MARRIAGE ITALIAN STYLE (MATRIMONIO ALL’ITALIANA) Galas

Narrating in flashback, successful businessman Domenico (Marcello Mastroianni) tells of his 20-year love affair with country prostitute Filumena (Sophia Loren). Their romance is anything but a typical one. Domenico is initially so infatuated with Filumena that he finances her way out of a bordello and lands her a good job at a restaurant he owns. However, this new situation gives Filumena less independence than she’d hoped for, as Domenico still treats her as his bankrolled mistress and refuses to marry her. Only when Filumena has a near-death experience does she see an opportunity to capitalize on her relationship with Domenico and achieve the power and respect she’d been missing over their long, unusual courtship. This classic by Vittorio De Sica — celebrating its 50th anniversary with a new digital restoration by Cineteca di Bologna, Technicolor Foundation for Cinema Heritage, MEMORY! Cinema Association and Surf Film — earned Oscar® nominations for both the film and Loren’s performance. It is a deft mix of comedy and drama, anchored by the sexy, complex onscreen romance of Italian cinema’s most iconic star coupling.