The restored version of the film "La Porta del Cielo (the Gates of Heaven)," directed by Vittorio De Sica and screenplay by Cesare Zavattini, first released in cinemas on December 22, 1944, in whose production the Holy See also participated, was screened at the 17th edition of the "Rome Film Fest". The restoration project, highly appreciated - particularly by the event''s president, Gian Luca Farinelli - was supervised by the CAST (Catholicism and Audiovisual Studies) Research Center of the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO, which worked on several projects since 2020 in collaboration with important partners such as Istituto Storico Luce Cinecittà, Società San Paolo and the "Bambino Gesù" Children''s Hospital.
The original film, while not recognized as the most famous work of the De Sica-Zavattini duo, opened the door to a fundamental journey in Italian and world cinematography, those of Neorealism. As early as 1966 there was an attempt to restore "La Porta del Cielo (The Gates of Heaven)", which was presented at the Venice Film Festival; however, lost the original negatives, the surviving materials were in poor condition with unintelligible audio and low quality images. The Research Center of the International Telematic University UNINETTUNO, instead, thanks to the painstaking work of Monsignor Dario Edoardo Viganò and Gianluca della Maggiore, president and director of CAST, respectively, since 2021, created an impeccable technical and cultural operation that culminated not only with the screening of the film during the prestigious Roman festival, but also with the creation of the documentary "Argento Puro (Pure Silver)," directed by Matteo Ceccarelli, a production of the Officina della Comunicazione through which the history of the film is retraced and the restoration operation is recounted in detail. The film features film history scholars, archivists, the restorers themselves and the testimony of Christian De Sica, who recounts what was told about the film in his family.
The project was also made possible thanks to the collaboration of Associazione Officina Cultura e Territorio and the production company Officina della Comunicazione, the first partners in the development of the project. CAST, therefore, carried out an action of promotion and operational coordination by bringing together around a table the stakeholders: the National Film Library of the Experimental Center of Cinematography, in possession of the film materials; the National Presidency of Italian Azione Cattolica, holder of the rights to exploit the film; and Isacem (Istituto per la Storia dell’Azione cattolica e del Movimento Cattolico in Italia Paolo VI)), for scientific support. A fundraising effort was then carried out involving the sponsors AVL, AVL Cultural Foundation, Fabio Varlese and Paolo Golini in the project. Finally, in April 2022, a restoration agreement was signed between Fondazione Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia-Cineteca Nazionale, National Presidency of Italian Azione Cattolica and the Associazione Officina Cultura e Territorio.
The film was screened on Sunday, Oct. 16, and again on Monday, Oct. 17. Also present at the screening of the film was Christian De Sica, Vittorio''s son. "It was my mother Maria Mercader who convinced him to do the directing," the popular artist recounts. "The film, as dad mentioned several times, was a lifeline for many actors, including several Jewish families. After all, "La Porta del Cielo (The Gates of Heaven)" was shot under extreme conditions during the occupation of Rome amid bombings and roundups by Nazi emissaries. To conclude, in addition to the restoration of the film and the publication of the documentary "Argento Puro (Pure Silver)," the project supported by CAST also includes the creation of a volume that will be published during 2023.
International Telematic University UNINETTUNO Press Office
Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 39 – Rome (Italy)
Toll-free number: 800 333 647
Tel.: +39 06 692076.70 (1)
Mail: info@uninettunouniversity.net