Shoeshine screening at Film Forum June 14 – 27
Experience the timeless masterpiece Shoeshine by renowned Italian neorealist director Vittorio De Sica in a breathtaking new 4K restoration. This cinematic gem will be showcased at Film Forum from Friday, June 14 through Thursday, June 27.
Learn more about Shoeshine
Set in postwar Rome, Shoeshine follows the story of sciuscià boys Franco Interlenghi (later known for Fellini’s I Vitelloni) and Rinaldo Smordoni. These young boys polish the boots of American GIs and dabble in the black market to scrape by. Their dream? To save enough money for an hour of horseback riding at the Villa Borghese stables, or even to own a horse of their own.
De Sica, alongside his frequent screenwriting collaborator Cesare Zavattini (known for The Bicycle Thief and Miracle in Milan), spent a year shadowing real children through the streets and prisons of Rome. This immersive experience inspired Zavattini to write a nineteen-page treatment, driven by an ethical objective that shaped the entire film. He described the children’s loneliness and the story of the white horse as the film’s matrix.
Accolades and Legacy
Shoeshine is celebrated for its trenchant social observation and stirring emotional humanism, marking De Sica’s first pure neorealist work. The film was a global sensation and earned an Honorary Award at the Academy Awards for its outstanding quality, a precursor to the Best Foreign Language Film category.
Film Details
- Directed by: Vittorio De Sica
- Screenplay by: Sergio Amidei, Adolfo Franci, Cesare Giulio Viola, Cesare Zavattini
- Cinematography by: Anchise Brizzi
- Edited by: Nicolò Lazzari
- Music by: Alessandro Cicognini
- Starring: Franco Interlenghi, Rinaldo Smordoni, Aniello Mele, Bruno Ortenzi, Emilio Cigoli
- Year: 1946
- Country: Italy
- Run Time: Approximately 92 minutes
- Format: 4K DCP Restoration
- Distributor: Janus Films
Don’t miss this opportunity to see Shoeshine on the big screen in its restored glory. Visit Film Forum between June 14 and June 27 to witness this cinematic masterpiece.
