There are numerous surprises: Vittorio Gassman, for example, is more popular than Sofia Loren; the legendary character Fantozzi and Vittorio De Sica beat out everyone. The great era of socio-political cinema and its protagonists, however, has been nearly forgotten. While, even in Rome, few young people today know who Anna Magnani was.

The project was taken to 90 classes at 30 high schools. The questionnaire’s format was simple. For each title selected in the 100 + 1 list, the students had to indicate whether or not they’d seen or if they at least knew of it; where they’d seen it (cinema, TV, DVD, computer, etc.); if they’d see it again or recommend it to a friend; and if the title sparked their curiosity.

The first results that emerge are the prominence of the great classics of the 1940s, followed by the next decade, with few exceptions (such as "La Dolce Vita", "The Leopard" and "The Great War", but above all widely popular films that are can be seen on TV or originally publicity and classics such as "Fantozzi" (a character immortalized by Paolo Villaggio), by far the most popular, followed by An American in Rome, Big Deal on Madonna Street and the films featuring Don Camillo and Totò).

While Fellini, Pasolini, Rossellini, Mastroianni, Gassman, Alberto Sordi, Claudia Cardinale and, above all, VIttoria De Sica were very known to students, lesser known were Alberto Lattuada, Pietro Germi, Carlo Lizzani and Marco Ferreri. Michelangelo Antonioni and Luigi Comencini were known by just one in six. And while half of the students didn’t who Anna Magnani was, only one of out 10 had heard of Silvana Mangano and one out of 25, Giulietta Masina.

The results were much worse with respect to the 1960s and 70s, which makes it impossible not to assume that such amnesia isn’t due to the media’s radical marginalization of those usually political, films. The results also belie a wholly different kind of relationship with cinema, its history, the way it is consumed and its legends. Which was further proven by the work done by the students who deconstructed, re-edited or, rather, re-mixed classics without a second thought.

What can be gleaned from all this for the project’s next edition will be discussed tomorrow at the Filmmakers Villa. Participants and speakers include Fabio Ferzetti (who launched the manifesto “100+1/One Hundred Films and One Country, Italy” at Venice Days), president the Province of Rome, Nicola Zingaretti; managing director of Cinecittà Luce, Luciano Sovena; and president of Venice Days, Roberto Barzanti.