Mariangela Melato

This Palme d’Or winner at Cannes 1972 is a searing portrayal of factory life. Directed by Elio Petri and starring Gian Maria Volonté, who plays a worker whose injury triggers a political awakening. With sharp cinematography and a haunting Morricone score, the film is a cornerstone of Italian militant cinema and labor critique.

Giancarlo Giannini shines in this satirical comedy directed by Lina Wertmüller. Mimi, a Sicilian laborer, gets caught between communism, mafia, and his own romantic entanglements. A biting critique of political hypocrisy and masculinity, the film earned Wertmüller acclaim at Cannes and cemented her status as a leading voice in 1970s European cinema.