The traditional "Rendezvous with Italian Cinema," which is eagerly awaited by moviegoers, kicked off at the Istanbul Italian Cultural Center, showcasing the latest productions of Italian contemporary cinema.

After two years of hiatus due to COVID-19, the event "Rendezvous with Italian Cinema" took its place in the movie theaters, offering a feast of quality examples of contemporary cinema directed by Italian directors.

Organized under the auspices of the Italian Embassy and the Consulate General of Italy in Istanbul, in cooperation with the Istanbul Italian Cultural Center and Cinecitta, the screenings took place in the magnificent art déco hall of the Cultural Center at Casa d'Italia in Pera, Beyoğlu.

Thanks to the cooperation with the Cinematheque/Cinema House, the films will also be able to be watched at the Onat Kutlar Cinema Hall in the Anatolian part of Istanbul.

The program, which included seven films that were also being screened in Italy, comprised films that screened for the first time in Türkiye, with Turkish subtitles. The selection comprised comedies and dramas from 2022 as part of the most outstanding international festivals, starting with the Venice Film Festival.

The Italian Cultural Center opened its curtain with the "Dry" by Paolo Virzi. The movie revolves around a virus that attacks the lives of humankind, more insidious and dangerous than COVID-19: individualism.

Also, Mario Martone's film "Nostalgia," was screened at the Cannes Film Festival and achieved great success among the public and critics. The film will represent Italy at the "Foreign Feature Film Awards" at the Oscars.

The program also included two extraordinary films. Directed by Francesca Archibugi, based on the novel of the same name by Sandro Veronesi, which won the 2020 Strega Award, "The Hummingbird," portrays a life of a docile man whose past relationships crisscrossed his path along the way.

The program featured "L'immensita," which is the fictional autobiography, musical film of Emanuele Crialese and Niccolo Falsetti's "Margins," which is a comedy between pain and joy, combining the punk subculture with the alienating serenity of late 90s country life, revealing a bitter taste of disappointment about the future.

In the selection, Marta Savina's "The Girl from Tomorrow" unfurls the story of young girl Lia, who reacts to violence with rebellion against the traditions of her time and finds the courage to pave the way for women's struggle.

The closing showcase was Chiara Bellosi's "Swing Ride," the director's second film, which made its world premiere in the Panorama section of Berlinale 2022, showing a tale of harsh growing-up conditions and transformation against the backdrop of corrupt Roman suburbs, depicting the special bond that unites two people at the margins of society.