We the Living
Alida Valli Fosco Giachetti Rossano Brazzi
Directed by
Goffredo Allesandrini
Based on the Novel by
Ayn Rand
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We the Living Now!
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Starring Alida Valli Fosco Giachetti Rossano Brazzi
Directed by Goffredo Allesandrini
Based on the Novel by Ayn Rand
See We the Living now!
The Story
We the Living is based on Ayn Rand’s first novel and was drawn from her experiences in the turbulent years following the Russian Revolution.
It tells the story of Kira, a defiant young college student who meets a fugitive. The two fall in love and together embark on a fierce struggle to survive under a heartless, oppressive system. When a Soviet secret police agent also falls in love with Kira, the lives of all three intertwine and spiral toward disaster.
An epic story of the unconquerable in the human spirit, We the Living is at its core a blazing declaration of the right of every human being to live free.
The Story
We the Living is based on Ayn Rand’s first novel and was drawn from her experiences in the turbulent years following the Russian Revolution.
It tells the story of Kira, a defiant young college student who meets a fugitive. The two fall in love and together embark on a fierce struggle to survive under a heartless, oppressive system. When a Soviet secret police agent also falls in love with Kira, the lives of all three intertwine and spiral toward disaster.
An epic story of the unconquerable in the human spirit, We the Living is at its core a blazing declaration of the right of every human being to live free.
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The Backstory
We the Living was produced in Rome, Italy during World War II. It was based on the semi-autobiographical novel by Ayn Rand (The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged), and draws from actual conditions and events the author observed while growing up in the Soviet Union.
Rand had not authorized the film, and due to the war, had no knowledge of its production.
Cast in the film were Italian screen legends Alida Valli (The Third Man), Rossano Brazzi (South Pacific) and Fosco Giachetti (Brothers Karamazoff). It was directed by Goffredo Allesandrini.
Premiering at the Venice Film Festival in 1942, We the Living was hailed as a cinematic masterpiece. In theaters it was an immediate box office sensation and became the top-grossing film in Italy in 1942.
The powerful story captured the hearts of Italians and, unexpectedly, rallied resistance against the Fascist Party then in control of the country. However, the privations depicted in the movie were uncomfortably close to conditions in Italy, and within months of its premiere, the movie was banned and ordered destroyed by Dictator Benito Mussolini.
But at great risk, the filmmakers had the negatives secretly hidden away. When they were finally rediscovered decades later, Rand authorized the release of this version.
We the Living – the 80th Anniversary Restoration is the first-ever restoration of this film classic.
Two and a half years were devoted to removing dust, scratches, and other flaws from every frame of the movie. Once again, audiences will experience this beautiful film much as moviegoers saw it at the 1942 Venice Film Festival.
We the Living - 80th Anniversary Restoration
EVENTS
To celebrate the 80th anniversary of its release, We the Living was fully restored and began a worldwide tour, bringing the film to audiences across Europe, North and South America, and beyond.
From New York and Washington, DC, to London, Madrid, Belgrade, Kyiv, Reykjavík, Tbilisi, Buenos Aires, and Skopje, the restored film has been presented in numerous cities and countries, reaching audiences through public screenings, film festivals, and special events.
In 2027, We the Living will make its Australian premiere, extending the international celebration to a new continent.
The restoration producers are extremely grateful for the many donors and supporters who made the 80th anniversary restoration and release possible!
