Lello Bersani: Television as a Critical Stage

Abstract

This paper offers an analysis of Lello Bersani’s work in promoting cinema on Italian television during the 1960s and 1970s, presenting him as a key figure in the cultural mediation between journalism, film criticism, and cinematic storytelling. Through his coverage of film festivals and interviews with directors and actors — including Anna Magnani, Pier Paolo Pasolini, and Marcello Mastroianni, to name just a few — Bersani distinguished himself on RAI for his sober yet incisive style, capable of conveying the complexity of cinema to a broad audience and fostering a cinephilia that was both refined and accessible.