Blending reality and fantasy, Federico Fellini’s masterpiece “8½” is practically a love letter to the freedom of cinema and the boundlessness of creativity. Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale and other iconic actors, Nino Rota‘s masterful music and a singular design have kept this one-of-a-kind classic shining for 60 years, and it screens on August 5 in a restored print at A Summer Night Festival.

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A DIRECTOR IN PURSUIT OF HIS MUSE

Inspired by Fellini’s own life and considered his most personal film, “8½” takes us on a dream-filled journey alongside Guido Anselmi, a world-famous director who has lost his muse. Struggling to finish his new film, Anselmi tries to cope with the expectations of those around him while drifting between reality, memories and fantasies.

Guido, played by Marcello Mastroianni, is in fact Fellini’s alter ego, and the film also invites readings as a story of the director’s struggles with the challenges of his own career.

NUMBER 8½ IN FELLINI’S FILMOGRAPHY

“8½” is actually Fellini’s ninth film. The title points to the moment when Fellini, tallying up his previous work—features and shorts alike—lost count.

Manipulating the flow of time and space

“8½” carries an experimental spirit that questions the conventional film structure of its time and pushes the boundaries of Italian Neorealism. Moving back and forth between reality and the world of dreams, Fellini manipulates the flow of time and space and invites the audience into a singular experience.

DAZZLING PERFORMANCES

“8½” is also a cinematic feast that dazzles through its cast. Marcello Mastroianni delivers one of his most iconic performances as Guido. With his flawless acting skills and charismatic presence, Mastroianni masterfully conveys his character’s artistic crises and the difficulties of his personal life.

Cinema legend Claudia Cardinale, in the role of Claudia, stands out as a presence that adds to the film’s allure. The actress’s beauty, grace and charisma successfully convey the character’s mystery and appeal.

UNFORGETTABLE MUSIC

The film’s music bears the signature of the master Italian composer Nino Rota. Having scored numerous Fellini films, beginning with Fellini’s first solo directorial effort, “Lo sceicco bianco” (The White Sheik, 1952), Rota creates a soundscape that carries the viewer into the characters’ world. Rich in musical variety as well, “8½” brings together many different musical styles, including jazz, tango, classical and operatic pieces. The theme heard at the film’s opening, “La Passerella di Otto e Mezzo”, and the one used at key turning points, “La Passerella di Addio”, are especially unforgettable.

OSCAR-WINNING COSTUMES

The film’s art direction and costume design by Piero Gherardi are an impressive part of the striking, eye-catching visual elements that complete Fellini’s vision. After “La Dolce Vita” (1960), Gherardi won his second Oscar once again with a Fellini film. He had also designed Fellini classics starting with the director’s very first film, “Luci del varietà” (1950), including “La Strada” (1954), “Nights of Cabiria” (1957), “Amarcord” (1973), among others.

Award-Winning at Cannes

Winner of the Special Jury Prize at the 1963 Cannes Film Festival, the film also won the Academy Awards for Best Costume Design (Black-and-White) and Best Foreign Language Film. Collecting the awards for Best Director, Best Producer, Best Screenplay, Best Original Story, Best Score and Best Cinematography from the Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists, the film was also named Best Foreign Film at the BAFTA Awards.

A “CINEMATIC MASTERPIECE” ACCORDING TO CRITICS

“8½” is among the films critics cannot praise highly enough. Renowned critic Roger Ebert described the film as ‘full of the enchanting power of art’ and praised Fellini with the words “He dives into the depths of creativity and creates a cinematic masterpiece”. Rolling Stone’s Peter Travers said, “Fellini’s directorial skill, combined with his imagination, reaches its peak in this film. It offers a visual feast and an intellectual journey,” while another renowned critic, Pauline Kael, wrote in The New Yorker: “8½ is one of the peaks of creativity in cinema. Fellini’s in-depth character studies and visual aesthetics push the boundaries of cinematic art.”

AN INSPIRATION TO DIRECTORS

“8½” also had a profound influence on many directors. “All That Jazz” (1979), “Synecdoche, New York” (2008), “The Science of Sleep” (2006), “I’m Not There” (2007) and “Holy Motors” (2012) are just a few of the films it inspired.

AMONG THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Regarded as an avant-garde classic that has left a significant mark, the film ranked third in the BFI’s 2002 directors’ poll of the “Top 50 Films of All Time.” Frequently cited among the greatest films ever made, it was also included in the Vatican’s list of the “45 Best Films of All Time,” compiled in 1995, the year marking cinema’s 100th anniversary.