by InTrieste
To celebrate Italy’s Made in Italy Day, Netflix is showcasing a curated selection of iconic Italian films through May 15, paying tribute to the country’s legacy of creativity, craft skills, and cinematic innovation.
The national holiday—observed on April 15 and launched in 2023—marks the birthday of Leonardo da Vinci (1452), the Renaissance polymath whose name is synonymous with Italian genius. This year, the festivities continue well beyond the official date, with Netflix offering global audiences a chance to revisit some of Italy’s most influential films.
At the heart of the streaming lineup are three neorealist classics by Roberto Rossellini: Roma città aperta (1945), Paisà(1946), and Germania anno zero (1948). The restored version of Roma città aperta, celebrating its 80th anniversary in 2025, remains a defining film of postwar European cinema.
Federico Fellini’s surreal and sweeping visions are also central to the collection, with La Dolce Vita (1960) and 8½ (1963) offering an intimate look at fame, decadence, and artistic struggle in mid-century Italy.
Luchino Visconti’s Il Gattopardo (1963), based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s acclaimed novel, anchors the historical drama offerings. A visual feast and political meditation, the film also serves as the inspiration for an upcoming Netflix miniseries.
From the dusty frontier of the spaghetti western—Sergio Leone’s A Fistful of Dollars (1964), starring Clint Eastwood and Gian Maria Volonté—to the streets of Rome with Alberto Sordi’s Un americano a Roma (1954), the collection spans genres and generations. Comedy classics like Un giorno in pretura (1954) and Fantozzi (1975), starring Paolo Villaggio as the unlucky office worker Ugo Fantozzi, round out the lighter side of the lineup.
Roberto Benigni and Massimo Troisi, both beloved for their comic brilliance, are also featured. Titles include Non ci resta che piangere (1984), Johnny Stecchino (1991), Life is Beautiful (1997), and Ricomincio da tre (1981), highlighting Italy’s enduring ability to blend humor with heart.
More recent Italian cinema is represented by Gabriele Salvatores’ Oscar-winning Mediterraneo (1991), Marco Tullio Giordana’s I cento passi (2000), and Paolo Sorrentino’s visually stunning La grande bellezza (2013), which captured the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 2014.
The collection is a rich cross-section of Italian film history—one that reflects not only the evolution of cinema but also the enduring influence of Italian storytelling on the global stage.
Netflix users have until May 15 to explore the collection and celebrate the artistry that defines Made in Italy.
