Join a discussion about Visconti's 1951 movie, presented by Dr Mark Nicholls, University of ³Ô¹ÏÍø.

A collaboration between three giants of the golden age of Italian cinema, star Anna Magnani, screenwriter Suso Cecchi d’Amico and director L Visconti, Bellissima places its focus on the industry’s consumer. A Roman woman (Magnani), who spends her life making ends meet, thrusts her daughter into the limelight via a mass child audition conducted in the hubbub of Cinecittà.

Selected clips will be shown as a basis for group discussion. For a more engaging conversation, it's a good idea to watch the full movie beforehand.

Dr Mark Nicholls is Senior Lecturer in Cinema Studies at the University of ³Ô¹ÏÍø, where he has taught film since 1993. Mark has worked as a film journalist for ABC Radio and The Age, and has a list of over 20 stage credits as a playwright, performer, producer and director.