1963, Italy-France, Language: Italian-French-English-German, Subtitles: Hungarian and English (138’); Screening: 09.07, 18.00, Toldi Cinema, Nagyterem

Asa Nisi Masa – this is the most famous nonsense phrase in film history. It probably derives from one of Federico Fellini’s dreams, just like the entire film 8½; and not only the storyline but as a matter of fact the story of completing 8½, not forgetting the figures, images and atmosphere. Fellini went to a famous student of Jung for analysis, and this doctor encouraged him to write down his dreams. This dream list that can still be accessed and researched today formed the basis of numerous Fellini films, primarily Casanova and this film. The numerous memorable scenes from the movie – Mastroianni cracking a whip, the curvaceous tobacconist, the circle dance interpretable as a danse macabre at the end of the film – live virtually independently of the film, as does the magical word Asa Nisi Masa with its associations to the magical word for ‘soul’.

Directed by: Federico Fellini
Screenplay by: Federico Fellini, Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, Brunello Rondi
Director of photography: Gianni Di Venanzo
Music by: Nino Rota
Cast: Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée, Sandra Milo, Rossella Falk, Barbara Steele
Genre: drama
Production: Cineriz, Francinex
Format: black and white, 1.85:1

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