A magical place where anything can happen, a “shared magic” capable of bringing the audience together and turning on a light in one of the most difficult times humanity has ever faced. That’s how the godmother Serena Rossi defined cinema in the opening speech of the 78th edition of the Venice Film Festival, the second in times of pandemic, the first in the sign of what seems, to all intents and purposes, the long-awaited restart of one of the most tried sectors of the last year and a half: the cinema, in fact.
The desire to release films that have remained on the shelves for too long and the urgency of the exhibitors to re-ignite the theater, crushed in the meantime by streaming, are the driving force of a very fierce Venice, which among blockbusters such as Dune and highly anticipated films such as Spencer say Pablo Larraín, Parallel Mothers say Pedro Almodóvar, It was the hand of god by Paolo Sorrentino e America Latina of the D’Innocenzo brothers, try to reduce the public’s interest in the Seventh Art.
«Venice tells us that our future is still possible. That we can only go on together “ Rossi says dedicating the opening night of the exhibition to Afghan mothers forced to separate from their children in an attempt to save them: «We want to say to them: you are not alone. We are concretely next to you »resumes the godmother while Sergio Mattarella, disguised as all the guests seated in the Great Hall of the Palazzo del Cinema, he applauds in agreement. «Being here today reminds us that we are all part of a larger cog that embraces the past, the present and already knows of the future. We are all connected like on a movie set: what could an actor do alone? Each is indispensable to the other. The actor is a spokesperson, the most visible link in a gear chain. But, if you win, the credit belongs to everyone “. Our thoughts go, therefore, to all the workers of the show business “who make magic still possible”, a mixture of “rigor and passion” that is timidly allowing the industry to move forward to continue to carry out that “collective ritual that leaves us out of breath and makes us children again ».
# BiennaleCinema2021 #GoldenLionForLifetimeAchievement #JaneCampion: “At this difficult time for filmmakers, for people all over the world as well as here in Italy, #RobertoBenigni is needed. He is a comic genius with a heart and sincerity who can embody joy.” pic.twitter.com/20okL3ZCQL
– The Venice Biennale (@la_Biennale) September 1, 2021
Before the preview of the opening film of Venezia 78, Parallel Mothers, and a moment after the speech by the president of the jury, the Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho, who said that the pandemic will soon end but that cinema will always remain with us, it is, however, the time to celebrate an all-Italian talent, an artist who has tiptoed into Hollywood that counts by bringing the boyish enthusiasm that has made his cinema and his work so popular, capable of ranging from Johnny Stecchino to Dante Alighieri, from Life is Beautiful to the letters dictated live on TV to Adriano Celentano: Roberto Benigni. He is the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement this year – which will also be awarded to Jamie Lee Curtis -: smiling, excited, enthusiastic, with his wife Nicoletta Braschi, companion in life and on the screen, always by his side. Defined by Jane Campion as “a comic genius with heart and sincerity”, Benigni takes the stage, bows and carries, as usual, his hands up with the background march that always accompanies his appearances. “I deserved a kitten, a kitten. But a lion is the most wonderful and brilliant prize that you can dream of in Italy and in the world “explains Benigni before giving a virtual hug to President Mattarella (” President, he must stay a few more years. At least until the next exhibition “) and thank all the directors who have chosen him for their films because “being chosen is an even more immense emotion than choosing”.
He, however, made the most beautiful choice several years ago and is called Nicoletta Braschi, to whom he cannot dedicate the award because that award is already hers: «We have done everything together for 40 years. If you were to measure time, it would be with you and without you. We can share it: I take my tail, and the rest is yours. The wings are yours. If anything I’ve ever done has taken off, it’s thanks to you, your talent as an actress, your femininity. How much light you give off ». In the most romantic dedication ever pronounced in Venice, Benigni says that his wife is “at the height of his thoughts”, that their “love in eternal sight” was triggered when he had the doubt that the Lord wanted to “adorn the sky of another sun ». Starting an exhibition like this is probably the best gift that Robertino could give us.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
