Francesca Bertini
Documentary consisting of archival footage that depicts the evolving conditions of Italian women during the first half of the 20th century.
In this mesmerizing collage of silent Italian melodrama, found-footage filmmaker Peter Delpeut (Lyrical Nitrate) affectionately captures the spirit of the World War One-era cinema diva. In all-but-lost gems such as La donna nuda (1914), and Tigre reale (1916), superstars such as Lyda Borelli and Pina Menichelli portrayed heroines teetering dangerously between defiant indulgence in sexual passion and hysterical remorse at their own cruelties. Delpeut’s inventive celebration of Black Romanticism is both striking and heartbreaking in its composition—a beautifully woven narrative of tempted fate and self-torment, elegantly guided by Loek Dikker’s original score. Zeitgeist Films is proud to present Delpeut’s stunningly experimental work in all its heaving bosomed, luridly tinted glory.
Documentary in which 94 year-old Francesca Bertini recalls her life and career while attending a screening of Assunta Spina.
A lieutenant of the French navy, ready to kill himself in despair, renounced his project after spending a night with a beautiful stranger. He ends up finding her, the heiress princess Lystrie. The German version (Königin einer Nacht) was an operetta, the Italian version (La donna di una notte) was a comedy, while the French version (La Femme d'une nuit) was a dramatic film.
The dramatic events of the composer Mario Sirchi, falsely accused of murder, and his girlfriend Adonella who is revealed to have a secret sister, Nayda.
Maria and Luigi love each other in spite of their poverty, while she resists her many wealthy suitors. But their mutual enemies figure out a lie that will separate them. Maria will become temporarily rich but then she will commit a crime and will divert into the slums. There Luigi will meet her again.
The Clemenceau Affair (Italian: Il processo Clémenceau) is a 1917 silent Italian adventure film directed by Alfredo De Antoni. The film features the first onscreen performance from Vittorio De Sica.
Ivonne is a vulgar, loose, promiscuous and a passionate danseuse at the tavern. Countess Edith is an angelic creature, exquisitely elegant, a finite and aristocratic heiress. Two sides of a woman with a split personality.
Assunta and Michele are in love, but others come between them. Jealousy arises. Assunta Spina stands out as an early landmark of Italian Neorealism.
Diana is assigned to find out the details of the enemy's war tactics. Together with her partner in crime, Robertson, she manages to get in touch with Captain Argo and retrieves secret information. All is proceeding according to plan until Diana slowly gets torn by on the one hand her duty as a spy, and on the other her passionate feelings for Captain Argo.
La Signora delle Camelie chronicles the tragic love story of courtesan Marguerite Gautier and provincial bourgeois Armand Duval. Armand’s father disapproves of the relationship and convinces Marguerite to leave Armand, making him believe that she has left him for another man.
The Princess of Monte Cabello is divorced and is granted custody of her beloved daughter. Her ex-husband's mistress hires private detectives who take seemingly incriminating photographs of the Princess with the actor Jacques Wilson. The Princess is devastated when these cause her daughter to be taken from her, and the Princess then falls into the clutches of Wilson. In order to pay his gambling debts, Wilson forces her to humiliate herself by appearing in a play. The Princess sends a note to the Prince of Monte Cabello saying that after the first performance she will not compromise his name again.
Silent adventure film in which a horse riding woman has to save her husband from prison in a enemy country.
A example of female fantasy is L'Histoire d'un Pierrot (1913), based on a musical pantomime by Mario Costa with Francesca Bertini in the role of Pierrot and Leda Gys as Louisette. The young and naive Pierrot is led astray by the evil wine merchant Pochinet (Emilio Ghione). He hopes to distract Pierrot with drinking and gambling while he tries to seduce Louisette.
Charles Raleigh is a cousin of Miss Clara Burton, and is secretly in love with her. She returns his affection in secret also. Time parses and George Conway makes love to Clara. She considers his proposal of marriage long and seriously and makes entry of it in her diary. About this time Charles is called to America to look after his mining interests. He arrives in time to find himself a pauper as the result of a terrific conflagration that has swept his property. He decides to make a new start, but finds the battle difficult.
"Idolo infranto is a fantastic way to appreciate Francesca Bertini in the mood for cruelty. From a tender shepherdess who inspires sublimely artistic acts, she becomes a vampire who drains souls and bank accounts with equal efficiency." - Andrea Meneghelli
With a friend desperate for money, a merchant takes out a loan from a ruthless money-lender. Confident that his ships will soon be bringing him great wealth, the merchant willingly agrees to conditions of the loan that put him at great personal risk.
