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Malena
Closing Night

Acclaimed filmmaker Giuseppe Tornatore’s (Cinema Paradiso, The Legend of 1900) sensual coming-of-age story Malena celebrates the 20th anniversary of its Italian release in 2000.

Malena tells the unforgettable story of a boy's journey into manhood amid the chaos of World War II. In 1941, Renato (Giuseppe Sulfaro) is 13 years old and although the world is at war, nothing ever happens in his sleepy coastal town in Sicily. Malena (Italian fashion icon Monica Bellucci), is the most beautiful woman in town, and in the narrow-minded village she becomes the subject of malicious gossip among lustful husbands and jealous wives. But only Malena’s most ardent admirer, young Renato, will learn her mysterious untold story.

Featuring a sweeping score from the late, great Ennio Morricone, who has composed music for thirteen Tornatore feature films since 1988, Malena is a beautifully crafted period drama based on a story by Luciano Vincenzoni. A nostalgic evocation of Italy, Tornatore combines a coming-of-age story with the tale of a woman punished for her beauty in this sublime film classic. 

Flushed with emotion and a buoyant earthy humor.
New York Times
WINNER
Best Cinematography, David di Donatello Awards 2001.
WINNER
Best Male Newcomer, Golden Globes Italy 2001.
NOMINATED
Best Cinematography, Best Music, Original Score, Academy Awards 2001.
NOMINATED
Best Music, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, David di Donatello Awards 2001
NOMINATED
Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Score, Golden Globes 2001
Romance, Drama | Italy, USA | 2000 | 109 min
Italian, English, Latin, Greek with English subtitles
Director:
Giuseppe Tornatore
Cast:
Monica Bellucci, Giuseppe Sulfaro, Luciano Federico

Director

Giuseppe Tornatore headshot

Giuseppe Tornatore

Giuseppe Tornatore (born in Sicily, 1956) is a film director and screenwriter. Before becoming a filmmaker, he worked as an award-winning photographer and television documentary director. Tornatore earned international acclaim in 1988 with his second film Cinema Paradiso, which won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Foreign Language Film in 1990. His other well-known works include The Legend of 1900 (1998) and The Best Offer (2013).