Lea Padovani

Set in the 17th-century, an Italian nobleman weds an impoverished countess, who is wooed by the King of Piedmont and faces pressure from his entire court to succumb to his wishes.

Wolfgang Cazotte, a famous, refined and charming court painter of the early 19th century, plans to seduce Ehrengard, an attractive and proud virgin, without touching her, just by instilling in her a throbbing passion. At one point, though, the painter's artifice seems to start turning its back on him.

After an introduction consisting of a series of close-ups of Totò, the anthology presents clips from films performed by the late comedian actor, collected in chapters.

Psychiatrist takes young man to castle owned by strange woman, where the latter discovers he's the incarnation of a dead man.

Story of a man with a double personality, on one side his character is honest and sincere, which makes him appreciate reality and participates with sorrow in the tragedies of our times: his other side is that of a dreamer and he identifies himself with Swift's hero Gulliver.

A high school girl encounters a variety of kookie characters and humorous sexual situations while searching for the meaning of life.

A young writer descends into madness. Alienated, neurotic, and plagued by guilt, Michele retreats from reality, loses interest in work, and comes to the brink of suicide before being sent to an asylum for shock therapy. Escaping from the asylum, Michele returns to his boyhood home, where he learns the reasons for his present mental state.

An aspiring young artist breaks from his wealthy, possessive mother to live a bohemian existence in the artist's section of Rome and falls in love with a beautiful model who wants an uncommitted relationship.

Five episodes: a mature model makes his lover jealous; lovers quarrel; a clumsy Don Juan in business; a dancer and a captain; a beauty falls in love with a Spanish cyclist. The characters in the episodes intertwine, but the stories are not always treated with a light touch.

An unemployed youth tries different jobs such as waiter, hairdresser, porter, salesman and when desperate, he goes to sleep in a flop-house, where he finds a job as a night watchman.

Dismissed from the railroads in 1863 for his union activities, Etienne Lantier found a job at the Voreux coal mine. But work was hard, wages were low and safety left much to be desired. Lantier tried to organize the miners into a union. When mine manager Hennebeau refused to negotiate, the workers launched a general strike, which ended with the intervention of the troops.

A teen marries the Prince of Clèves, more than twice her age, which makes her an official Princess, a position she takes to heart. Although distracted by elite entertainments often found at court, the princess cannot help but mourn her impossible love for the dashing Duke of Nemours.

The USA pass an exceptional top secret contract with a country in the Middle East: they are selling arms in exchange for exclusive rights on the countries rich oil resources. The USSR sent a team of their best secret agents to rob the document, so that later they can apprehend the ship which must pass through one of the Russian ports... After special training in a secret island in the Black Sea, Alex, Sadov and Sonia are sent in to get the documents. All goes according to plan, and Sadov gives the handbag to the mastermind, General Fiodorenko. On opening it though, the handbag explodes. Who is the infiltrated agent in the most secret of the Soviets secret ring?

The USA pass an exceptional top secret contract with a country in the Middle East: they are selling arms in exchange for exclusive rights on the countries rich oil resources. The USSR sent a team of their best secret agents to rob the document, so that later they can apprehend the ship which must pass through one of the Russian ports... After special training in a secret island in the Black Sea, Alex, Sadov and Sonia are sent in to get the documents. All goes according to plan, and Sadov gives the handbag to the mastermind, General Fiodorenko. On opening it though, the handbag explodes. Who is the infiltrated agent in the most secret of the Soviets secret ring?

Cupertino, Italy, 1623: A simple-minded and clumsy young man joins a Franciscan order as a hired hand, overcoming his intellectual and social challenges with a pure heart and a simple faith. God performs a miracle through him, quite literally raising him to sainthood.

Biographic film chronicling the last year of the life of the Italian painter Amedeo Modigliani, 1919, who falls in love with a girl from a wealthy family. Her parents are against this relationship and stop financial help. Modigliani worked and died in abject poverty in the Montparnasse Quarter of Paris, France.

A historical fiction based on the lives of the artist Goya and the Duchess of Alba.

Back to his hometown, a former marshal finds his house occupied by a young woman working as a fishwife.

When "Tamara" throws herself from the window of their brothel, her colleagues are made to realise that a new law will close down the source of their livelihood. The girls must now find honest work.

Anthology of tragic love. A noblewoman falls for a commoner. A doctor keeps quiet about his patients' infidelities. Expectant father is sent to fight in WWI. A 1920s fascist enjoys Rome's nightlife. WWII airman falls for a girl in Naples.

Nine episodes about life in Italy in the period just before its economic boom.

