# Italian Cinema for Beginners

**Language:** Italian  
**CEFR Level:** A1  

> Join Francesco and Francesca to learn beginner Italian through classic and modern film scenes, one short conversation at a time. Each lesson trains your ear until you can follow every word and answer back.

**Setting:** At an open-air community cinema in Palermo's historic La Kalsa district, Francesco and Francesca meet weekly to watch classic and contemporary Italian films. They bond over post-screening discussions, comparing the cinematic depiction of food, family, and regional life with their own daily experiences.

## Lessons

### 1. Describing what a movie is about

Francesco and Francesca discuss tonight's movie, and Francesco explains the basic premise of the plot.

### 2. Discussing movie subtitles and comprehension

Francesca mentions having seen the film before, and she talks with Francesco about watching it without subtitles.

### 3. Talking about regional accents

Francesco explains that the actors speak with a Roman accent, and he and Francesca discuss Italy's diverse regional accents.

### 4. Reassuring someone about language skills

Francesco reassures Francesca that her Italian is good and explains that the movie features regional dialects rather than standard Italian.

### 5. Describing family members

Francesco and Francesca discuss the movie characters' personalities, leading Francesco to compare the mother to his grandmother and Francesca to ask about his family.

### 6. Talking about family size

Francesco talks about his five siblings and compares his busy family dinners to the movie, before suggesting that they go grab a bite to eat.

### 7. Asking about prices

Francesco suggests a nearby budget-friendly bar, and Francesca asks about the price of a coffee there before they decide to head over.