Six Italian legends spill their debut anxieties — turns out even masters sweat their first cut.
Opera Prima is a tribute and a journey through the evolution that cinema has had in Italy. Tayu Vlietstra, a pupil of Bertolucci, carries out an investigation on the first work of six of the most authoritative and beloved Italian directors. The result is an unpublished and precious document that reveals the emotions and expectations of directors grappling with their cinematic debut. Mario Monicelli, Bernardo Bertolucci, Lina Wertmüller, Marco Bellocchio, Liliana Cavani and Francesca Archibugi offer a still current evolution on the needs and difficulties of making cinema in our country.
Direction
Vlietstra channels Bertolucci's patient, probing interview style.
Editing
Juxtaposes archival footage with fresh reflections seamlessly.
Director
Tayu Vlietstra
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Vlietstra secured interviews with all six directors across three years, catching Monicelli shortly before his death in 2010.
The film serves as a time capsule of Italian cinema's generational bridge — from postwar neorealism's last gasp to the 1990s new wave.
IT
