While strolling among the Sassi or the natural beauty of the Parco della Murgia one sometimes bumps into a film crew, but it is no wonder since, starting from the fifties the very special and beautiful landscape of Matera and its environs has been chosen by film directors such as Lattuada, Pasolini, Loy, Rosi, Tornatore and Gibson for telling small and big stories through the medium of cinema.

Many film masterpieces have found the right settings and atmospheres in this city and they continue to be shot here, thanks to the magic that Matera always communicates with its unique shapes and colours.

Ask the people of Matera and they will tell you the background stories of the films made here, stories that you will not find in books or newspapers, as well as their own personal experiences appearing as extras in the movies shot among the white alleys of the Sassi, especially in recent years. 

Films made in Matera
1953 La lupa directed by Alberto Lattuada
1959 Il conte di Matera directed by Luigi Capuano
1962 Anni ruggenti directed by Luigi Zampa
1963 Il demonio directed by Brunello Rondi
1964 The Gospel According to St. Matthew directed by Pier Paolo Pasolini
1965 Made in Italy directed by Nanni Loy
1967 C’era una volta directed by Francesco Rosi
1967 Allosanfan directed by Paolo e Vittorio Taviani
1974 Il tempo dell’inizio directed by Luigi Di Gianni
1975 L’albero di Guernica directed by Fernando Arrabal
1975 Qui comincia l’avventura directed by Carlo Di Palma
1978 Volontari per destinazione ignota directed by Alberto Negrin
1979 Christ Stopped at Eboli directed by Francesco Rosi
1985 King David directed by Bruce Beresford
1990 Il sole anche di notte directed by Paolo e Vittorio Taviani
1995 L’uomo delle stelle directed by Giuseppe Tornatore
1998 Del perduto amore directed by Michele Placido
1999 Terra bruciata directed by Fabio Segatori
2002 The passion directed by Mel Gibson
2004 Revelations directed by Lili Zanuc e Lesli Linka
2005 Il rabdomante directed by Fabrizio Cattani
2006 The Omen directed by John Moore
2006 Nativity directed by Catherine Hardwicke
2006 The Cave Side of Life directed by Federica Di Giacomo
2006 The Obscure Brother directed by Linda Di Franco
2006 Artemisia Sanchez directed by Ambrogio Lo Giudice