Screening of The Garden of the Finzi-Continis

Some films earn their place on a repertory calendar, and Vittorio De Sica's The Garden of the Finzi-Continis is one of them. On Wednesday, October 14, The Goldrich Cultural Center screens the drama and follows it with a live conversation. If you are building a list of things to do in Los Angeles this week that goes beyond the usual, a classic film paired with a real discussion is a strong candidate.

When: Wednesday, October 14, 2026, 6:30 to 9:30 PM Where: The Goldrich Cultural Center Price: $10-$18

The film

The movie follows the Finzi-Continis, a noble Jewish family in Ferrara, Italy, as the persecution of the 1930s closes in around them. Dominique Sanda and Helmut Berger star. It won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, and took the Golden Bear, the top prize at the Berlin Film Festival.

De Sica is best remembered for the postwar neorealist work that shaped how cinema looks at ordinary lives. This later picture is quieter and more elegiac. Much of it plays out among tennis games and garden walls, which is exactly why the turn toward danger lands so hard.

The conversation afterward

After the credits, journalist Tom Teicholz will talk with Larry Levi, whose father survived the Holocaust in Italy. That pairing is the reason to go in person rather than stream it at home. Hearing a family's real history set beside the fictional one gives the film a second layer, and the Italian side of the story is far less told than it deserves.

Expect a thoughtful room. The subject is heavy, and the format leaves time for it.

Planning your night

The listing gives a ticket range of $10 to $18, so check the official event page for which price applies to you. It also lists a start of 6:30 PM and a finish around 9:30 PM, which covers the film and the talk. The venue's exact street address is not confirmed in our records, so look it up on the official page before you head out, and leave extra time for parking.

Searching for LA events this weekend or later in the week? This is a midweek option, and a good one if you want something that stays with you after you leave. Browse more upcoming events in Los Angeles through our arts and culture section, and see what else is on across the city.