Umberto D.

Vittorio De Sica’s heartbreaking classic about a destitute old man in Rome, trying to survive with only his faithful dog Flike for company.

Vittorio De Sica’s heartbreaking fable about a destitute old man in Rome, trying to survive with only his faithful dog Flike for company. Following his two famous neorealist classics that centred more on youth (Shoeshine, Bicycle Thieves), De Sica took on the story of an older protagonist, focusing on the forgotten older generation often left behind during post-war Italy’s rapid redevelopment.

Martin Scorsese lovingly dissected the final act of the film in his documentary on Italian cinema, My Voyage to Italy, and Ingmar Bergman declared De Sica’s great film to be his favourite of all time.