Programme

HKIFFS has entered into a long-term collaboration with Italy’s world-renowned Cineteca di Bologna to promote film conservation. With a collection of thousands of films in its archive, Cineteca di Bologna is one of the most recognised centres for preserving world cinematic heritage.

Due to present in the 44th edition of HKIFF, some of Cineteca di Bologna’s remarkable collection of restored film classics will now be showcased in this issue’s Cine Fan programme. The four timeless classics in this selection represent the boundless creativity of Italian cinema. From the fascinating silent masterpiece Maciste in Hell by Guido Brignone, who championed pioneering special effects known at the time, to Roberto Rossellini’s Rome, Open City , which spearheaded the revolutionary style of Italian Neorealism, these bold adventures in filmmaking left an enduring influence on generations of aspiring filmmakers.

Inheriting their audacious spirit, Marco Ferreri and Bernardo Bertolucci broke new grounds to articulate their critical social and political commentaries. A biting satire on the matriarchal and religious austerity, The Conjugal Bed nearly put Ferreri behind bars for openly challenging moral conventions. The Spider’s Stratagem , a suspense thriller built around confronting the ambiguity of history, is equally thought-provoking as seen today for its scathing criticism of fascist ideology.

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