Some films you watch. Others you sit with. And then there are films like Elisa – the kind that follow you home, settle into your bones, and refuse to leave.
I had the privilege of watching Leonardo Di Costanzo’s latest film at the BFI Southbank on 7 March 2026, as part of the glorious Cinema Made in Italy festival. But here’s the thing that still makes me the day after: I didn’t just…
If Fuori left me thinking about Valeria Golino’s extraordinary range, then La Gioia – which I also caught during the Cinema Made in Italy festival – confirmed something I’ve long suspected: this woman is incapable of playing it safe.
Directed by Nicolangelo Gelormini and released in Italy on 12 February 2026, La Gioia (which translates to “The Joy”) is a very different beast…
Sometimes, the universe sends you little signs. And for me, one of those signs arrived in Piazza del Popolo, Rome,von 16th July 2024.
It was scorching. I’m talking melt-your-gelato-in-seconds, seek-shade-or-perish, Roman summer at its most glorious and most unforgiving. My son Diego and I were doing what any sensible people do in such heat – wandering through one of Rome’s most beautiful…
There’s something magical about watching a film on the big screen. Now imagine watching it alongside the very people who brought it to life – directors, screenwriters, and actors who can answer your questions the moment the credits roll.
That’s the gift of Cinema Made in Italy, and it’s returning to London for its 16th edition.
From Wednesday 4 March, the BFI Southbank will transform…
Sergio Caputo, the Roman singer?songwriter with a singular blend of jazz, pop, bossa nova and poetic wit, brought his charismatic show to the Istituto di Cultura Italiana last Thursday. While the venue was far from intimate – and occasional technical sound problems briefly disturbed the show – Caputo’s musicality and storytelling still carried the evening with delightfully off?kilter…
I went to see Moulin Rouge! Il Musical at the Sistina Chapiteau in Rome on 1 February 2026 with my dear friend Donatella, and let me tell you, it was pure, unadulterated magic from start to finish. Goosebumps. Hair-on-end. The kind of night where you can’t stop smiling, singing along (yes, we were those people), and feeling completely transported.
First of all, the venue itself is a…
I landed in Rome on 31 January with barely enough time to swap airport mode for theatre mode. A few hours earlier I’d been in London; by that evening I was dashing through the streets of the Eternal City towards Teatro Sistina, heart racing, coat flapping, thinking: this is either madness… or magic.
Tootsie at Teatro Sistina, Rome – Monica Costa with Paolo Conticini and Mauro…
If you are in Rome for work, pleasure, or travelling solo or with family, Impressionismo e oltre, Impressionism & beyond, Capolavori dal Detroit Institute of Arts, currently on display at the Museo dell’Ara Pacis, is one of those exhibitions that genuinely elevates your stay. I recently visited while in the city for work (and pleasure!) and was struck not only by the quality of the works on…
If you’re looking for a cultural moment to feed your mind and soul, Claudio Parmiggiani’s powerful new exhibition at the Estorick Collection of Modern Italian Art in Highbury & Islington in collaboration with the Consulate General of Italy in London is a must-see – and, yes, even for busy mums needing a quiet moment of introspection.
Italian artist Claudio Parmiggiani (b. 1943), one of…
London’s legendary Troubadour, a venue where the echoes of Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, and Paul Simon still seem to hum through the wooden beams, welcomed a new addition to its storied musical lineage on 6 May 2025: Marco Ligabue. In doing so, Ligabue became the first Italian artist to ever grace this sacred stage. And what a debut it was – an evening brimming with passion, cultural fusion, and…