Chasing The Real: Italian Neorealism is the new season at BFI Southbank, beginning with Journey Through Italian Neorealism: the introductory panel discussion (on Tuesday, 7 May 2024), led by season curator Giulia Saccogna, joining guest speakers Christina Newland, Professor Richard Dyer, and Professor Stephen Gundle. Also known as the “Golden Age” and “Neorealismo”, Italian neorealism was a national film movement between the years of 1943 and 1952, characterised by stories set amongst the poor and the working class.

This introductory event was well-chaired, and each panellist brought a combination of deep knowledge of the cinematography, as well as personal anecdotes relating to the selected films. It’s fascinating to learn the frequent misconceptions about Italian neorealism, and significant differences between the films and directors of the movement.

To audiences finding out about this season for the first time, choosing what to watch from the multitude of films being screened this season may seem daunting. However, by showing us clips from almost all of the selected films at this 90-minute introduction, these introductory talks help us each identify the films which resonate the most. Hearing the panel discuss why the films have been selected, as well as the political and social context in which they were made, offers us a fantastic introduction to the season as a whole.

BFI Southbank consistently pulls together myriad collections of films around a central theme, some of which have never (or hardly ever) been screened in the UK. Whilst the novelty of rare footage is enticing, it’s the thought with which the seasons are curated that makes them so successful.

Book for Chasing The Real: Italian Neorealism on the BFI Southbank website, or read our listings here.