Newly restored ‘Anno Uno’, Roberto Rosselini’s penultimate film, to be screened in Locarno

The 78th Locarno Film Festival will host the screening of the newly restored version of Anno uno, the penultimate film by Roberto Rossellini, whose international rights are managed by Coproduction Office on behalf of rights holders Minerva Pictures and Cinecittà. The 1974 feature film is currently undergoing restoration by the Festival in collaboration with the Cinegrell film lab, based in Zurich and Berlin. The film will be screened during this year’s Festival, taking place from August 6 to 16, as part of the Histoire(s) du Cinéma – Locarno Heritage section.

In Anno uno, Rossellini explores a pivotal decade in Italian history, from 1944 to 1954, through the lens of Christian Democrat leader and Italy’s first postwar head of government, Alcide De Gasperi. The film follows his efforts to steer the country from the aftermath of the Liberation to the final years of his life. Much of the dialogue is drawn verbatim from authentic documents of the era.

Artistic Director Giona A. Nazzaro commented on the failed: “Roma città aperta is widely regarded as the pivotal moment in the rebirth of Italy and Italian cinema in the aftermath of the defeat of Fascism and Nazism. Anno uno, made almost thirty years later, chronicles a nation embarking on its democratic and restorative project. Rossellini’s focus on the period from 1944 to 1954 offers a lens to observe the nascent stages of the fragile Italian democracy, as depicted in the parable of Alcide De Gasperi. The film, which captures Italy during a period of profound cultural debate and tense political confrontation, enables Rossellini to implement his didactic method, which would have a strong influence on modern cinema. As posited by Rossellini scholar Piero Spila, ‘In the aftermath of a global cataclysm, Anno uno presented itself as a potential point of origin, which appeared attainable.’ Rossellini’s artistic oeuvre is characterised by a tendency to reflect on setbacks rather than triumphs. In the De Gasperi of Anno uno, he deliberately abstained from filming power, instead capturing defeat and impasse, when what is lost becomes most precious. This film offers a remarkable lesson in cinema, its value undiminished with the passage of time. The restoration of Anno uno during a period in which democracy is once again under threat provides an opportunity to reintroduce this remarkable work to new generations. It enables us to draw upon the considerable authority of Roberto Rossellini and to consider the potential for a more enlightened cinema within a society that is, at long last, guided by principles of fair justice and unwavering respect for human dignity.”

The restoration is conducted for Locarno Heritage, an initiative by Locarno’s industry platform Locarno Pro, and represents an essential act of preservation for the heritage of Italian film. For this 4K restoration, the 35mm original image and sound negative were digitized in high quality. The image was digitally restored and a new color grading was applied by Cinegrell. For this edition, the sound restoration was conducted by Cinegrell’s technical partner Movie Studio Bali. A copy of the new restoration will be preserved at the Cinémathèque suisse on behalf of the Locarno Film Festival, Cinecittà, Minerva Pictures and Coproduction Office.

The film is the second restoration confirmed for its rerelease in Locarno this year. Previously, the Festival announced that I cannibali  (The Year of the Cannibals, 1970) by Liliana Cavani will also receive full restoration as the winner of last year’s Restoration Contest and also screen in the Histoire(s) du Cinéma – Locarno Heritage section.