Directed by Mario Monicelli • 1963 • France, Yugoslavia, Italy
Starring Marcello Mastroianni, Renato Salvatori, Annie Girardot
In turn-of-the-twentieth-century Turin, an accident in a textile factory incites workers to stage a walkout. But it’s not until they receive unexpected aid from a traveling professor (Marcello Mastroianni) that they find their voice, unite, and stand up for themselves. This historical drama by Mario Monicelli, brimming with humor and honesty, is a beautiful and moving ode to the power of the people, and features engaging, naturalistic performances; cinematography by the great Giuseppe Rotunno; and a multilayered, Oscar-nominated screenplay by Monicelli, Agenore Incrocci, and Furio Scarpelli.
Up Next in Voices of Protest
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Women of the Resistance
Directed by Liliana Cavani • 1965 • Italy
Made for Italian television, this powerful documentary by iconoclastic auteur Liliana Cavani profiles a number of women who participated in the Italian Resistance and survived the German invasion of Italy during World War II. Cited by Cavani as the inspi...
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The Battle of Algiers
Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo • 1966 • Algeria, Italy
Starring Brahim Haggiag, Jean Martin, Saadi YacefOne of the most influential political films in history, THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, by Gillo Pontecorvo, vividly re-creates a key year in the tumultuous Algerian struggle for independence from the o...
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The Olympics in Mexico
Directed by Alberto Isaac • 1969 • Mexico
Mexican former Olympic swimmer Alberto Isaac's record of the Mexico City Olympic Games is a celebration not of national achievement (very few national anthems are heard during the film), but of individual heroism. This thoughtful and comprehensive film b...
