Odessa in Flames

Director:
Carmine Gallone

One of the masterpieces of European cinema during WWII, Odessa in Flames has been thought lost forever until a few years ago. The old 35mm copy was found in one of the archives of the Cinecitta studio and then it was restored and remastered. The film stars famous Romanian opera singer Maria Cebotari, who plays the part of Maria Teodorescu, an opera singer who gets stuck in Chişinău during the 1940 Soviet invasion of Bessarabia, then part of Romania. Her 8 year-old son is taken to a camp in Odessa (today - in Ukraine), and, in order to be able to see him again, she has to earn her living by singing in bars, taverns and theatres.

Festivals: Venice 1942

Awards: Biennale Award - Venice 1942

Screenings
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Director:
Carmine Gallone
Cast:
Maria Cebotari
Carlo Ninchi
Filippo Scelzo
Olga Solbelli
Silvia Dumitrescu
Country:
Italia, România
Running time:
12h:00m
Section:
TIFF Edition:
2011