Charming Oscar-winning Italian drama about a young boy who grows up in love with the magic of cinema and who returns to his home town as an adult to reminisce.

Director
Giuseppe Tornator

Cast
Alfredo: Philippe Noiret
Salvatore (Child) :Salvatore Cascio
Salvatore (Adolescent): Marco Leonardi
Salvatore (Adult): Jacques Perrin
Maria (Young): Antonella Attili
Older Maria : Pupella Maggio
Elena (Adolescent) : Agnese Nano
Elena (Adult) [only in the director's cut]: Brigitte Fossey
Spaccafico: Enzo Cannavale
Anna: Isa Danieli
Bill Sticker: Leo Gullotta
Fr. Adelfio: Leopoldo Trieste
Blacksmith: Tano Cimarosa
Madman: Nicola di Pinto
Lia: Roberta Lena
Peppino's Father: Nino Terzo

While initially performing poorly in its native Italy, Cinema Paradiso went on to international success and acclaim, winning the 1989 Grand Prix du Jury at Cannes and the best foreign language film Oscar.

The film follows the return of a now successful Italian film director, Salvatore, to the Sicillian village he grew up in to attend the funeral of his close friend, the local cinema projectionist. Through flashbacks we see Salvatore's childhood in post World War II Italy, before the prevalence of television, when visiting the cinema was a major social event with a sense of community around it, and learn how his love affair with cinema began.

Both funny and sentimental, this largely autobiographical offering from Tornatore is a beautiful and poetic celebration of the power of cinema.