Siamo Donne
| We, the Women | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Directed by |
Gianni Franciolini Alfredo Guarini Roberto Rossellini Luchino Visconti Luigi Zampa |
| Produced by | Alfredo Guarini |
| Written by |
Cesare Zavattini Luigi Chiarini Giorgio Prosperi Suso Cecchi d'Amico |
| Starring |
Alida Valli Ingrid Bergman Isa Miranda Anna Magnani |
| Music by | Alessandro Cicognini |
| Cinematography | Otello Martelli Gábor Pogány Domenico Scala Enzo Serafin |
| Edited by |
Jolanda Benvenuti Eraldo Da Roma Adriana Novelli Mario Serandrei |
| Distributed by | Titanus Distribuzione (Italy) |
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Release date
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22 October 1953 (Italy) October 1954 (UK) October 6, 1958 (U.S.) |
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Running time
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95 minutes |
| Country | Italy |
| Language | Italian |
We, the Women (also known as Of Life and Love and in Italian: Siamo donne) is a 1953 Italian pormanteau film divided into five segments and directed by five different directors. Four of these segments focus upon alleged events in the private lives of the film actresses Alida Valli, Ingrid Bergman, Isa Miranda, and Anna Magnani. The fifth segment, which is shown as the prologue and titled "Concorso: 4 Attrici; 1 Speranza", is about a casting for the film.
Anna Amendola decides to leave her home to become an actress, even though her mother says that she can not come back if she does. She goes to Titanus film studios, where a casting is taking place to find a girl to be included in a segment of Siamo donne. The contest begins with the girls walking through a line, where they are checked for certain requirements, especially age. The ones who pass this stage are given a meal by the studio, while a spotlight scans through the tables, finding girls for the screen test stage. Amendola passes through these stages. Then, there are a series of screen tests, where several girls are asked questions about their dreams and ambitions. The results of the screen tests are not decided until the next day; therefore, Amendola sleeps at a neighbor's house, since she does not want to go home and forfeit her chances of winning the contest. The next day, she is called up as a finalist, along with Emma Danieli. The story ends with the two finalists about to give interviews.
Alida Valli is invited by her masseuse, Anna, to an engagement party that night. Valli starts her evening by going to a dance, where she dances with a producer and gives a radio interview. However, the dance bores her, which causes her to go to the engagement party. At the engagement party, the guests treat her like a star, which makes her feel like a "freak in a sideshow". Then, she is asked to dance with Anna's fiancé, a railroad engineer. A mutual attraction springs up between the two, which Anna notices. In order to restore Anna's confidence, Alida Valli decides to leave the party immediately. The story ends with Alida Valli being driven away, while little kids are chasing after the car, asking for her autograph.
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Wikipedia