The young artists of Italian Cinema offer us their personal manifestos...
Like a great temple supported by strong but weathered columns, contemporary Italian cinema sits on the shoulders of who, and what, came before. But this is not a culture stuck in its past. It is one that, with each generation, is trying to look forward; to see what their industry and their arts have the potential to become. Here, young Italian artists give their personal take on the creative-scapes they operate in today.
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Filippo Scotti, Actor
“I believe that Italian productions should have more courage to give life to movies of young directors. The type of movies that are not looking for money. We don’t need money, we need feelings. As an actor I don’t want to read scripts with no soul and I’m aware that there are so many incredible minds out there, ready to say something, and they don’t have the possibility to do it because nobody is willing to produce their work. So If I had the power to change something I’d change that. We need to think. And thinking can be painful, so we just distract each other but we can’t be distracted anymore. Not now.”
— Vittoria Rizzardi Peñalosa, Filmmaker
“Cinema is a love letter to my existence because I can’t make sense of it but through moving images. At the heart of every film that I make, there’s love at its core – love for the craft and the love each character feels for one another. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to define what love is, but I’ve decided to commit to a life in search of its meaning and form. To truly watch a movie on the big screen means to allow love to wash you over and bring you back to shore. Let it drown you to then learn how to breathe all over again. This is what cinema does to you, it is an act of love.
Recently, after the screening of one of my films, two young women came to me and asked me who was right between the two: one thought the message was A and the other was convinced it was B. A and B completely clashed. They told me they couldn’t stop thinking about it and they needed to know which one it was. For a moment, I didn’t know it myself. It was as if the film wasn’t mine anymore and I was just entertained by the debate until I was called into question. As the two were waiting for my answer, I got lost in a thought:
The way they interpreted the film was directly connected to their own life experience. This inevitably created another movie, one that didn’t exist until she saw it and added her own life to it. Same goes for the other one and whoever watches a film and lets it take over… a thousand, millions of different films are born every time a film is produced and shown in a theatre. Those films will never be seen by anyone but those who live it. Our audience. “There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the passion for life.” Fellini once said. We must keep telling our stories and let the audience into our dreams in order for them to keep dreaming. It’s the duty of the artist.”
– Carlotta Antonelli, Actor
“I hope the industry will find the courage to break with the old patterns of the “conventional” products. I think it would bring in more and newer ways of expression. I think our industry isn’t as brave as it was before. Movies in the 60s-70s had a stronger identity and I don’t get to see that very often: Instead, I rarely find myself feeling excited. I hope for more original stories in Italian cinema.”
– Carolina Cavalli, Filmmaker
“If the world is not going to end very, very soon, then we still have time to make movies.
They say my generation don’t make babies, I hope at least we make good films. I think we should respect the masters, help the friends, don’t envy anybody, don’t fuck around, don’t belong in a scene—because a scene is probably going to make you feel cooler but less creative, less humble and less curious.
And write a lot. Like, a LOT. Like you would throw up on your keyboard if you saw another “scene heading” box on your screen.
Then…well, I don’t know. I just hope it’s going to be good for all of us.”
