Cinema Paradiso

Cinema Paradiso follows Salvatore, a successful Italian filmmaker who returns home after learning of the death of Alfredo, the projectionist who shaped his love of cinema. Through rich flashbacks set in a small Sicilian village, the film tenderly explores friendship, first love, and the bittersweet passage of time. It stands as a timeless celebration of the magic of movies and the people who inspire us.

• Director Giuseppe Tornatore based the story on his own childhood memories.
• The film won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1990.
• Ennio Morricone composed the beloved score with his son Andrea Morricone.
• The original cut was nearly three hours long before theatrical release.
• Philippe Noiret learned his Italian lines phonetically for the role.

• Whatever you end up doing, love it. The way you loved the projection booth when you were a little squirt.
• Out of the fire of love come ashes. Even the greatest love eventually fizzles out.
• Living here day by day, you think it's the center of the world. You believe nothing will ever change.
• Don't come back. Don't think about us. Don't look back. Don't write. Don't give in to nostalgia.
• Life isn't like in the movies. Life is much harder.