Naples ’44

A Re-Imagining of a British Soldier's Memoirs

In 1943 a young British officer, Norman Lewis, entered a war-torn Naples with the American Fifth Army. Lewis began writing down everything that happened to him during his one-year stay, observing the complex social cauldron of a city that contrived unbelievable methods of survival on a daily basis. These notes turned into his masterpiece, a memoir titled NAPLES '44.

Francesco Patierno's new documentary imagines Lewis returning many years later to the city that charmed and seduced him. Combining archival war footage with clips from movies set in Naples from the 1950s and 60s (featuring Marcello Mastroianni, Alan Arkin and Ernest Borgnine) we see a thrilling and unpredictable parade of unforgettable stories and characters. But this unusual and riveting evocation of a timeless city is also a powerful condemnation of the horrors of war, whether just or unjust.

Nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay at the David di Donatello Awards.

"This is a film that must be seen more than once." - Lisa Jo Sagolla, Film Journal International