Cabiria is a 1914 Italian silent epic historical film directed by Giovanni Pastrone and starring Lidia Quaranta, Umberto Mozzato, and Bartolomeo Pagano.

available on YouTube In a beautifully restored version with English Captions as well as a score
 

Cabiria is a 1914 Italian silent epic historical film directed by Giovanni Pastrone and starring Lidia Quaranta, Umberto Mozzato, and Bartolomeo Pagano. It is considered one of the most important films of the silent era and is still widely admired today for its innovative special effects, lavish sets, and epic storytelling.

The film tells the story of a young girl named Cabiria, who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. She endures many hardships, including being nearly sacrificed in a temple, but she is eventually rescued by a Roman soldier. The film follows Cabiria's adventures as she travels across Italy and North Africa, witnessing some of the most famous events of the Second Punic War.

Cabiria was a huge commercial success, and it helped to establish Italy as a major force in the film industry. It was also critically acclaimed, and it won numerous awards, including the first Grand Prize at the Milan International Exposition.

The film is still considered to be a masterpiece of silent cinema, and it is included in the Vatican Film Library's list of the 45 most important films in history.

Here are some of the things that make Cabiria such an important film:

• It was one of the first films to use special effects on a large scale. The film's most famous special effect is the eruption of Mount Etna, which was created using a combination of models, pyrotechnics, and rear projection.

• The film was shot on location in Italy and Tunisia, which gave it a sense of realism that was unprecedented at the time.

• The film features some of the most impressive sets ever built for a silent film. The sets were so large and detailed that they could be mistaken for real locations.

• The film's story is epic and moving, and it features some of the most memorable characters in silent cinema.

Here are some of the awards that Cabiria won:

• Grand Prize at the Milan International Exposition (1914)

• Golden Medal at the San Francisco International Exposition (1915)

• Best Foreign Film at the National Board of Review Awards (1916)