This month marks the late Federico Fellini's 100th birthday. To celebrate il Maestro's centennial, we present some of the most influential and iconic films from his five decade career. Tonight we watch his autobiographical masterpiece 8 1/2 (1963).

On the verge of shooting his next film, Guido (Marcello Mastroianni) loses inspiration and suffers from a creative block. He seeks retreat at a luxurious spa, where he is visited by his lover Carla (Sandra Milo), his wife Luisa (Anouk Aimée), and visions of an angelic woman (Claudia Cardinale). He soon finds himself torn between the demands of the film production and memories of his past. Fellini's autobiographical masterwork was inspired by his own creative crisis following the international success of La Dolce Vita. Blurring the lines between reality and fantasy, 8 1/2 is populated by extravagant characters, and explores the director's recurring themes (esotericism, sex, and the Catholic church). Touching, evocative, and stylistically sublime: it is widely considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made about filmmaking. Watch the trailer.

Directed by Federico Fellini, 1963, Italy/France, 138 minutes, In Italian w/ English subtitles.

€5 entry