When asked where I like to go on vacation, my answer will differ depending on who has asked me. Everybody knows I spend a lot of time in Italy, but I rarely tell people what I do with my time there. I guess a lot of people picture me on wine tours in Toscana and hiking in Cinque Terre, but I’ve never done either of those things. I don’t often admit that I spend a lot of my time in Rome at the Cineplex on Piazza Cavour, Teatro Adriano.
There are other movie theaters and I think I’ve been to them all; I particularly like Cinema Eden on Piazza Cola di Rienzo and Multisala Barbarini on Piazza Barberini. But more often than not I’m at the Adriano, to be honest because it’s more American and I can get my Diet Coke with ice and have a choice of 9 or 10 films. I’m American, what can I say?
So you are learning Italian, going to Rome, and want to try a movie. Go for it! It’s so much fun to be a moviegoer in Italy and good for you, too. Just remember:
1) You’re buying an assigned seat, so be careful where you sit. The premium seats are toward the back and in the middle, and people seem to like being clumped together back there. I prefer seats up front and Italians avoid those like the plague, so I just sit where I want. But if you like to sit away from the screen make sure you aren’t in someone else’s seat.
2) I encourage you to practice your Italian conversation at the ticket box office (a theater is called a “sala”, so you want “uno per sala uno”), but there are self-service machines so don’t stress out. You don’t have to talk to anyone…
3) …unless you want a snack. I like a “Coca Lite (no such thing as “diet coke” in Italian) and I like it “alla spina” (fountain drink) and “con ghiaccio” (with ice) . Some theaters don’t have ice and I don’t think Italians like it that way. But I do. I’m American, after all. My daughter prefers “Coca Zero”. The Adriano has popcorn and candy too. Looks just like an American theater, which might disappoint some, but I love it that way.
3) And if you’re hungry half way through the movie, you’re in luck because there’s likely to be an “INTERVALLO!” Halfway through the show the film stops and theater employee come in with candy reinforcements.
4) All of the movies at the Adriano and most movie theaters in Italy will be dubbed, so don’t go expecting English with Italian subtitles. Buck up, you’re there to improve your Italian; right?
5) If you find yourself a little lost in the story, don’t worry. Just relax, enjoy your Coca Lite, and soak in as much as you can. It will get easier every time you go.
d
I Love Italian Everything 