June 23 Lecture "Gelächter im Gepäck: Italienische Emigration in der Commedia all'Italiana" by Antonio Salmeri (University of Innsbruck)

The lecture sheds light on the interaction between the heyday of the Italian economic miracle and the simultaneous end of the last great emigration cycle in the late 1950s to early 1970s. The focus is on the Commedia all'Italiana, probably Italy's most successful film genre, which brought the rapid social transformations, new consumer cultures and the often suppressed dark sides of labor migration to the screen. For the first time in film history, the myths and clichés of emigration were debunked and critically reflected upon through satirical exaggeration and the use of tragicomic "anti-heroes". Using concise film examples, we will show how this modern, rebellious genre cinema combined political aspirations with commercial success and still shapes the collective Italian memory today.

WHEN? Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 16:40-18:10
WHERE? BSS 117, Strehlener Straße 22-24, 01069 Dresden

We look forward to your participation!