Want to have a bit of genuine handmade Italian gelato, but not sure if you are ready for a long-distance travel? Had an amazing cone of gelato, but do not really know the history behind it? Don’t worry, here are some documentary movies on gelato to open up your eyes. Forget digging for information in the web and let these motion-pictures stimulate your senses.

A Taste of Gelato History

4 ’39’’/ Cartoon/ English, Italian

This is an official educational cartoon created by Italian gelato museum that talks about the history and evolution of gelato. The movie is very introductory and the content is very easy to understand, it uses a fun way to express the culture of gelato and explains a lot of misconceptions. If you want to know more about the history and culture of gelato, you can visit the official website of the gelato museum,where you will find more information.

True Italian Gelato: a story of tradition and innovation

3’56 ’’/ Short Film/ English

 Rai expo is the advertising short film series that was played during the Milan Expo in 2015. This short film is one of its kind: it presents the glamorous side of Italy and it especially introduces the birth of gelato cones and how they affected gelato.

Gelato (2005)

52 Minutes/ Documentary/ English

This is a documentary film that talks about the past and the future of gelato. It discovers the origin of gelato in Italy and how it all began in a small town named Zoldo, then slowly spread across the whole Europe. How it changed from children’s dessert to everybody’s favorite sweet. Also it talks about the successful stories of Häagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry. In addition, Robin Weir, an English biologist, a remarkable ice cream historian talkes about the stories of gelato from world history events etc.. Besides that, this documentary also interviewed a lot of people who are very passionate about gelato. Like the gelato making company Corrado Brustolon, which has a very long history, and the Minghella family, who brought gelato into the Isle of Wight. This documentary film surely can be called the most professional one.

Despite all the documentaries made about gelato, this icy treat has also been shown in various movies as a symbol of love, friendship, nostalgy and even political changes. Let’s get some gelato and watch or rewatch these Italian classics.

Roman Holiday (1953)

118 Minutes/Romance / English

Of course first will be Roman Holiday. If you mention gelato, how can you forget the one film that made every delicious Italian cuisine famous in one night. The gelato store Giolitti which Peck and Hepburn visited while filming Roman Holiday, is the real treasure in Italy, this store has a history of a hundred years, even presidents of United States and the Pope like it a lot.

Maccheroni (1985)

105 Minutes| Comedy| Italian/English

Jack Lemmon plays a successful, physically exhausted American businessman, going through a divorce, who visits Naples, Italy, to see his family after a long time away. He gather with relatives and friends and as in any other comedy classic you cannot escape ironic and confusing scenes that will make you laugh out loud. For the main character, gelato represents home and the life he used to have, that’s is why he eats it together with an old friend and throw gelato into each other like they are back in their childhood.

Tea with Mussolini (1999)

117 min/Drama/ English/Italian

Tea with Mussolini shows us a different side of gelato: during the World War II, a group of women of different cultural backgrounds gathers every day to drink tea with an ambassdor’s whife. At those meeting gelato is not just a sweet treat, it is a symbol of Italian culture and unification, facing the terror of war and making a political statement.

Eat Pray Love (2010)

140 Minutes/ Romantic Comedy/ English

In the movie poster, the actress Julia Roberts is sitting on a bench and eating gelato alone, this interesting character she portrays express that any person can enjoy their single life and gelato bythemselves. And in fact, what can be better than treating yourself by enjoying a healthy low fat gelato, and not feeling guilty about it.

After watcging all those gelato-related movies, can you say that you better understand soul of Italian gelato? Let’s take this knowledge and bring along to discover even more exciting aspects of gelato.