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KARACHI: The Italian Consulate in Karachi held a special screening of distinguished filmmaker Ettore Scola’s film La Famiglia (The Family) at a local multiplex as part of its Fare Cinema 2026 (Italian Cinema Week).
Two films were slated to be shown at the event, the second one being Scola’s La Cena (The Dinner), which was screened on Wednesday evening.
Before the film was screened, the Consul General of Italy, Fabrizio Bielli addressed the audience. He said this year is the ninth edition of the festival. It intends to promote Italian cinema abroad, highlighting the excellence of all professions in the sector, from directors to set designers.
“The consulate of Italy decided to bring the remarkable work of Ettore Scola for the people of Karachi by showcasing two of his greatest films. The first is La Famiglia, which was made in 1987. The second is La Cena, which will be shown on Aug 12. It was made in 1998.
“Ettore Sola was born on May 10, 1931 and died in Rome in 2016 at the age of 84. He was one of the most important Italian directors and screenwriters, a cornerstone of Italian comedy and socially committed cinema,” he said.
“In his career spanning more than 50 years, he has recounted the historical, political and social changes in Italy with an ironic, melancholic and profoundly humanistic gaze. I want to share with all of you two movies from Italian filmology, and you will see [they] bring the concept of family unity. Scola wanted to enclose in two distinct but limited spaces the families and their homes.”
Mr Bielli said through the films the importance given to family life in Italy is emphasised. “We share and find the same concept here in Pakistan: family, home, restaurants and similar settings… The concept on which the entire circle of life is interwoven.”
After the speech, La Famiglia was shown. It is a well worked-out movie, with comedic touches and moments of sadness, focusing on the life of a professor Carlo, played by Vittorio Gassman, covering eight decades of his family. The film is set in a single apartment.
The second film, La Cena, uses the setting of a restaurant to reveal the complexities of human relationships and social interaction.
The annual event celebrates Italian cinema worldwide, showcasing the country’s rich cinematic heritage and recognising the excellence of professionals across the film industry — from directors and screenwriters to actors, set designers, and technicians.
Published in Dawn, August 13th, 2026
