Od–Jazd Film Club Meeting: Bicycle Thieves

Film screening and discussion as part of the meetings of the film club Od-jazd.

The Bicycle Thieves, a timeless masterpiece of Italian neorealism and irrefutable proof that even a completely simple story can become a pretext for a human drama that moves to the depths. Not long after the Second World War, unemployment is high in Rome. Antonio and Maria are a young married couple struggling to find a livelihood. When Antonio finally finds employment putting up posters, it turns out that in order to do this job he needs his own bicycle. Unfortunately, the vehicle, collected from the pawnshop, is stolen on the very first day of work. Desperate, Antonio and his son Bruno start searching for the missing bicycle so as not to lose their family's livelihood.

Awarded a special honorary Oscar, Vittorio de Siki's film is one of the flagship works of Italian neorealism. Alongside the heartbreaking tragedy of an ordinary man driven to desperation by his economic situation, Bicycle Thieves is also a remarkable portrait of the social reality of post-war Italy. The psychological plausibility of family relationships is astonishing, and the social commentary touches generations of viewers with its topicality.

What features of Italian neorealism can we find in the film? Why were the leading roles not played by professional actors? How does Bicycle Thieves compare to other films by Vittorio de Siki? - A meeting with club expert Diana Dąbrowska will attempt to answer these and many other questions. The discussion after the screening will be an opportunity to ask questions and share your own interpretation of the film.