Distance(s) #17, or: the (only) resistance

L'espoir - André Malraux, 1945 / Histoire(s) du cinéma 3B / 3A - JLG, 1998, video

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Why is it, that from 1940 to 1945, there were no resistance films? There were Resistance films, left and right, here and there, but the only film, in the true sense, to resist America's occupation of cinema, and a uniform way of making films, was an Italian film. It was not by chance. Italy fought the least. It suffered greatly. Having betrayed twice, it suffered a loss of identity. It found it with Rome, Open City. It happened, because the film was made by men without uniform. It was the only time.

--Jean-Luc Godard, Histoire(s) du cinéma 3A: Le Monnaie de l'absolu, 1998.