Anna Magnani is Mamma Roma, a middle-aged prostitute who attempts to extricate herself from her sordid past for the sake of her son. Filmed in the great tradition of Italian Neorealism, Mamma Roma offers an unflinching look at the struggle for survival in postwar Italy, and highlights director Pier Paolo Pasolini’s lifelong fascination with the marginalized and dispossessed. Though banned upon its release in Italy for obscenity, today MAMMA ROMA remains a classic, featuring a powerhouse performance by one of cinema’s greatest actresses and offering a glimpse at a country’s most controversial director in the process of finding his style.

Directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini.
Italy. 110 minutes. 35mm Film.
1962. B+W. Italian with English Subtitles.

About Cinema Classico: Italian Greats in Retrospect

The School of Communication Norton Herrick Center for Motion Picture Studies at the University of Miami presents a new three-event series: CINEMA CLASSICO: ITALIAN GREATS IN RETROSPECT. The archival program begins in February and finishes in April and will be presented solely on 35mm prints at the Bill Cosford Cinema.

The series is anchored by iconic collaborations between director and star in Italian Cinema. Commencing with the ultimate film about film, Federico Fellini and his cinematic surrogate Marcello Mastroianni tackle creative crisis in the classic 8 1/2 (screening February 23 at 5:30pm). The centerpiece film, a Herrick Center holding, RED DESERT marks master Michelangelo Antonioni’s first color feature and one of his most celebrated collaborations with muse Monica Vitti (screening March 23 at 5:30pm). CINEMA CLASSICO concludes with Anna Magnani starring in MAMMA ROMA, a part crafted for her by provocative auteur Pier Paolo Pasolini (screening on April 20 at 5:30PM).

The Norton Herrick Center for Motion Picture Studies at the University of Miami is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge of the history, aesthetics and social and cultural impact of motion picture media. A primary mission it to enrich the intellectual and cultural life of South Florida through lectures, seminars and workshops, and screenings.