In Martin Scorsese's documentary Il Mio Viaggio In Italia (My Voyage to Italy, 1999), the celebrated American director shares his insights into Italian filmmaking as the on-air host of the two-part documentary that profiles Italy's most acclaimed directors including Vittorio De Sica (The Bicycle Thief, 1948) and Federico Fellini (8 1/2, 1963). Hosted, co-written and directed by Scorsese, the documentary is part informative introduction to Italian cinema, part tribute to some of its greatest films and filmmakers and part autobiography of Scorsese.

Part One of My Voyage to Italy concentrates on the neo-realism of Roberto Rossellini and Vittorio De Sica, and the impact of those films on Italian filmmaking. My Voyage to Italy, given a special screening at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival, features film clips and personal photos and footage to present a passionate look at the Italian movies that helped form Scorsese, the son of Italian-American parents, as a filmmaker and as a person.

by Roger Fristoe