A movie director struggles with his relationship with his family, and with his latest movie, about the impact on the Italian Communist Party of the USSR invasion of Hungary in 1956.

The charm of Aprile is that it remains unflinchingly silly, and laugh-out-loud funny. Director Nanni Moretti smuggles in clever personal, political and philosophical ideas without any pretence of seriousness. The backdrop to the story is the birth of Moretti’s own child, coinciding with the election of the notorious Silvio Berlusconi. Again, he plays a version of himself, a filmmaker constantly distracted by his son's impending birth and perturbed by Italy’s turn towards a new political movement now described as ‘Populism’. It’s a perfect mix of the personal with the philosophical. Anyone old enough to have lived through the 90’s will find it fascinating to see how our present was so shaped by those years. Moretti’s mix of absurd humour, slapstick, autobiography and poignancy, make Nanni Moretti a genuine ‘Auteur’ like no other living Italian Director.

The Catholic Church secretly investigates Caravaggio as the Pope weighs whether to grant him clemency for killing a rival. Subtitled

Nanni Moretti has cult status in Italy and this film won Best Director at Cannes, creating a loyal fanbase of international followers and earns its place as a Classic. Caro Diario is autobiographical, deeply personal, and as funny as it is profound and original. It is impossible not to be drawn into Moretti’s warm-hearted, neurotic vision of the world. Divided into three chapters exploring different aspects of Moretti’s life. The first, ‘On My Vespa’, pays homage to his beloved Rome, the second, ‘Islands’, takes us on a literary journey to the Aeolian Islands, and the third, ‘Doctors’, is a reflection on his own health journey. Somehow, wit, a lightness of touch, charm, and ingenuity unify these strands into a coherent and unforgettable film. Subtitled

Osso wants to save the river Delta from over-fishing at the hands of the Florians. The Florians have Elia with them, who is born in those lands. The two men will confront each other. Subtitled

This beautiful documentary recounts how, in the fourteenth century, the world of art was revolutionised by the arrival in Padova of the artist and architect, Giotto di Bondone. Giotto brought to the city a new artistic language from which an extraordinary artistic and cultural era arose, that would then continue throughout the fourteenth century and lay the foundations from which the Renaissance could grow. Subtitled

Diana, mother and family doctor, is an ordinary woman with an ordinary life that decides to go down the path of social insubordination through a poetic act, declaring her home completely independent from the Italian State. She is driven by the hope to save her “people”. Every participant – her family and the friends that come uninvited every day to her house– will be constrained by this unusual choice and will be thereby propelled towards a new way of relating to others, daily. They’ll have to face major issues like: language selection, the principles that underlie our laws, the rules that create a social tissue, the philosophy to educate our children and future citizens but, most of all, they’ll have to face the responsibility that comes from exercising a power. “God Save the Queen” is a sprightly and happily ironic comedy, that focus on small things to talk about major facts: it pays attention to a significant and rather actual theme, in a very gentle way, reminding us that after all, people are a big family, in the end. Subtitled

Through the testimonies of artists, men of letters, nobles, and the well-to-do, we immerse ourselves in the synthesis of art, nature and history represented by Italy at a time when it was the privileged destination of members of European cultured society between the end of the 17th century and the first half of the 19th century. Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence and Naples, glimpses of the countryside, the Alps, Vesuvius with Pompeii, vestiges of Magna Graecia and the Empire, to the rural scenes and festivals of popular tradition, represented a must for lovers of painting, sculpture, architecture and landscape design.

Director Marco Bellocchio stirred Cannes with this extraordinary film. A gripping historical drama recounting the true story of a six-year-old Jewish boy, Edgardo Mortara, who was abducted by the Vatican in 1858. From the moment the Pope‘s soldiers burst into the Bologna home, we are swept into an enthralling tale. A nursemaid had secretly baptised the child, and under Papal law, Edgardo must receive a Catholic Education. Bellocchio explores historical anti-semitism with an operatic sweep. It is a brilliant study of what happens when human values are abandoned by dogmatic authoritarianism. Sixty years of filmmaking give 83 year old Bellocchio an assured mastery of a period film with old-school grandeur. It is an unforgettable story that remained with me long after the lights came up. Subtitled

