Mamma Roma

Dir. Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1962, 106 mins. 35mm. Pasolini revived the style of Italian neorealism with his audacious second film, which stars Anna Magnani as a prostitute struggling to escape her past and provide a decent life for her teenage son. Pasolini drew from his adolescent years living with his mother in the poverty- and crime-ridden outskirts of Rome. Of the now-classic film, which was banned in Italy on its release, Akerman wrote, “I love this woman. Her generosity…The film is great, not for its fiction but its documentary dimension, with Anna Magnani as female character. When she’s walking with the other prostitutes during that uneven tracking shot, clearly taken from a car, and you follow along in her joy and that of the other women—for just this shot, the film is very great.”

Tickets: $15 / $11 senior and students / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for MoMI members ($7–$11). Order tickets. Please pick up tickets at the Museum’s admissions desk upon arrival. All seating is general admission. Review safety protocols before your visit.