The Lost Ending (Ultima sequenza)

Examination of thousands of previously unseen photographs taken by an American journalist, Gideon Bachmann, on the set of Fellini’s 8 1/2, brings to light a series of mysterious shots. Filmed inside a railway dining car filled with all the different characters from the movie, these shots were part of a scene that was described in detail in the original screenplay and was meant to serve as the finale. Very few people have ever viewed the scene, and the actors themselves remember it as being a dream sequence. The film investigates this mystery, drawing on testimony from all those who took part in the shooting of the movie and are still alive, or who saw a screening of the scene in question. At the same time, the enchanting world of the movie itself is reconstructed with photographs taken on the set and recordings of Fellini’s voice that Mr. Bachmann has kept on tape for the last forty years. (www.anica.it)