Life is Beautiful Managing Across Cultures Group 5 Nathan Burger, Sharon Huestis, Laura Lu, Young Min Kim

Synopsis Guido travels to city, meeting Dora along the way Works for his uncle as a waiter, and courts Dora by constantly surprising her Marries Dora, has son Joshua and opens a book store Taken to concentration camp Entertains Joshua by turning the entire experience into a game Saves Joshua’s life, but is killed shortly before Allies liberate camp Joshua and Dora are reunited

Themes Guido squeezes every last drop of enjoyment out of life, even while the world around him is in turmoil; Italian and German racism as facts of life (movie clip - engagement dinner scene)

Speech patterns Often creative and emotional Rapid, active style Guido’s friend spouting poetry Claims to be a prince when he meets the little girl and Dora Conversations with Joshua Rapid, active style Guido’s uncle showing them the house Meeting Dora for the first time (movie clip)

Hofstede Career success vs. quality of life Individualism vs. collectivism Power distance Uncertainty avoidance

Career success vs quality of life Italian culture emphasizes career success Dora’s fiancé ignores her preferences Guido values quality of life Lives moment by moment, striving for that which makes him, or those around him, happy Story-telling Pursuit of Dora Antics at the camp

Individualism vs collectivism Elements of Italian culture seem collectivist Dora’s engagement to the administrator More evidence of individualism Pursuit of Dora Customer interaction while waiting tables Elaborate charade with Joshua during incarceration

Power distance Italian culture is high power distance Guido’s attempt to obtain a license for opening a bookstore School principal introduces herself by title, rather than name Dora’s fiancé defers to the prefect

Power Distance Guido ignores this norm During his impersonation as the school inspector, tells Dora of his infatuation with her, while the principal is just a few feet away Rides a horse into the engagement dinner to spirit Dora away Interprets for a German officer, while knowing no German

Uncertainty avoidance Extremely low for Guido Impersonates school inspector Misleads Dora into getting into wrong car Takes son to see German children playing in the camp, solely to perpetuate the game Pretends to be teaching German children Italian Interprets for the German officer (movie clip)

Trompenaar Universalism vs. Particularism Neutral vs. Affective Specific vs. Diffuse No clear evidence from movie either way Achievement vs. Ascription Individualism vs. Communitarianism Long- vs. Short-term

Universalism vs. Particularism Guido exemplifies particularism Expects German doctor to help him, based on prior relationship Societal norms are not important to him – he does what seems appropriate given his circumstances and goals Germans represent universalism Soldier’s response to Dora’s wish to board train Doctor’s unwillingness to help Guido

Neutral vs. Affective Italians very affective Vocal Dramatic Guido does not hesitate to touch a woman to whom he has not been introduced Italians exhibit significant body movement during conversation

Achievement vs. Ascription Italians seem to belong to ascriptive society Work obtained through connections Dora expected to marry the administrator due to common backgrounds, although they possess different values Guido’s “Jewishness” is ascribed, we do not see him practicing his faith – he considers himself Italian

Individualism vs. Communitarianism Guido very individualistic Italian culture seems to be more communitarian Dora’s wedding appears to emphasize the status of her mother and her fiancé over her own happiness

Long- vs. Short-term Guido clearly focused on the short-term Never concerned about long-term consequences Spontaneous Posing as the school inspector “Kidnapping” Dora after the concert Ruining the silk Rescuing Dora from engagement party Interpreting for the German officer

Triandis In-group vs Out-group Those within a group share common interests and traits Examples: Race superiority - The in-group is better than the out-group Holocaust - The out-group does not deserve to live “

Conclusion Although “Life is Beautiful” is less about a clash of cultures, and more about one man’s outlook on life, we can gain some insight into the Italian and German cultures of the time, as well as Guido’s interaction with those cultures. Above all, the film challenges us to make the best of our lives, no matter what the circumstances.

Thank You!