BREAD AND TULIPS (PANE E TULIPANI) International Competition

Silvio Soldini’s latest film about a housewife with an independent spirit won nine of Italy’s prestigious David di Donatello Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Actor and Best Actress.

Licia Maglietta gives a luminous performance as Rosalba, an Italian housewife who accidentally gets left behind at a rest stop while on a bus tour with her family. Suddenly on her own, Rosalba capriciously decides to hitchhike to Venice, the fabulous city of her dreams, rather than make her way home. A one-day whim turns into weeks as she finds herself lured into a new life in a wild universe that offers her self-discovery, unexpected friendships, musical passions and even romantic possibilities.

Well-deserving the Best Screenplay Donatello, Soldini and Doriana Leondeff (co-writer of FEMININE, SINGULAR-AFI Fest ’99) have crafted a resonant story full of charm, inspiration and humanity.