Ischia Global Fest 2026: LA MANCANZA and IL GIARDINO DEI FINZI CONTINI

Piazza Marina Casamicciola

9:30 PM – La Mancanza by Lina Sastri (18 min) – Introduction by director Lina Sastri.
Followed by The Garden of the Finzi-Continis by Vittorio De Sica (94 min) – Introduction by actor Fabio Testi.

SYNOPSIS

The Garden of the Finzi-Continis is a 1970 film based on Giorgio Bassani’s novel of the same name and directed by Vittorio De Sica.
A wealthy and aristocratic Jewish family from Ferrara is excluded, due to the racial laws, from the local tennis club and, more broadly, from the social life of the city. They therefore decide to allow their children Alberto and Micol (Dominique Sanda) to play inside the vast garden of their estate with their friends Giorgio (Lino Capolicchio), the son of a Jewish merchant, and Giampiero (Fabio Testi), a Milanese communist.
It is in this very garden that Giorgio falls in love with Micol, unaware that she feels nothing more than friendly affection toward him. As time passes, the racial laws become increasingly harsh, preventing the young people—now university students—from continuing their studies normally.
For this reason, once again, the Finzi-Continis welcome Giorgio into their home, allowing him to use their library in order to help him complete his thesis. Meanwhile, Micol returns from Venice, where she has managed to finish her studies and has begun a secret romantic relationship.
Knowing of her return, Giorgio finally decides to confess his love to her. But soon, all youthful concerns and frivolities suddenly lose their importance, and the wealth and privilege of the Finzi-Continis no longer seem able to offer protection.
The anti-Jewish laws grow even more severe: some men leave for the front, some are captured by the Nazi-Fascists, and others manage to escape…