More than fifty years after her death, Anna Magnani continues to embody Italian cinema around the world. The iconic Roman actress—affectionately known as “Nannarella,” who won the Academy Award in 1956 for The Rose Tattoo—is now the subject of a new biographical film titled Anna, directed by and starring Monica Guerritore.
The film was screened at the historic Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles as part of the Los Angeles, Italia – Film, Fashion and Art Festival. It retraces Magnani’s life and career, beginning with the unforgettable night when she waits anxiously for the phone call announcing her Oscar victory.
The story explores her complicated relationship with Cinecittà, the legendary hub of Italian filmmaking, marked by both triumphs and tensions. At its emotional core is her turbulent love affair with director Roberto Rossellini, who eventually left her to marry actress Ingrid Bergman.
Magnani’s life was marked by hardship from the very beginning. Raised by her mother for only a few years, she was later entrusted to her maternal grandmother when her mother moved to Alexandria, Egypt, where she married a wealthy businessman. Magnani also spent years searching for her biological father, a Calabrian nobleman.
She eventually discovered her passion for acting—first on stage and later in cinema—devoting herself completely to the craft and achieving international acclaim.
“Meryl Streep once called her ‘a goddess,’” Guerritore recalled, praising Magnani’s “intensity in her eyes and her absolute commitment to everything she did.”
“No woman embodied strength and resilience like she did,” Guerritore said at the Los Angeles festival. “She fought constantly to defend her talent and her authenticity.”