A Surprising Visit

Yesterday, I had the chance to go to the Hollywood of Italy. Cincecitta is the largest film studio in Europe and is a hub of Italian cinema but is slowly gaining ground on an international level. It takes up about 100 acres of land and has played a role in many productions over the year. This trip to the studios came as a byproduct of my English class here in Rome. We are focusing on travel writing and more recently, travel documentaries. We have watched and read about a few movies that were made at Cinecitta and the process of using a documentary/movie/television as an argument for something that you care about.

Going into the visit to Cinecitta, I did not have many thoughts about it. I have never been to a film studio and just thought it was going to be a bunch of empty buildings with some sets and props to look at. I was absolutely shocked at how the place looked and how space was used. Cinecitta opened its doors to the public eight years ago which allowed them to establish a gift shop, coffee bar, permanent museum, and space for kids to learn and explore. The main part of Cinecitta is the actual studios, permanent sets, and places for the actors and actresses. This part is behind closed doors unless you have a guided tour, which luckily, we did! Our tour guide was a very knowledgeable woman who has lived in Italy all her life.

I was so astonished by the working part of Cinecitta. The studios where they shot hundreds if not thousands of cinematic pieces were so cool to see. I felt like a movie star walking through all the areas. We got to go inside theatre one where we experienced a completely soundproof room. It was the first time in months where I have experienced the same level of quiet as my home in the Northwest corner of Minnesota. We then had some fun talking really loud and yelling. This may sound silly, but the soundproofing makes it, so the sound immediately ends and there is no echo. As we moved through the place, we saw a few actors in full costume taking a lunch break. I could only imagine what they were producing. Cinecitta is also unique as it has a number of permanent sets and a huge lagoon. These permanent sets have been used in many well-known shows and replicate the Roman Forum in the time of Caesar, a Jewish synagogue where young Jesus would have been in, and neighborhoods of New York City, and more. These places truly transported all of us into all of those time periods.

Cinecitta made me appreciate the cinematic industry a lot more. I was not at all expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. This amazing break from my everyday schedule was a release that I did not know that I needed. It did downpour during our tour but afterward, the sun shone through the clouds and there was an amazing sunset. I am taking this as a sign that even though my life might be tough and in a rocky point right now as the semester winds down to an end, there is a brighter end coming and it will be beautiful once the light comes through.

“Cinecitta is a symbolic and beautiful fortress: outside is hell, while inside its walls fairy tales are told, sometimes sour, sometimes sweet, sometimes funny” -Marcello Mastroianni