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Learning Italian with Cinema- II

It is fun to share different ways of studying a new language. I’m happy to say that watching movies has really helped improve my Italian. If you saw my last post on Cinema you will know that it resonated with a lot of you. Learning Italian with cinema has never been this fun. So in this post are 5 more movies to watch if you’re learning Italian:

Learning Italian with Cinema-II

1. Habemus Papam (2011):

Habemus Papam is a movie by Nanni Moretti starring himself. 

The story revolves around a cardinal who doesn’t want to be elected Pope so he secretly escapes the chambers of the Vatican.

Nanni Moretti plays the role of the Pope’s psychoanalyst in the movie while Margherita Buy plays his wife. Both exceptional actors makes Habemus Papam a must watch if you’re an Italian language learner. Watch it here on Prime.

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2. Venuto al Mondo (2012):

Venuto al Mondo is based on the book of the same name by Margaret Mazzantini.

It is the story of motherhood in the backdrop of war in Sarajevo.

It is also the story of redemption with an unusual twist.

Venuto al Mondo is yet another fabulous Italian film but very heavy and emotional. Recommend you to watch it on a day when you feel most strong.

I regret not reading the book before watching the movie. Watch Ventuo al Mondo on Prime if you’re in the USA.

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3. La Pazza Gioia (2016):

La Pazza Gioia is a movie on female friendships and takes place in a mental clinic.

It is how two women from different backgrounds come together in unpredictable circumstances. This movie is a nice change from the regular drama and a great way to study Italian.

If you’re in the States La Pazza Gioia is available on Prime.

Have you seen these TV shows set in Italy?

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4. Viaggio Sola (2013):

Learning Italian with cinema is super fun when you have movies by Margherita Buy!

Viaggio Sola is a story of a 40-something woman and her career as a secret hotel critique for five star hotels.

In the film Margherita Buy travels from Puglia and Tuscany to Paris and Gstaad. There is tons of background drama and loneliness showing a different side of an unmarried woman’s life. You might find yourself heavily invested in this rare story line.

You can watch Viaggio Sola on Prime.

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5. Il Gioiellino (2011):

Il Gioiellino is a true story of fraud committed by Italian company Parmalat during the early 1990s.

The film revolves around corruption at a multinational level. While the facts and names have been changed throughout the film, the story remains true to what happened in the 90s.

Toni Servillo is in the lead and gives an outstanding performance as always.

You can buy the DVD for Il Gioiellino here.

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Further Reading:

Have you seen any of these movies?? Isn’t watching movies the best way to study Italian??

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38 Comments

  • […] Learning Italian with movies is so fun! Not only is it a great way to improve your language skills but it also helps in passive learning! Cinema offers a peek into the local life, sitting at home and that is a great technique while learning Italian on your own. For instance, sitting at home in India I saw some these movies online on Daily Motion and DVD. So let’s check out 5 movies which can help us in learning Italian. This is a 3 part series. Check out the second part here. […]

    Reply
  • Francis Pettitt
    October 27, 2018 at 3:29 pm

    I agree! Watching Italian films is a great way of learning both the language (especially if there are subtitles) and entering into Italian culture, especially when they are so enjoyable and well-acted. A friend of mine, Robin Buss, wrote a book on this theme entitled ‘Italian Films’. It’s not up to date with the latest films but chapter headings like ‘the family’, ‘the school’ etc. show how these films can cast light on the Italian way of life.

    Reply
    • Italophilia
      October 29, 2018 at 11:49 pm

      Thanks for reading 🙂 I will check the book, sounds interesting! Grazie!

      Reply
  • Arisa Demiri
    June 5, 2017 at 4:56 pm

    Hello from Italy! These are very good movies, I will suggest them to my non-italian friends. Check about also “il giovane favoloso” 😊

    Reply
    • Ishita
      June 5, 2017 at 7:18 pm

      Thank you for saying that. I feel good that I am watching the right stuff. any more recommendations would be super useful.

