1 August 1942) is an Italian actor and voice actor. He won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Actor for his performance in '' Love and Anarchy'' (1973) and received an Academy Award nomination for '' Seven Beaut ...

, Massimo Ghini, Anna Falchi, and Lina Sastri.

Plot

The story revolves around the difficult production of

Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such a ...

's film ''

Rome, Open City ''Rome, Open City'' (), also released as ''Open City'', is a 1945 Italian Italian neorealism, neorealist war film, war drama film directed by Roberto Rossellini and co-written by Sergio Amidei, Celeste Negarville and Federico Fellini. Set in Rom ...

'' (1945).

Cast

Sergio Amidei Sergio Amidei (30 October 1904 – 14 April 1981) was an Italian screenwriter and an important figure in Italy's Italian neorealism, neorealist movement. Amidei was born in Trieste. He worked with famed Italian directors such as Roberto Ross ...

* Massimo Ghini as

* Anna Falchi as

Maria Michi Maria Michi (24 May 1921 – 7 April 1980) was an Italian supporting actress who worked with Roberto Rossellini on his two early Neorealism (art), neorealism films: ''Rome, Open City'' and ''Paisan, Paisà''. Michi worked first as a typist at ...

* Lina Sastri as

Anna Magnani Anna Maria Magnani (; 7 March 1908 – 26 September 1973) was an Academy Award-winning Italian actress.Obituary ''Variety Obituaries, Variety'', 3 October 1973, pg. 47 She was known for her explosive acting and earthy, realistic portrayals of ...

* Massimo Dapporto as Giuseppe Amato * Antonello Fassari as

Aldo Fabrizi Aldo Fabrizi (; born Aldo Fabbrizi; 1 November 1905 – 2 April 1990) was an Italian actor, director, screenwriter and comedian, best known for the role of the heroic priest in Roberto Rossellini's ''Rome, Open City'' and as partner of Totò in ...

Milva Maria Ilva Biolcati, (; 17 July 1939 – 23 April 2021), known as Milva (), was an Italian singer, stage and film actress, and television personality. She was also known as ''La Rossa'' (Italian for "The Redhead"), due to the characteristic co ...

as The Countess *

Christopher Walken Christopher Walken (born Ronald Walken; March 31, 1943) is an American actor. Christopher Walken on stage and screen, His work on stage and screen has earned him List of awards and nominations received by Christopher Walken, accolades includin ...

as US Officer Rod E. Geiger * Massimo Ciavarro as Massimo Serato *Francesca Ventura as Jone Tuzi, the script supervisor *Francesco Siciliano as

Federico Fellini Federico Fellini (; 20 January 1920 – 31 October 1993) was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He is known for his distinctive style, which blends fantasy and baroque images with earthiness. He is recognized as one of the greatest and ...

Giuliano Montaldo Giuliano Montaldo (22 February 1930 – 6 September 2023) was an Italian film director, screenwriter, and actor. He was known internationally for his biographical docudrama Sacco & Vanzetti (1971 film), ''Sacco & Vanzetti'' (1971), which was n ...

has an uncredited cameo as Civalleri, one of the film's early financers.

Production

The film was a passion project of Lizzani's, who tried to get it financed since 1983. Sabrina Ferilli was originally chosen to play Magnani, but ended up refusing.

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

began on 8 May 1995 in Rome.

Accolades

References

External links

* 1996 films 1990s historical drama films Italian historical drama films 1990s Italian-language films Films about films Films shot in Rome Films set in Rome Films set in 1944 Films directed by Carlo Lizzani Roberto Rossellini Films with screenplays by Ugo Pirro 1990s Italian films Films scored by Manuel De Sica Italian-language historical drama films {{1990s-Italy-film-stub