Legacy of Monica Vitti Honored at Lincoln Center

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ROME—Few actors have navigated the currents of 20th-century Italian cinema with the agility of Monica Vitti. Born Maria Luisa Ceciarelli in 1931, she became a defining force across both moody modernist films and biting comedies, often flipping expectations about beauty, wit, and female agency. Her early work with Michelangelo Antonioni—most notably in La Notte (1961)—cemented her place in the canon of postwar European film. Those collaborations gave shape to a...

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Her early work with Michelangelo Antonioni—most notably in La Notte (1961)—cemented her place in the canon of postwar European film. Those collaborations gave shape to a cinematic language of distance and disquiet. But Vitti refused to be typecast. By the late ’60s, she pivoted sharply into comic roles, most famously as Assunta Patanè in Mario Monicelli’s La ragazza con la pistola (1968), a revenge comedy with unexpected depth and swagger. Audiences followed.

Across genres, she displayed a gift for physical nuance—whether anchoring a philosophical drama or unraveling in absurdist farce. In films like Ti ho sposato per allegria, La supertestimone, and Io so che tu sai che io so, she captured emotional tones that were often elusive, contradictory, and deeply human.

Now, New York audiences are invited to revisit this full range. Monica Vitti: La Modernista, a 14-film retrospective co-organized by Cinecittà and Film at Lincoln Center, traces her evolution on screen. Several films—newly restored in 4K—are having their world premieres during the run, including La ragazza con la pistola and Io so che tu sai che io so. Screenings take place at FLC through June 19, 2025.

Select Upcoming Screenings – Monica Vitti: La Modernista

Film at Lincoln Center (June 6–19, 2025)

• June 9, 6:30pm – Ti ho sposato per allegria (World Premiere)

• June 10, 8:45pm – Deserto rosso

• June 12, 6:15pm – La supertestimone

• June 15, 7:00pm – Io so che tu sai che io so (World Premiere)

• June 18, 9:00pm – La ragazza con la pistola (Encore)

Companion Exhibit: Posters of Vitti

Furman Gallery at Lincoln Center, through June 19

Open daily during screening hours. Free admission.

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