Life Is Beautiful

Life Is Beautiful (in Italian La Vita è bella) is a 1997 Italian language film which tells the story of an Italian Jew, Guido Orefice (played by Roberto Benigni), who lives in a romantic fairy tale, but must learn how to use that dreamy quality to survive a concentration camp with his young son Joshua (played by Giorgio Cantarini). Guido tries to comfort Joshua by pretending that their imprisonment is just an elaborate game. The film also stars Nicoletta Braschi.

Related Topics:
Italian - 1997 - Roberto Benigni - Concentration camp - Imprisonment - Game - Nicoletta Braschi

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Several key scenes were filmed in the concentration camp at Auschwitz in Poland.

Related Topics:
Auschwitz - Poland

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The movie was written by Vincenzo Cerami and Benigni, and directed by Benigni. Benigni won an Academy Award for Best Actor as well as for Best Foreign Language Film. Its music was written by Nicola Piovani, and performed by his small orchestra; the music earned an Oscar for best original score. It was also nominated for Best Director, Best Film Editing, Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

Related Topics:
Vincenzo Cerami - Academy Award for Best Actor - Best Foreign Language Film - Nicola Piovani - Oscar for best original score - Best Director - Best Film Editing - Best Picture - Best Original Screenplay

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Benigni was publicly praised by Jewish groups for embracing and publicizing the Holocaust. Other praised him for his daring and creative skill to successfully make a sensitive comedy about the tragedy, an artistic challenge that even Charles Chaplin admitted he would not have attempted with The Great Dictator had he known the full horrors commited in Nazi Germany.

Related Topics:
Holocaust - Charles Chaplin - The Great Dictator - Nazi Germany

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