      Reply
  • simonjkyte
    May 19, 2017 at 1:50 pm

    have you seen La Meglio Gioventù because this also provides a sweep of various parts of Italy since the 60s

    Reply
    • Ishita
      May 20, 2017 at 5:15 pm

      Thank you!! I didn’t know about this

      Reply
      • simonjkyte
        May 20, 2017 at 8:32 pm

        I must watch it again sometime. It seems like the end of an era. . After that the Italian economy and banking system went into meltdown. GDP is probably lower now than then. All the tacit assumptions of the film make it even more interesting – for they have all ceased to be valid

        Reply
  • priyankamahajan26
    March 30, 2017 at 1:07 pm

    Great post

    Reply
  • jazzulka
    March 24, 2017 at 3:00 pm

    Thanks for your reply. I have just signed up to the local Italian culture institute, well-served what they have in stock.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 25, 2017 at 6:49 pm

      That’s great 🙂 looking forward to know what movies you see

      Reply
  • jazzulka
    March 21, 2017 at 4:03 pm

    Great post, Where do you watching your movies- online, DVDs or cinema? I have limited access to Italian movies and I was wondering how are you managing.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 24, 2017 at 8:13 am

      I got some CDs from the Italian centre library while others I saw online..Happy watching!!

      Reply
  • Francesca
    March 17, 2017 at 3:56 am

    Thanks for the recommendations Ishita. I will choose Il Gioiellino. sounds like my cup of tea.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 17, 2017 at 9:07 am

      🙂 Let me know how you like it.

      Reply
  • pblevitt
    March 16, 2017 at 7:04 pm

    Another wonderful post filled with excellent suggestions. Habemus Papam is a must see!

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 17, 2017 at 9:06 am

      Thanks so much 🙂 yes I could watch it again

      Reply
  • fkasara
    March 15, 2017 at 8:00 pm

    Servillo is an amazing actor ❤ If you like him, you should also watch Viva la Libertà by Roberto Andò. I’ve heard great things about La Bella Addormentata (Dormant Beauty) as well. I’ve yet to see it, but I want to check it asap. Tough subject matter, though.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 15, 2017 at 9:20 pm

      I’ve seen Viva La Liberta too 🙂 that was right after Grande Bellezza..I’ll check the one you recommended.

      Reply
      • fkasara
        March 15, 2017 at 10:25 pm

        I would also recommend his brother’s works! Peppe is an actor too, but he mainly sings. Here one of his projects if you like Italian music https://youtu.be/RVdTtvDPTs0 It’s like a fusion of the Napolitan song with contemporary sounds…I like it a lot!
        Such a talented family, the Servillos!

        Reply
  • Manja Mexi Movie
    March 15, 2017 at 5:30 pm

    Excellent, new ideas! 🙂 I watched and liked the first two, and I’ll gladly see the rest. There is one recommendation I forgot to mention the last time: Welcome Mr. President (Buongiorno Presidente). It’s light but entertaining. And right now I have ready to watch a film I didn’t even know existed: Italy in a Day – Un giorno da italiani, a documentary by Salvatores. Do you know it?

    Reply
    • fkasara
      March 15, 2017 at 7:39 pm

      Italy in a Day is not really a documentary by Salvatores. This was a project like “Life in a Day” by Ridley Scott: they asked for videos made by common people and they put them together…Salvatores was more like an editor than a director in this case. I haven’t heard great things about Italy in a Day: they say it does not really represent the country. I don’t know if it’s true, though, as I have not seen it.

      Reply
      • Manja Mexi Movie
        March 15, 2017 at 8:23 pm

        Sara, in the meantime, since my comment, I’ve watched it. 🙂 I cried most of the time but that’s just my perimenopause. Hihih. Also, there were no subtitles so I didn’t get everything. I just love watching Italians, you know. 🙂 So for me it worked, even though the second half is a bit weaker. I have not seen the Ridley Scott one, strangely. Will do. And thanks!

