La ciociara

In 1943, the young widow Cesira (Sophia Loren) flees from the bombing of Rome to her home village in the Ciociara mountains with her twelve-year-old daughter. There she becomes friends with the anti-fascist student Michele (Jean-Paul Belmondo). But the war soon also reaches the remote mountain village. LA CIOCIARA is an adaptation of Alberto Moravia’s novel “Cesira”, which is based on his personal experiences during the war. The drama brought Sophia Loren international recognition as a character actor in one of her first tragic roles. She was awarded the Prize for Best Actress in Cannes as well as the Oscar for Actress in a Leading Role. (Hans-Joachim Fetzer)