Bellissima | Beautiful: dir Luchino Visconti (1951)

A newly restored print of this black-and-white classic. It’s a pointed satire on the film industry; Maddalena (Anna Magnani) is a screenstruck mother convinced of the star potential of her daughter Maria (Tina Apicella) and desperate to escape of everyday existence in working-class Rome. But overhearing the film crew’s candid assessment of her daughter’s audition, Maddalena is forced to reconsider her views on the film industry and its world of illusions … Highly recommended.