        Reply
        • fkasara
          March 15, 2017 at 9:27 pm

          Hey, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I was just reporting what most of the people said. I guess a lot of them were angry because the company that produced the film monetized on the “work of common people”, you know…They were also saying that it’s not really representative of the country, because you see many kids (Italy has one of the lowest birth rate) and there are not rich and poor people. I don’t know, I can’t really judge because I haven’t seen it :/

          Reply
          • Manja Mexi Movie
            March 15, 2017 at 9:34 pm

            If they were advised that the footage was to be used for a film, then everybody does and sends in whatever they want. If people have babies, sure they will show them. 😀 Every choice of which footage to use will always be subjective too. It’s creative work, such editing. Anyway, I’m glad I saw it.

            Reply
      • Ishita
        March 15, 2017 at 9:18 pm

        I’ll definitely check it.

        Reply
    • Ishita
      March 15, 2017 at 9:18 pm

      Thank you Manja 🙂 I’ve not seen Italy in a day. Going to check it out soon. Thanks so much for your awesome recommendation as always..

      Reply
  • stellalucentellc
    March 15, 2017 at 3:20 pm

    Great list, Ishita. Watching movies has helped me tremendously. I’ve been stuck on the Detective Montalbano series for awhile – great for good drama, social commentary and learning Italian – but some new movies are now in order!

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 15, 2017 at 9:16 pm

      Thank you so much 🙂 I love that series too!!

      Reply
  • travelrat
    March 15, 2017 at 12:40 pm

    When I lived in Cyprus we learnt some Greek from the sub-titles on English-language television shows. But, where the dialogue said ‘Let’s get the hell out of here! It’s the fuzz!’ the sub-title said ‘We should leave immediately! Some policemen are coming!’ We watched the Greek shows, too … I could just about follow the plot of ‘Kato tis madaris’ by the time we left.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 15, 2017 at 12:50 pm

      I know what you mean, it’s easier to follow what they say after seeing some shows

      Reply
  • dee@cookingwithdee.net
    March 15, 2017 at 9:51 am

    Movies are a great way to learn. After years of visiting Italy I am embarrassed to say what I know best is “restaurant Italian.” I can order off any menu. When I travel, I research and know hello, good morning, afternoon, evening, good night. Where is the ladies’ room? Please, thank you, always. Grazie, prego. Kalinictha, good night from Greece. No, I only wish I was there. Stuck in snow country once again.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 15, 2017 at 10:32 am

      Yes I know what you mean. Even after reading learning so much it’s hard to have real conversation in Italian. Someday we will get there..xx

      Reply
      • dee@cookingwithdee.net
        March 16, 2017 at 1:22 pm

        Permesso. (May I pass). Grazie. Grazie mille. Due brodo, insalata Capresi e uno bistecca alla Fiorentiono, per favor. Grazie. Later….. due biscotti e Vin Santo, Grazie.

        Reply
  • godwinsongs
    March 15, 2017 at 8:36 am

    “Respond to this post by clicking above this line” made no sense to me but since I am writing this,
    maybe it does make sense. I have a list of good movies to watch in order to learn more Italian.
    “Ciao, Professore” is one of my favorites. I have others.
    Robert Thomson http://www.godwinbooks.com and blog: lovesongsinspanish.wordpress.com

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 15, 2017 at 10:31 am

      I don’t know what you meant by the first line you added. Anyhow thanks for your recommendation.

      Reply
  • karenincalabria
    March 15, 2017 at 8:28 am

    Were you thinking of reading Venuto al Mondo – Twice Born in Italian or English? I haven’t seen the movie or read the book. The only book I’ve read by Mazzini is Il Catino Di Zinco and it wasn’t all that easy. And I’ve seen Non ti muovere and didn’t do cartwheels over it. As I mentioned in the past, I enjoyed Viaggio Sola, which I watched in Italian, but didn’t know the Italian title as the case cover on the DVD only had the English title – and they don’t always match up – A 5-Star Life… I’m curious about the pope movie, though, as I’ve heard that the settings are beautiful.

    Reply
    • Ishita
      March 15, 2017 at 10:30 am

      I wonder when I’ll read books in Italian..I was planning to read in English actually. Yes the titles are so different in English I kind of enjoy the original. You will enjoy the Pope movie too

      Reply

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