Cinema as an Experience of Languages and Cultures

The lights get dim, the screen lights up, and the first words resonate in a language other than your own. This is the inspiration behind the Movies & Languages Film Festival, a now traditional event organized by the Bocconi Language Center since 2003. This year, the festival kicks off on October 8 with Yorgos Lanthimos' Kinds of Kindness, a dark drama comedy in English. 

“The Movies & Languages Film Festival offers Bocconi students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to blend learning and entertainment: free screenings of films in their original language with subtitles, introductions by native-speaking teachers, and supporting materials guide viewers on a journey through different languages and cultures, turning the cinema experience into an educational and engaging one,” says Gaia Telloni, Language Center Coordinator. “Over the years, we have successfully screened many films in English, Italian, French, Spanish, and German, covering a range of genres and offering participants the opportunity to enhance their language skills in a relaxed, informal, and stimulating environment.”

Each film is introduced by a teacher and followed by a discussion with the audience. In addition, participants can download a language sheet with a glossary and points for reflection, so that viewing the film also becomes an active listening exercise. It is a way to go beyond subtitles, learn to pick up on inflections and registers, and experience the language in its natural musicality.

The fall 2025 program offers four events, all at 6:30 p.m. in the Franceschi Hall and reserved free of charge for the Bocconi community with mandatory online registration.