Page "Cinema of Italy" Paragraph 3

Between 1911 and 1919, Italy was the first country to start a new avant-garde movement in the cinema production, inspired by the Futurism movement in that country.

The 1916 Manifesto of Futuristic Cinematography was signed by Filippo Marinetti, Armando Ginna, Bruno Corra, Giacomo Balla and others.

To the futurists, cinema was an ideal art form, being a fresh medium, and able to be manipulated by speed, special effects and editing.

Most of the futuristic-themed films of this period have been lost, but critics cite Thais by Anton Giulio Bragaglia ( 1917 ) as one of the most influential, serving as the main inspiration for the upcoming German Expressionist cinema.