Thirty years after Giuseppe De Santis was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement, the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia – Cineteca Nazionale, in collaboration with Titanus S.p.A., will present the world premiere of the restored version of Roma ore 11 at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, scheduled to take place from August 27 to September 6, 2025.
This initiative is part of Venezia Classici, the section curated by Alberto Barbera which, since 2012, has brought restored masterpieces back to the public’s attention, sourced from film archives and cultural institutions around the world. It’s a project that reaffirms the importance of preserving film heritage and ensuring new generations have access to the history of cinema.
Released in 1952 and produced by Titanus, Roma ore 11 is considered one of the symbolic titles of Italian Neorealism. Featuring an extraordinary cast including Maria Grazia Francia, Delia Scala, Massimo Girotti, Raf Vallone, and Lucia Bosè, the film is inspired by a tragic real-life event: hundreds of young women respond to a job advertisement for a typist position, but the long wait and rising tension result in a dramatic stampede that causes a staircase to collapse. It is a powerful film that continues to challenge audiences with its reflection on social inequality and the role of women in the workforce in the post-war era.
The Laceno d’Oro International Film Festival had the honor of screening Roma ore 11 in 2014, during the launch of its new season under the ImmaginAzione label. The screening, held at the Movieplex, was introduced by Ettore De Conciliis and Gordana Miletic, widow of De Santis, and was met with great public acclaim. It was a symbolic moment that marked the festival’s renewed commitment to being a reference point for auteur cinema and for preserving the critical memory of our country.
The return of Roma ore 11 to the big screen is not only a tribute to master De Santis but also a renewed opportunity to reconnect with the roots of Italian cinema and with themes that, unfortunately, remain relevant today.