Bread and Tulips

Bread and Tulips
Bread and Tulips poster
Directed by	Silvio Soldini
Produced by	Daniele Maggioni
Written by	Doriana Leondeff Silvio Soldini
Starring	Licia Maglietta Bruno Ganz Giuseppe Battiston Antonio Catania Marina Massironi
Music by	Giovanni Venosta
Cinematography	Luca Bigazzi
Edited by	Carlotta Cristiani
Release date	3 March 2000 (Italy) 27 July 2001 (New York City)
Running time	114 Min
Country	Italy
Language	Italian
Box office	$8,478,434 (INT)

Bread and Tulips or Pane e tulipani is a 2000 romance comedy film directed by Italian Director Silvio Soldini. The movie stars Licia Maglietta and Bruno Ganz as Rosalba Barletta and Fernando Girasole. The film was an official selection at numerous film festivals, including the Cannes Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival.

An Italian housewife of Abruzzo, Rosalba Barletta (Maglietta), finds herself stranded during a family vacation. Instead of waiting for her controlling businessman husband, she hitchhikes her way home, only to impulsively detour to Venice. She finds accommodations with a restaurant maître d', Fernando Girasole (Ganz), and soon finds herself enjoying her new life. Meanwhile, her husband has sent a bumbling plumber who has come for the interview to his company, Costantino (Battiston), as a private detective to find her. After meeting and falling in love with Grazia, Rosalba's neighbor across the hall, Costantino calls Rosalba's husband and quits his detective job, claiming that he is unable to find her. However, her husband's mistress Ketty appears and convinces Rosalba to return to her home in Pescara, as Rosalba's son has taken to drugs during her absence. Considering the vitality of her return to her duties, she abandons her Venice life and returns home to her family. Fernando follows her and persuades her to return to Venice with him. Rosalba realizes her love for Fernando and returns with him to Venice. The movie ends with all the characters dancing gaily to surreal music in the stunning moonlight.

The film was released on July 27, 2001 and grossed $32,933 in the opening weekend. It went on to gross $5,318,679 in the American market and $3,159,755 from the overseas market for a worldwide total of $8,478,434.