Alice Rohrwacher, Witness to the Miraculous: Employing Italo-Catholic Surrealism

Through analysis of contemporary Italian auteur Alice Rohrwacher’s three existing feature films, this article defines the genre and develops the theoretical approach of Italo-Catholic surrealism. Italo-Catholic surrealism as a genre is here defined as distinct from neorealism, surrealism, poetic realism, and magical realism for its inextricable involvement with Catholic faith and teachings as they exist in Italy. This article seeks to understand how Alice Rohrwacher’s films employ and may be read through the lens of Italo-Catholic surrealism, as her works variously depict slow suffering, injustice, divine mystery and miracles, and faith.