To commemorate Holocaust Memorial Day on 27th January 2025 the Italian Cultural Centre will screen the film Il Giardino dei Finzi-Contini / The Garden of the Finzi-Continis directed by Vittorio De Sica.
The Garden of the Finzi-Continis is a poignant Italian drama based on Giorgio Bassani’s novel of the same name. The film explores the lives of the aristocratic Jewish Finzi-Contini family in Ferrara during the late 1930s, as fascist racial laws increasingly isolate them. Their lush garden becomes a refuge where love, friendship, and class tensions unfold among their circle, juxtaposed against the looming horrors of World War II.
The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and received another Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium. It also won 2 Silver Ribbons (including Best Director) and an award at the David di Donatello. Additionally, it received accolades at the Berlin International Film Festival.