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War drama

The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982): Cast, Box Office & Plot

The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982) movie poster

The Night of the Shooting Stars is a 1982 war drama directed by Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani, starring Micol Guidelli as Cecilia, Paolo Ricchi and Giuseppe Lo Parco. It runs 1 hour 45 minutes and earned $2.3 million worldwide.

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The Night of the Shooting Stars (1982) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 45m (105 min)
Genres
Drama , War
Original language
Italian
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Night of the Shooting Stars About?

The premise of The Night of the Shooting Stars without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.

The Night of San Lorenzo, known in Italian folklore as the night of the shooting stars when wishes are said to come true, provides the backdrop for a 1944 tale of war‑torn Italy. A band of locals abandons their village after rumors spread that the Nazis intend to destroy it and that American forces are poised to arrive and liberate them, prompting a desperate escape through a landscape scarred by conflict.

The Night of the Shooting Stars Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • 1940s
  • world war two in italy
  • child execution
  • year 1944
  • boys masturbate together
  • town
  • surrealism
  • tuscany
  • told in flashback
  • soldier
  • imagination
  • flashback
+38 more
  • hiding
  • bread
  • watermelon
  • italy
  • impalement
  • field
  • dead boy
  • church
  • world war two
  • time in title
  • title spoken by narrator
  • first person narration
  • shooting star
  • pregnant bride
  • wedding
  • returning soldier
  • war zone
  • nazi occupation
  • rural setting
  • day for night
  • fugitive
  • voice over inner thoughts
  • reference to the trojan war
  • bishop
  • cathedral
  • collaboration with nazis
  • militia group
  • fascist militia
  • fascist youth
  • eucharist
  • war crime
  • massacre
  • church bombing
  • long walk
  • raw egg
  • harvest
  • making faces
  • 6 year old
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Cast & crew

The Night of the Shooting Stars Cast & Characters

Micol Guidelli leads the cast as Cecilia, with Paolo Ricchi as Singing German and Giuseppe Lo Parco as Fascist. Directed by Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani; 36 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Night of the Shooting Stars

· 32 more
Show all 36 cast members
From the directors

More from Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani

More films directed by Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani, best-rated first: Caesar Must Die, Leonora addio, Rainbow: A Private Affair and Wondrous Boccaccio.

Plot

The Night of the Shooting Stars Plot Summary

What happens in The Night of the Shooting Stars from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 13 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.

Spoilers ahead

The film opens with a mother telling her sleeping son a memory from her childhood, a bedtime tale about wishes that come true when a shooting star streaks across the sky. She then recalls the summer of 1944 in a small Italian town at the tail end of World War II, and we become witnesses to the lives of several townsfolk, anchored by a young girl named Cecilia. Through her eyes, the film traces a time of fear, danger, and fragile hope as war presses in from all directions.

Full summary

The whole story of The Night of the Shooting Stars, scene by scene

Read the full summary
Box office

The Night of the Shooting Stars Box Office

The Night of the Shooting Stars grossed $2.3 million worldwide.

1982 box office

Worldwide gross

$2.3M

US & Canada
$2.3M
Quiz

How Well Do You Know The Night of the Shooting Stars?

10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.

Question 1 of 10

  1. Question 1: not answered
  2. Question 2: not answered
  3. Question 3: not answered
  4. Question 4: not answered
  5. Question 5: not answered
  6. Question 6: not answered
  7. Question 7: not answered
  8. Question 8: not answered
  9. Question 9: not answered
  10. Question 10: not answered

What is the name of the young girl through whose eyes the story is primarily told?

Details

The Night of the Shooting Stars Also Known As

15 alternative titles, including “The Night of San Lorenzo” and “로렌조의 밤”.

Also known as
  • The Night of San Lorenzo
  • 로렌조의 밤
  • La Nuit de San Lorenzo
  • La noche de San Lorenzo
  • Die Nacht von San Lorenzo
  • Η Νύχτα του Σαν Λορέντζο
  • San Lorenzo-natten
  • サン・ロレンツォの夜
  • Noc svatého Vavřince
  • Нощта на свети Лаврентий
  • Szent Lőrinc éjszakája
  • 圣洛伦佐之夜
+3 more
  • A Noite de São Lourenço
  • Ночь Святого Лаврентия
  • Noc w San Lorenzo

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FAQ

The Night of the Shooting Stars FAQ: Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, post-credit scenes and language of The Night of the Shooting Stars, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Night of the Shooting Stars?

The Night of the Shooting Stars runs 1 hour 45 minutes (105 minutes).

When was The Night of the Shooting Stars released?

The Night of the Shooting Stars was released on September 16, 1982.

Who directed The Night of the Shooting Stars?

The Night of the Shooting Stars was directed by Paolo Taviani and Vittorio Taviani.

More films by Paolo Taviani

Who is in the cast of The Night of the Shooting Stars?

The Night of the Shooting Stars stars Micol Guidelli as Cecilia, Paolo Ricchi as Singing German and Giuseppe Lo Parco as Fascist, among 36 credited actors.

How much did The Night of the Shooting Stars make at the box office?

The Night of the Shooting Stars grossed $2.3 million worldwide.

Does The Night of the Shooting Stars have a post-credit scene?

No. The Night of the Shooting Stars has no extra scene during or after the credits.

What language is The Night of the Shooting Stars in?

The original language of The Night of the Shooting Stars is Italian.

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