Hotelrome.net Blog : A guide to news and events in Rome

 

The hey days of Rome’s cinema greatness may have ended more than 30 years ago but Italians still like their cinema and film festivals. The Romans especially have a fondness for cinema and they do also appreciate foreign films (as long as they are all dubbed).

 

 

 

At the moment on Tiberina Island a film festival is being held until the 1st weekend in September. The legend of the island says it was formed when the evil Etruscan king, Tarquinas Superbus, was thrown into the river after he was killed and all the sediment and sand accumulated around his body and formed the island mass. Today there is a hospital located on the island, built on the remains of an old temple. There are 2 bridges which connect the island to the mainland. One of them is the oldest bridge in Rome which was built around 62 BC.

 

The island is a perfect place to go because it is still near the centre and also the Trastevere quarter.  So you can always go for a bite to eat before or after the film. The film festival isn’t the only place to go if you want to relaxe and see a movie. There are a few cinemas which have screens which show films in English. One is very near the hotel, Warner Village Moderno, in Piazza della Republica. It usually costs around 5 euros for a ticket, which isn’t too bad. The other one, Metropolitan, is on Via del Corso closest to Piazza del Popolo. They are usually open from around 6 or 7 in the evening. They are also especially nice to go to now because they are air conditioned.