Nights of Cabiria

Cabiria, a sex worker in Rome, repeatedly rebuilds her hope after betrayal and humiliation. Encounters with a film star, a religious procession, a hypnotist, and a seemingly earnest accountant renew her desire for affection and a different life.

Giulietta Masina's walk, chin, eyes, and sudden smiles make hope feel courageous rather than naive. Rome's streets, processions, nightclubs, fields, and performance spaces carry Cabiria through shifting social worlds.