Venice, dispute resolved. But maybe this time it will benefit our cinema. Summary of the previous episode: go to Venice, to Mostra, in Michael Mann’s Ferrari. Enzo Ferrari is played by an American actor, one of the best and most famous: Adam Driver. The Lido also features Pierfrancesco Favino, one of the most versatile and talented Italian actors, featured here with two films. And he wonders, “But why are they forcing an American actor to play such an Italian character?” A question that worries everyone: actors, directors, producers. Mostly convinced that Favino is right.
Massimo Ghini, an actor who has often worked in international cinema, supports his colleague: “I was just watching an American film: there is a scene that takes place in the airport of Rome, and this is clearly not Rome. And we want to talk about how Americans are “Gladiator”? What “Picchio” Favino says is true, but we need to try to develop a production strategy, to make cinematic operations that can go beyond. Remakes of genre films. Why is a statue of Bud Spencer being made in Hungary? Because our films used to go around the world.”
Director Giovanni Veronesi, author of The Manual of Love and The Royal Mosquetieri, says: “I believe that the author should respect the origin of the character he is talking about. Also because in American cinema they are very strict: they don’t call a New York actor play a Texan, disputes flare up if a non-Jewish actor plays a Jew … But I think that Ferrari is a film created for sale around the world, and then let’s face it: we dub all the films, so Enzo Ferrari will still have an Italian voice. We can’t get too angry.”
For Gabriele Salvatores, “the situation is much more complicated than it seems. For example, in Schindler’s List, Spielberg cast an American actor who plays a German. an American actor would be wrong.” According to Carlo Degli Esposti, producer of Montalbano and Delitti del BarLume, “Favino is right when he says that we must protect Italian identity, but this can only be done with the rule that if you shoot a film in Italy about If the character is Italian , you have an incentive to hire an Italian actor. Otherwise, the producer does what he sees fit.” Ferrari co-producer, 35-year-old Andrea Iervolino, answers everything. “The thing is,” he explains, “Ferrari is a $100 million movie. And we do not have an actor in Italy who could return this investment. What can Favino be jealous of the great American actor? Nothing. not yet recognized by the world public. Solution? Grow Italian actors. I’m producing Modigliani, directed by Johnny Depp, with Al Pacino and Riccardo Scamarchio as Modi. Scamarchio is part of an international team and will soon be able to take on a global film.”
John Bogani