La Nuit Italienne

Overview

Rome, 1924.

As Italy gradually descends into fascism, Giulia Diacalone refuses to conform to the world that others are trying to impose on her. Passionate about painting and literature, independent and rebellious, she grows up in a society where allegiance to the regime is gradually becoming mandatory.

A few years later, in the heart of Rome’s art circles—dominated by the influence of Margherita Sarfatti, Mussolini’s former mistress—Giulia finds herself confronted with both the allure of power and its dangers. Torn between her love for an anti-fascist painter and her attraction to Italo Balbo, a leading figure in the regime, she sees her life intertwined with the upheavals of her time.

Through her journey, Nicole Fabre takes us behind the scenes of 1930s Rome, between artistic creation, propaganda, political ambitions, and the rising dangers that would lead Europe toward war.