Director: Ferzan Özpetek A young man returns to his family’s pasta-making empire in Lecce to come out as gay, only to discover his older brother has the same plan. Tragedy (and comedy) ensues. The romance is a quiet, tender subplot between the protagonist and a local bookshop owner. It features the most joyful dance sequence in Italian cinema.

A charming anthology film that explores the various stages of a relationship: falling in love, the crisis, the betrayal, and the aftermath.

Whether you are looking for a classic crying-on-a-train-station moment, a sun-drenched comedy of errors, or a modern take on digital dating in Rome, this is your definitive guide. Put down the American Hollywood formula; here, love is messy, loud, beautiful, and always served with a side of pasta .

If you want laughs, sunshine, and predictable happy endings, these are for you.

Director: Vittorio De Sica Starring the legendary duo Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni, this film spans decades of a tumultuous relationship. It starts in WWII as a soldier rescues a prostitute, and evolves into a battle of wits as she fakes a deathbed conversion to Catholicism to force him to marry her. It is cynical, explosive, and deeply romantic because they cannot live without each other.