Movie Screenings Under the Stars at Villa Bardini

The outdoor movie theatre at Villa Bardini

Locals and guests can escape the summer heat by visiting the Belvedere Terrace in Villa Bardini, an outdoor cinema (cinema in villa) overlooking the Florence night cityscape which will be offering movies at night through August 19 with an entrance fee of €5. All of the films are Italian or dubbed in Italian without subtitles. The showings will take place on the terrace, accommodating a capacity of 100 audience members while complying with social distancing regulations.

Each night will present a theme, with Thursdays geared towards parents and children and be entirely free for families. Mondays will offer works by Woody Allen, Tuesdays will focus on art history, Wednesdays on literature and biographies in partnership with the “La Città dei Lettori” festival also hosted by Villa Bardini, Saturdays will highlight cinematic masterpieces from recent years, and Sundays will amplify the stories of women.  This first edition was greeted with enthusiasm from the public, prompting the Villa to extend the film festival to the week of mid-August Italian holiday Ferragosto which celebrates the Feast of Assumption on August 15.

In past weeks the garden has screened popular films including La La Land (2016) by Damien Chazelle, Call Me by Your Name (2018) by Luca Guadagnino, and Carol (2015) by Todd Haynes, suggesting there may be screenings in English in the future. Other films shown include Princess Mononoke (1997) by Hayao Miyazaki, Mia et le lion blanc (2018) by Gilles De Maistre, La ragazza nella nebbia (2017) by Donato Carrisi, and Lady Macbeth (2016) by William Oldroyd.

The upcoming program for August will include a wide range of genres. For those who missed them at the cinema, August 7 will bring Nureyev – The White Crow.  Ralph Fiennes’ biopic about famous Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev begins by explaining that its title, which comes from a Russian expression for ‘outsider,’ an unusual, extraordinary person that is unlike the others. The story centers around Nureyev’s defection to the West, and Fiennes interweaves three periods of his life in search of his reason for doing so.  On August 8, Oscar winner The Green Book, which chronicles a story of a white chauffeur and a black passenger in the pre-Civil Rights Era South, will be playing.

Disobedience, a romantic drama that tells the story of a woman who returns to her Jewish Orthodox family after her father’s funeral, is scheduled for August 9. The following evening, August 10,  will see Woody Allen’s 1971 comedy Bananas, which tells the story of a New Yorker who becomes involved in a Latin American rebellion after being dumped by his activist girlfriend. Thursday, August 13 will bring the animated film The Bears’ Famous Invasion of Sicily (2019) based on the book by Dino Buzzati for younger viewers, while the rest of the week will see Steven Cantor’s film Dancer (2017) which follows ballet talent Sergei Polunin, and the Italian drama Caos Calmo (2008) directed by Antonello Grimaldi.

In 2006, the Villa Bardini became accessible to the public after a restoration project spearheaded by the Fondazione Parchi Monumentali Bardini e Peyron Foundation and Fondazione CR Firenze, both of which are also responsible for the outdoor cinema series this summer.  Due to its popularity and COVID restrictions, it is recommended that interested parties reserve tickets in advance by visiting the Villa Bardini website. Those interested may also call the number 393 8570925 every night between 6 and 10 pm for more information. Parking is available in the parking lot near Forte di Belvedere.   (elizabeth berry)