Set in 80s Tuscany Alice Rohrwacher’s enchanting new film stars The Crown’s Josh O’Connor as a lovelorn Englishman who teams with an eccentric gang of grave-robbers to plunder ancient Etruscan artefacts. “Alice Rohrwacher’s new film a beguiling fantasy-comedy of lost love: garrulous, uproarious and celebratory in her absolutely distinctive style. It’s a movie bustling and teeming with life, with characters fighting, singing, thieving and breaking the fourth wall to address us directly… The setting is Riparbella in Tuscany in the 1980s, and Josh O’Connor is tremendous as Arthur, a dishevelled Englishman in a grubby white suit sporting six-day stubble and a perennial cigarette. He is a former archaeological scholar who has assumed the morose, slouching gait and coiled style of a gangster… Using a dowsing rod, Arthur can tell where invaluable Etruscan antiquities are buried and has teamed up with a bizarre homeless gang of grave-robbers to dig them out under cover of darkness.” — Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

Napoli is now one of Italy’s most popular tourist destinations, igniting the imagination of visitors from around the world. Considered to be the capital of the south, it was for centuries, the second most populous city in Europe. To appreciate its mysteries actor/director Marco D’amore (star of the crime series Gomorrah) is our guide. It is a documen ary melding history with myths, science with legend and truth with fiction. It proves a perfectly-pitched approach in a place that lives and breathes superstition and folklore that rivals any other European city. The warmth of Marco D’Amore as a curious, approachable guide allows the viewer to enter into intriguing stories and locations including a gigantic maze of three-thousandyear-old tunnels underneath the city. The ancient past is palpable, vital, and present in every moment in Napoli, and this documentary manages to capture something truly elusive. Subtitled

25 year old Emiliano accompanies a 60 something writer, Vittorio, to a Milan fair where the writer will break a 20 years silence and give a talk. Subtitled

An endless summer in Calabria is the setting for a gently humorous generational clash between a shy, young pianist and a magnetic ageing rockstar. Anita sits at her piano, diligently preparing for the conservatory instead of enjoying a carefree summer. Soon, her notes attract the attention of Vins, a charismatic older rocker who has lived life to the fullest. Immediately recognising her talent he is compelled to share his ways of experiencing music and encourages her to find her own voice. It will be a summer of discoveries for both of them as they both uncover the true meaning of being an artist. Subtitled

This is the story of 16-year-old Benedetta and a bizarre foster family. Benedetta is the mayor's daughter and will find her social role put to a test only to find out that she does not like it and that it makes her unhappy. Subtitled

1921, future Literature Nobel Prize Winner Luigi Pirandello returns to his beloved Sicily for the 80th birthday of his mentor, famous novelist and playwright Giovanni Verga. Upon his arrival in Agrigento, feral and unexpected news catapult him into a human universe populated by incredible personalities, ghostly visions, distant memories and melancholy apparitions. While at the height of his artistic growth, at the same time Pirandello finds himself still in the midst of his reflection on theater. This irrational and compelling journey will allow him to confront a nostalgic past, propelling him toward the creation of his masterpiece, “Six Characters in Search of an Author” an eternal work of art which will mark a worldwide revolution in twentieth-century theater. Subtitled

The Eight Mountains is the story of a friendship. Of children becoming men who try to erase the footprints of their fathers, but who, through the twists and turns they take, always end up returning home. Pietro is a boy from the city, Bruno is the last child of a forgotten mountain village. Over the years Bruno remains faithful to his mountain, while Pietro is the one who comes and goes. Their encounters introduce them to love and loss, reminding them of their origins, letting their destinies unfold, as Pietro and Bruno discover what it means to be true friends for life. Subtitled

A mysterious man gifts four strangers on the brink of suicide a chance to see what life would be like without them.

Filmed in Gianni Versace's mansion in Miami where every object is a separate work of art, the documentary attempts to bring the genius of the Italian fashion giant to life. Through archival material and the confessions of friends and former colleagues, a portrait of a Renaissance designer emerges, a man who never stopped being inspired by his time to create a strictly personal universe of high aesthetics. The director drags us into his vortex and referring to his work underlines that Versace was not only one of the greatest and most influential contemporary designers, but walking on the sharp intersection between classic and modern, he redefined the way we perceive fashion and clothing. Subtitled

A police lieutenant named Franco Amore on the night before his retirement is called to investigate a crime scene where his best friend and long-time partner Dino has been killed during a diamond heist. Subtitled

A group of friends meet up every year at a villa for a birthday party. This year, they discover there may be only a few hours left before the end of the world. Subtitled

During a day in their honeymoon, a couple is separated by the city's lust and the desires it produces. Subtitled

