Inspired by a famous exchange of letters between Michelangelo Antonioni and Mark Rothko, Esterno giorno is an experimental love letter to Italian cinema. Embarking on an intimate journey in the footsteps of Monica Vitti’s characters, the filmmaker poetically intertwines contemporary footage shot across Italy and the Jordanian desert with excerpts from Antonioni’s films, creating an illusion of continuity between past and present.
Necessarily far from the spotlights, Monica Vitti shines in a light intact to the eyes of spectators at every latitude. On scene the artistic path and life full of unpredictable events of an actress both introverted and sunny are recalled, through excerpts from her films and television programs, testimonies of friends and colleagues, leading exponents of Italian cinema of yesterday and today, critics, writers and costume experts.
An account of the life of actress Jeanne Moreau (1928-2017), a true icon of the New Wave and one of the most idolized French movie stars.
Before they met, they had not found success in the film industry. Michelangelo Antonioni did not direct Italian comedies. Monica Vitti did not have the looks of a Sophia Loren or a Gina Lollobrigida. United in life and on screen, they would become the creators of L'Avventura, La Notte, and L'Eclisse. Three legendary films, three declarations of love.
In the film we find some scrap of slow motion they see a Monica Vitti trying to cry, a meeting between Antonioni and Grifi, a film shot in the concentration camp of Auschwitz with a survivor who recounts those awful moments, a glimpse of Palestine today, Grifi's reflections on the prison.
There is no shortage of words to define the actress, screenwriter and director Monica Vitti: Intense, beautiful, sensual, eclectic, intelligent, muse... She was a shining star during the golden age of Italian cinema. She is a legendary figure who served as example for generations of young filmmakers. Monica Vitti’s story is the story of Italian cinema; her life is inextricably linked to the medium. This documentary shows the sheer physicality of her acting; her visceral style which demanded that everything, personality defects included, was integrated into her unique performances.
Documentary consisting of archival footage that depicts the evolving conditions of Italian women during the first half of the 20th century.
Monica Vitti (3 November 1931 – 2 February 2022) was an Italian actress best known for her starring roles in films directed by Michelangelo Antonioni during the early-to-mid 1960s. After working with Antonioni, Vitti changed focus and began making comedies, working with director Mario Monicelli on many films. She appeared with Marcello Mastroianni, Alain Delon, Richard Harris, Terence Stamp, Michael Caine, and Dirk Bogarde.
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