When Führer arrives in Mussolini's Rome, the city is in euphoria. Despite her support for the fascist government, Antonietta, wife of a party activist and mother of six, does not take part in the parade, kept at home by her housewife's duties. Her neighbor Gabriele is excluded for another reason entirely. Masterful camera operation in tiny rooms, consistent tension building, the sense of a catastrophe approaching, and above all the magnificent roles of Loren and Mastroianni – all that makes “A Special Day” a masterpiece.

Restored by CSC-Cineteca Nazionale with the supervision of Luciano Tovoli, in collaboration with Surf Film.

TRIBUTE TO ETTORE SCOLA

Throughout the history of cinema, there have been few directors able to talk of universal matters through common people's stories. And likely the only who could do it with utmost grace and humor, combining extraordinary tenderness with criticism, was Ettore Scola, deceased in January.

He was born in 1931 in the south of Italy, in the small town of Trevico. Soon after his birth his family moved to Rome. At 15 Scola published satirical illustrations and texts in the popular “Marc’Aurelio” magazine, one of whose contributors was Federico Fellini. The movie that brought him international recognition was the 1974 “We All Loved Each Other So Much” with beautiful score by Armando Trovajoli. Further oeuvres of the Italian director won awards at the festivals in Cannes, Berlin and Venice.

Ettore Scola was a true master of synthesis. In “The Family” (1987), telling the story of a Roman family, he painted a touching panorama of the 20th-century Italy. In “Le Bal” (1983), through dance alone he showed the transformation undergone by popular culture in the last century. Each time, he used the stark, noble form to convey as many meanings and insights as possible. It should be finally mentioned that Scola was an influential representative of commedia all’italiana, a movement which used humor to make serious diagnoses of the contemporary society.

He directed his final movie, “Federico!”, in 2013. It was dedicated to his friend, Maestro Fellini. In fact, Scola himself was an artist of the same highest quality.

Bartosz Marzec