Rai rebroadcasts 1968 'Odissea' ahead of Nolan's film

Ahead of Christopher Nolan's 'Odissea' film release on July 16, Rai is re-airing its celebrated 1968 television adaptation of Homer's epic. The series, directed by Franco Rossi, was a landmark in Italian public broadcasting, combining educational goals with cinematic ambition. It first aired on March 24, 1968, on Rai's Programma Nazionale (later Rai 1), consisting of eight episodes introduced by poet Giuseppe Ungaretti (those introductions are now lost). The production was a co-production with France and Germany and was Rai's first color production, though Italian viewers had to wait until 1977 to see it in color. Starring Bekim Fehmiu as Odysseus and Irene Papas as Penelope, the series was praised for its fidelity to Homer's text, using Rosa Calzecchi Onesti's translation. Filming took place in Croatia and along the Lazio coast from spring 1967 to February 1968. The series is available on RaiPlay and airs on Rai Storia until July 23. Contemporary reviews from Corriere della Sera and La Stampa's Ugo Buzzolan commended its naturalistic approach and accessibility.