In postwar Rome, director Roberto Rossellini and playwright Sergio Amidei discover they have the same dream—to make a film about the Romans’ experiences under German occupation. After a breakthrough with some extraordinary documentary footage, the challenging production of Rome, Open City begins.

With Rome, Open City, Roberto Rossellini sought to capture the realities of working-class life in the newly liberated Italian capital. Made to commemorate the film’s 50th anniversary, Carlo Lizzani’s fascinating historical drama charts the birth of neorealism and the making of an immortal classic.