It is 1946 in Rome and we follow Delia, a woman who cares for everybody: her children, her ailing father-in-law and her rough, violent husband. Delia somehow continues to dream and remain upbeat while working multiple jobs and fulfilling everyone’s expectations but her own. There’s Still Tomorrow broke box-office records in Italy, beating Barbie and Oppenheimer for excellent reason. Writer, actor, and director Paola Cortellesi blends humour with charm, and drama with social history, creating a small modern-day masterpiece. Its themes are very contemporary while drawing on the rich wealth of Italian cinema history. Subtitled

The forbidden love between Andrea, the reluctant heir of the Malatesta family, and Marilena, the beautiful wife of the Camporeale boss, rekindles an old feud between two rival families. The fatal passion brings the clans back into war, in an ancient land, not so different from the far west, where only blood can wash out blood, following the ruthless codes of the local mafia. But Marilena, now cast out by the Camporeale and prisoner of the Malatesta, contended and reviled, with the strength only a wounded mother ripped away from her children can have, will oppose to a destiny which seems already written.

India has the largest screen industry in the world, by output, producing double the number of films made in Hollywood each year. Nourished of course by a flourishing short film scene. In this collection Show Me Shorts has collaborated with the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala to curate six shorts from top Indian filmmakers. The stories span different regions, languages and flavours, but are united in their exploration of the connections between friends, family and the natural world around us.

Produced by the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery and Belmont Productions, Master of Motion celebrates the life and work of Len Lye and his longstanding relationship with Aotearoa, Taranaki and the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery. Alongside vintage footage of the artist and interviews with experts in hi art, Master of Motion includes a wealth of recently uncovered archival materials telling the Len Lye’s story in his own voice. The new 30 minute documentary introduces audiences to the Len Lye story, showcasing his visionary work in film and sculpture, his monumental ambitions for his work beyond his own life and his legacy in the Len Lye Centre.

Sir Noël Coward grew up in poverty and left school when he was only nine years old. He was queer in a very straight world. And yet by the age of 30, he was the highest paid writer in the world, and a star on the Broadway stage. He wrote, directed and acted in some of the finest plays and movies of all time, including Private Lives, Blithe Spirit, Brief Encounter and In Which We Serve. He also became a world renowned songwriter and performer of whom Frank Sinatra said, ‘If you want to hear how a song should be sung, go see Mr Noël Coward’. And if that wasn’t enough, he was also a spy during the Second World War! Against all odds, Sir Noël Coward became the most successful multi-talented artist of the Twentieth Century. He defined an era and led an extraordinary life. This is his inspirational story told in his own words and music, and unique home movies. The film features Sir Laurence Olivier, Dame Maggie Smith, Harold Pinter, Frank Sinatra, Lauren Bacall, Sir Michael Caine and Lucille Ball. It is narrated by Alan Cumming, with Rupert Everett as the voice of Sir Noël Coward.

Alongside the exhibition Set Dressing, join us for a one-night-only screening of Sons and Daughters and Homosensual (1985), with artists Fear Brampton and Mark Summerville. These films were first exhibited in the exhibition Queer Pictures, alongside works by Gary Cocker and other gay and lesbian students at Elam School of Fine Arts. Held within the crypt of St. Paul’s Church on Symonds St, Tāmaki Makaurau, Queer Pictures was staged to coincide with the Second Reading of the Homosexual Law Reform Bill, before touring the country the following year. Following the films, join artists Mark Summerville and Fear Brampton in conversation with Set Dressing curator Simon Gennard, as they share insights into the Queer Pictures, queer life in 1980s Tāmaki Makaurau, and histories of queer artistic practice in Aotearoa.

The inspiring story of British farmers standing up against the industrial food system and transforming the way they produce food - to heal the soil, benefit our health and provide for local communities. Followed by a Community Conversation with special guests.

The Beatles--the world's most famous rock and roll band--travel from their home town of Liverpool to London to perform in a television broadcast. Along the way they find themselves involved in various misadventures. UK, 1964, 87 min., Dir. Richard Lester

A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead. There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation,
 in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.

In London, a wisecracking spy investigates the kidnapping and brainwashing of British scientists while dealing with the constraints of his agency's bureaucracy.

Three women - a duped mail-order bride, a numbed anaesthetist determined to have a romantic weekend, and an empty nester on an unexpected mission of mercy - each navigates her way through an unfamiliar landscape and the contours of the human heart.

The Mountain is a heartfelt drama about three children on a mission to find healing under the watchful eye of Taranaki Mounga (mountain) and discover friendship in the spirit of adventure.