Co-written by Michelangelo Antonioni, Fellini’s solo debut as director features newlyweds Wanda (Brunella Bovo) and Ivan (Leopoldo Trieste) arriving in Rome from their small town for their honeymoon. However, Wanda has a secret agenda for their time in the big city. A devoted fan of ‘The White Sheik’, the central character in a popular series of comic books illustrated with photographs rather than animations, she is determined to meet her idol. However, not all goes to plan as Wanda fends off the Sheik’s advances and Ivan covers for his wife’s absence in this sweet and entertaining romantic comedy. The film marked Fellini’s first collaboration with Nino Rota, and features Giulietta Masina as Cabiria, the prostitute around whom Fellini would build a later film. 

Screening as part of the Federico Fellini retrospective, April 4th to 30th.