The Garden That Doesn't Exist

A gentle, wistful stroll through literature and memory, blending history and fiction into a quiet meditation on a place that only exists in imagination.

Directed by

Rä di Martino

Genres

Documentary, Tv movie

Starring

Dominique Sanda, Giorgio Bassani, Vittorio De Sica

Overview

Once upon a time there was a garden, a refuge, a safe haven - 'The Garden of the Finzi Continis'. It came to life in Giorgio Bassani's 1962 semi-autobiographical novel recounting an unfulfilled love story between two young Jews in Ferrara, while fascism was raging in Italy in the late 1930's. In 1972, Vittorio De Sica's film adaptation of the book won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. Since then, the fictional space of the garden became so tangible that people from all over the world come to Ferrara to look for it. Fifty years after winning the Oscar, reality and fiction come together once more, as we walk through an imaginary garden and bring to life the book, its author, its main protagonists, history, love, friendships and betrayals.

How it feels

Melancholic, warm, earnest and romantic. Measured and needs your attention.

About

Memory, love, identity, art

Content

Mild violence, sexual content and language. No gore.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer (opens in a new tab)