The story of 5 girls among 200 who answer a wanted ad for a modest secretarial position, which leads to overcrowding in the building and a tragic accident.

Antonio Scaparro (Toto) is obsessed for women. He invents his own way to hide from them - in the attic of his house.

Determined to postpone his own wedding, a former marshal leaves his bride-to-be and participates in an international music festival in Spain, where he falls for a young dancer.

Alberto is forced to face his wife and his two lovers at the same time.

A musical comedy divided into five segments: Mariantonia, Cuttica, Il Fine Dicitore, Fregoli and Il Censore.

In North Africa, an anguished husband tests the character of the doctor he believes is responsible for his wife’s death.

In the summer of 1942, during the Second World War, a group of young paratroopers from the Folgore Division, after having been subjected to a long and tiring training in Italy, was transported by air to the Libyan desert to cover the Italian-German front.

I figli non si vendono (literally, Children must not be sold) is a 1952 Italian melodrama film by Mario Bonnard

The lover of an Italian revolutionary offers herself to Napoleon in exchange for her sweetheart's life.

No synopsis available yet.

Antonio De Papis is a lawyer and his specialization is separation by mutual consent. He is contrary to marriage because he sees so many of them going wrong. So when his nephew calls on him asking for his approval to his marriage, Antonio suggests to him to spend a day in his office to see what marriage really is.

While filming in the Roman countryside, some of the workers damage the garden of Caterina. Going to ask for compensation, she meets the director Marcello, who propose her to star working in movies.

An ex-American GI returns to Italy to find some money he stashed before doing a prison term. He discovers his cash is now gone and quickly sets off on a manhunt to find out who stole his buried fortune.

A luckless young teacher it's suspected of committing two murders. When his lover begins to have doubt about his innocence, he seems to be doomed.

A doctor saves a girl from suicide and marries her out of pity. Soon the evil man who had pushed her to the limit taking advantage of her re-enters her life. The ensuing crisis will help the newlyweds overcome their differences and start a fresh, better new life.

Chéri-Bibi is an ex-convict who undergoes plastic surgery in order to resemble his rival for the hand of Cecily. Once he emerges from the bandages, Cheri-Bibi is plunged into a series of melodramatic misadventures.

An undercover policeman infiltrates a criminal gang.

In the 1950s, in a small provincial town, a young inexperienced judge clashes with an influential notable during an investigation into a suspicious death. His perseverance to get to the truth will cause a huge scandal.

After the death of his father, Anna starts working in the navy where he falls in love with a navy man.

No synopsis available yet.

After World War 2, a newly married couple travel to Italy on their honeymoon and visit the town where the husband fought. The town, however, holds some secrets.

A young woman, her sister-in-law and her ten year old daughter are violently traumatised by invading Austrian soldiers. Later, in Verona, both woman discover they are pregnant. After a suicide attempt, one has an abortion the other keeps her child - and both faces struggles with friends and family as they return to their homes.

Rocco and his brother Martino are two rich country-estate owners who descend upon the city in search of adventure.

During WWII, Sandro Ademari (Massimo Girotti), head of a group of Italian partisans, to escape from a Nazi catch, hides himself by a farm. Here he knows Luisa (Lea Padovani) and soon the two married and have a baby. After the war, Sandro, now a solicitor, succeeded also to be elected in Rome's parliament. Here he starts an extramarital affair with Germana (Patricia Neal). Sandro, now deep involved with Germana, tries all the way to leave Luisa (divorce wasn't legal during the '50s in Italy). But Luisa is determined to save her marriage and arrives in Rome to discuss with the two. The tragedy is behind the corner.

No synopsis available yet.

No synopsis available yet.

Exiled from Hollywood due to the blacklist, director Edward Dmytryk briefly operated in England in the late 1940s. Though filmed in its entirety in London, Dmytryk's Give Us This Day is set in New York during the depression. Fellow blacklistee Sam Wanamaker is starred as the head of an Italian immigrant family struggling to survive the economic crisis.

Sicily, 17th Century. When his fiancée is kidnapped, a young man sets out to find her.

A neorealist tribute to the Italian resistance fighters of World War II.

No synopsis available yet.

In this delightful 1945 comedy of errors, a mischievous, wealthy schoolgirl concocts a scandalous lie to win the heart of her incredibly naive history teacher, Casimiro.

Anna, only daughter of Felice Pastorino, a rich Genoese merchant, falls in love with a young sailor, Eugenio Devoto, with whom she has exchanged only a few words. Pastorino, a kind-hearted man, sincerely loves his daughter but is also very attached to money and would like to marry her to his cousin Alessandro Raffo, a man who is no longer young but wealthy, narrow-minded and materialistic.