Italian Cinema Takes Spotlight With Honor and Urgency at Torino Opening Night

A funny thing happened on the way to Turin, as the constellation of international guests gathered by the Torino Film Festival to represent world cinema arrived united in its reverence for the local industry above all.

“For me, it all began with Italian cinema,” said Daniel Brühl as he accepted the festival’s Stella della Mole career achievement award at the Torino opening ceremony. “My father was a director, and when I got my first VHS player at 15, he gave me a list of a hundred films I had to watch — around 70% of them Italian. Those classics by Lizzani, Fellini, Pasolini and De Sica were the spark. That’s what made me want to become a film actor.”

Fellow honoree Claude Lelouch echoed the sentiment. “I owe a great deal to Italian cinema,” said the “A Man and a Woman” director, who won his Palme d’Or from a jury chaired by Sophia Loren. “And when I was very young, after seeing ‘The Bicycle Thief,’ I said to myself, ‘That’s what I want to do for a living.’ So in a way, it all started here.”

Indeed, over the course of a glitzy opening gala, guests like Dolph Lundgren, Jacqueline Bisset, Alexander Sokurov and Hanna Schygulla all paid tribute to Italy’s formidable filmmaking legacy — while the evening’s sole Italian honoree turned to the industry’s more contemporary challenges.

“Italian cinema is in serious crisis,” said actor and filmmaker Sergio Castellitto, who recently turned heads in “Conclave.” “Beyond the controversies we all know about, even among those not directly involved, my invitation is simple: we have to move past divisions and conflicts. The issue isn’t funding this filmmaker or that — it’s about saving the industry itself.”

The filmmaker offered a quick diagnosis: “There’s a widespread lack of skills, experience, professionalism, and talent, which in some cases threatens the entire system. The real effort must be to preserve the industry. Quality and merit remain essential, of course — but first, we have to make sure we survive.”

Torino artistic director Giulio Base shared Castellitto’s concerns, calling Italy’s film heritage “a source of honor, and a little frustration, because it’s difficult to stand up at the same level.”

“But we’re especially proud that directors worldwide — not just those here tonight — turn to Italian cinema for inspiration,” he added. “Knowing our films continue to teach and influence fills us with pride.”