Cecilia Mangini’s first films, written by Pier Paolo Pasolini, screen with one of her last documentaries. Ignoti alla Città and Stendalì: Suonano Ancora are “Formula 10” documentaries, which were popular in post-war Italy. Shot on one 35mm film roll, they were cost-effective films that addressed social issues. Both shorts contrast the conventional images of Italy’s post-war boom: the first in its unflinching look at life after the fall of fascism, and the second in its frank depiction of funeral rituals in southern Italy.  

Two Forgotten Boxes, co-directed with Paolo Pisanelli, is a fascinating documentary that plays with time and memory. When, in her 90s, Mangini found two boxes of photos she took in Vietnam in 1965, the images trigger lost memories that continue to influence her present. 

Two Forgotten Boxes  
Directors: Cecilia Mangini, Paolo Pisanelli. Cast: Cecilia Mangini, Camille Gendreau, Stéphane Batut. 2020. 58 min. Italy. B&W and Color. Italian, French. DCP. 

Ignoti alla Città  
Director: Cecilia Mangini. 1958. 12 min. Italy. B&W. Italian. DCP.  

Stendalì: Suonano Ancora
Director: Cecilia Mangini. 1960. 11 min. Italy. Color. Italian. DCP. 

All film screenings of Rare Takes: The Works of Cecilia Mangini are available here.