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 Two of My Voyage to Italy surveys the work of Luchino Visconti, who brought an operatic sensibility to narrative film, Federico Fellini, who emerged from neo-realism to create a unique blend of autobiography and fantasy; and Michelangelo Antonioni, whose work explores alienation and despair in modern society. 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