# ITAL 40 - Advanced Italian I: Italian Through Cinema: Oral Expression and Performance Semester: Spring | Year offered: 2026 | Link: [Course Website](https://locator.tlt.harvard.edu/course/colgsas-116233/2025/spring/12988) Through the exploration of both old and contemporary Italian movies in comparison, you will explore themes such as: immigration, family and stereotypes, regional difference between the North and the South, and the cinematic representation of mafie, among others. Course work – which include analysis of scripts excerpts and film reviews, creative writing assignments, presentations, and a group final project – is designed to advance language proficiency, explore different dialects and registers of language (formal and colloquial expressions), and review advanced grammatical structures in context. You will gain confidence expressing opinions on a variety of topics and in different registers; and deepen your understanding of the multifaceted nature of Italian culture(s). No previous knowledge of Italian movies or film studies is required. --- ## Course Head [### Chiara Trebaiocchi ](/people/chiara-trebaiocchi) Senior Preceptor and Coordinator of the Italian Language Program Academic Degrees: B.A., Scuola Normale Superiore; Università di Pisa; M.A. Scuola Normale Superiore; Università di Pisa; M.A., Ph.D. Harvard University Roles: Senior Preceptor and Coordinator of the Italian Language Program Undergraduate Advisor (Italian)... ![Portrait of a woman with long wavy hair, wearing a black top and light jacket, standing indoors near a sculpture.](/sites/g/files/omnuum8296/files/styles/hwp_4_5__690x865/public/2025-03/trebaiocchi.jpg?itok=gAIx2k5O) See also:- [ Language ](/class-categories/language) - [ Italian language ](/keywords/italian-language) - [ Italian ](/language/italian) - [ Chiara Trebaiocchi ](/language-instructor/chiara-trebaiocchi) - [ Spring 2026 ](/class/term/spring-2026)