My Cinema Ritrovato 2025

Last year, we only got to experience the Il Cinema Ritrovato film festival in Bologna for two days—so this time, we came back for a whole week.

The films are always great, but so is the city so there’s more than enough things to see or do. And even though we didn’t purchase the 140 EUR festival pass (maybe next year?), we got to enjoy all those magical screenings on Piazza Maggiore with hundreds of other film lovers, with Basilica di San Petronio and other gorgeous buildings framing our open air cinema.

It’s not my intention to do a big report, just share some of my favourite Bologna moments and show a few photos.

One of many cyclists in Bologna, checking out the festival schedule.

Piazza Maggiore, Basilica and the big screen.

Favourite moments

Watching a restored One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest

Paul Zaentz gave a powerful anti-Trump speech before the screening, earning big applause from a packed Piazza Maggiore. Even though we were sitting on the hard (and warm) stone floor, it was a magical way to start our week in Bologna.

A centenary screening of The Gold Rush

Seeing Chaplin’s The Gold Rush on Piazza Maggiore exactly 100 years to the day since its premiere in 1925 was unforgettable. There was live orchestral music, and Chaplin’s grandchildren were reportedly in the audience. The whole evening felt like a dream and ended with a standing ovation.

Lucio Corsi in concert

Nothing to do with cinema, but we went to see Lucio Corsi live. We’ve become huge fans since discovering him at this year’s Sanremo Festival (and later Eurovision). The fact that he was performing in Bologna the same week we were there felt like destiny. The only downside? Missing another Jack Nicholson screening (Five Easy Pieces) on Piazza Maggiore. But hey—you can’t win them all.

Budget-defying vintage film poster shopping

We walked into the Il Cinema Ritrovato book fair and the Cineteca Bologna shop with zero plans to buy anything... and left with a giant original La Ragazza poster, a (slightly less giant) Blow Up, and several smaller reprints we just couldn’t resist. We don’t own enough walls to place them, but that’s something we decided to ignore.