Spirito del Tempo
The free open-air cinema at Nuovo Cinema Aquila, in the Pigneto district
About Spirito del Tempo
Cinema as a common ground
Spirito del Tempo is the open-air film festival promoted by Cinema Mundi Cooperativa Sociale Onlus, the self-managed collective that has been breathing life into the Nuovo Cinema Aquila for years—a historic neighborhood theater in the heart of Pigneto, Rome. For three weeks and twenty-one consecutive nights, the summer arena transforms the screen into a public square: a place where watching a film becomes a collective experience, open to everyone free of charge.
The title pays homage to The Zeitgeist (1962) by sociologist and philosopher Edgar Morin, a work in which cinema and mass culture are recognized as the spaces where a society imagines itself, produces its own myths, and gives shape to its fears. This leads to the question that runs through the entire festival: what is the spirit of our time, and what does it mean to be a part of it today?
A program blending auteur cinema and social commitment
Every evening, starting at 9:00 PM, the public can enjoy a free program that alternates between auteur films, restored classics, documentaries, contemporary fiction, and short films. The common thread is current affairs: the power of institutions, memory, LGBTQ+ rights, the climate crisis, job insecurity, war, and social justice become subjects for storytelling and discussion.
- Q&As with directors: screenings are often accompanied by the filmmakers for a direct dialogue with the audience.
- Short film evenings, featuring selections from Cinema Sommerso and the Free Aquila Festival.
- Family-friendly events, with animated screenings suitable for all ages.
- Multimedia performances, video installations, and debates that extend the experience beyond the screen.
Pigneto and the Nuovo Cinema Aquila
The festival is deeply rooted in its territory. The Nuovo Cinema Aquila, located on Via L'Aquila, is a self-managed neighborhood theater and a cultural landmark in Pigneto, a creative and working-class district in Municipality V of Rome. The collective artistic direction brings together directors and cultural workers around the idea of cinema as a common good and a tool for civic engagement.
Included in the "Estate Romana" (Roman Summer) program and supported by Roma Capitale as part of the "Roma Creativa 365" public notice, Spirito del Tempo confirms the commitment of the Lazio region and the capital to offering accessible, widespread culture even during the summer months, taking great cinema out of traditional theaters and returning it to the city.
A free event for the whole city
With free admission until capacity is reached, the arena welcomes neighborhood residents, cinephiles from across Rome, and curious tourists looking for an authentic evening away from the beaten path. Spirito del Tempo is an invitation to inhabit the city through cinema, bridging great works of the past with a gaze toward the present.
Spirito del Tempo — edition 2026
2026 Edition: "If the screen is a public square"
From June 15 to July 5, 2026, Cinema Mundi Cooperativa brought the second edition of Spirito del Tempo to the Nuovo Cinema Aquila in Pigneto: twenty-one free evenings of cinema, meetings, and culture, every night from 9:00 PM. The collective artistic direction brought together Mimmo Calopresti, Fabio Meloni, Domenico Vitucci, Gaia Siria Meloni, Giulio Mezza, and Federico Manetti.
The program alternated between great classics, contemporary auteur films, documentaries, and short films, with numerous Q&As with directors, multimedia performances, and debates open to the city on themes such as LGBTQ+ rights, memory, justice, the environment, and public health.
Programme Spirito del Tempo 2026
The twenty-one evenings (9:00 PM, free admission)
- June 15 - D'istruzione Pubblica (Greco, Melchiorre)
- June 16 - Water for Life (Parrinello), Italian premiere
- June 17 - Flow (Zilbalodis), family animation
- June 18 - Pride (Warchus)
- June 19 - Before the Rain (Manchevski), Golden Lion at Venice 1994
- June 20 - They Live (Carpenter)
- June 21 - Aspromonte: Land of the Forgotten (Calopresti)
- June 22 - Once Upon a Time in Italy (Greco, Melchiorre)
- June 23 - The Phantom of Liberty (Buñuel)
- June 24 - Ernest & Celestine (family animation)
- June 25 - Tua Madre (Malaguti)
- June 26 - Stalker (Tarkovsky)
- June 27 - Short film night, Cinema Sommerso selection
- June 28 - 6.06 (Taidelli)
- June 29 - The Damned (Minervini) and Disco Boy (Abbruzzese), double feature
- June 30 - L'oro del Reno (Pullega), Best Director Award Bif&st 2025
- July 1 - Little Nicholas: Happy as Can Be (family animation)
- July 2 - PIIGS (Greco, Melchiorre)
- July 3 - Short film night, Free Aquila Festival
- July 4 - The Secret Agent
- July 5 - Johnny Mnemonic (Longo)
Announced guests include: Milcho Manchevski, Federico Greco and Mirko Melchiorre, Mimmo Calopresti, Tekla Taidelli, Leonardo Malaguti, and Lorenzo Pullega.
Highlights Spirito del Tempo 2026
- Twenty-one free open-air cinema nights in Pigneto
- Before the Rain by Milcho Manchevski, Golden Lion at Venice 1994
- Restored classics like Tarkovsky's Stalker and Buñuel's The Phantom of Liberty
- Q&As with directors after screenings
- Short film evenings with Cinema Sommerso and Free Aquila Festival
- Animated screenings for families
Prices Spirito del Tempo 2026
Practical information — Spirito del Tempo
How to get there
The Nuovo Cinema Aquila is located at Via L'Aquila 66/74, in the Pigneto district (Municipality V), Rome. It is accessible via Metro C (Pigneto or Malatesta stops) and the various trams and buses serving the Pigneto area. Those arriving by car can find parking in the neighborhood, though public transport is the most convenient option.
Hours and tickets
Screenings take place every evening starting at 9:00 PM. Admission is free until capacity is reached: we recommend arriving early to secure a seat.
Tips
As this is an open-air arena, we suggest wearing clothing suitable for summer evenings. The complete program, updated daily, is available on the festival's official website.
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Where does it take place — Spirito del Tempo
Nuovo Cinema Aquila
Via L'Aquila 66/74, 00176 Roma