Shocking, strange, and impossible to categorize, Mondo Cane burst onto movie screens in 1962 and instantly became one of the most talked-about films of its era. Directed by Gualtiero Jacopetti, Paolo Cavara, and Franco Prosperi, the Italian film stitched together a series of bizarre, provocative, and sometimes disturbing scenes from around the world—creating a new genre that would soon be known simply as the “mondo film.”
Part documentary, part spectacle, Mondo Cane reveled in the unusual: odd cultural rituals, sensational spectacles, and moments designed to surprise or shock audiences. While controversial, the film became a massive international hit and spawned dozens of imitators throughout the 1960s and ’70s, cementing its place as the origin of the mondo exploitation genre.
Beyond its notoriety, the film also produced one unlikely cultural artifact—the haunting theme song “More,” which became a worldwide standard and was even nominated for an Academy Award.
