Academy - Finzi-Continis

The 1971 Academy Award-winning Foreign Language Film, The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, chronicles the gradual disintegration of the Jewish community living in Ferrara, Italy, at the beginning of World War II.  The film adaptation of Giorgio Bassani's 1962 semiautobiographical novel was one of acclaimed Italian director, Vittorio De Sica's, final movies. Oblivious to the threats surrounding them, a wealthy Jewish family ignores the Fascism closing in on their community by remaining within the walls of their luxurious garden. Ultimately, the walled garden is no shelter from Mussolini's anti-Semitic decrees and the horrors of the Holocaust, and the Finzi-Continis' inaction and isolation contribute to their downfall.  The film is shot almost entirely in soft focus, creating a dreamlike quality, and De Sica purposefully never shows the actual dimensions of the garden. The music by Vittorio's son, Manuel De Sica, takes the audience from romantic bliss to sheer tragedy.  The 40th anniversary screening with special guest, Producer Arthur Cohn, takes place in the Academy's Samuel Goldwyn Theater on Thursday, May 19, at 7:30 pm.  Tickets are $5/person for the general public and $3 for Academy members and students with a valid ID.  For additional information, please call (310) 247-3600 or click on Events & Exhibitions at www.oscars.org.
8949 Wilshire Blvd.
(310) 247-3600