Winner of the first Oscar for Best Foreign Language film, a category Fellini would win on a further three occasions, the simple and poetic La Strada begins with the young and beautiful Gelsomina (Giulietta Masina) being sold by her mother to a brutish street performer, strongman Zampanó (Anthony Quinn). She becomes his assistant, her naïve eagerness to please met with nothing but cruelty. The two encounter another street performer who goes under the title of ‘the Fool’ (Richard Baseheart), who becomes a rival for Gelsomina’s affections when the three find themselves employed by the same travelling circus. However, the Fool’s constant needling of Zampanó, combined with the jealous and thuggish nature of the latter, ultimately results in tragedy.  

Screening as part of the Federico Fellini retrospective, April 4th to May 10th.