The Italian film 'Mia Madre' (my mother), directed by Nanni Moretti, has been tipped as one of the favourites to land this year's Pale d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
The latest work by the 'Caro Diario', Son's Room and Habemus Papam director met more than ten minutes of applause by a tearful, emotional audience after its screening at Cannes on Sunday. An article in the French newspaper Le Monde entitled "Habemus Palmam?" said the film was "unprecedented in grace" and "touched the body and soul of festival participants".
Rival newspaper Libération dedicated the front page of its film festival insert to Moretti's work. Under the headline "Moretti, mamma mia", the paper wrote "Moretti makes the Croisette weep," making reference to Cannes' seaside boardwalk. Mia Madre officially entered into competition Monday accompanied by the director and the film's main actors: Margherita Buy, John Turturro, Giulia Lazzarini, and Beatrice Mancini. "Margherita has already won" at Cannes, said Moretti with affection.
And 'the climate of Cannes that is conducive to the cinema Moretti but not only that.
"When you come to Cannes you realize how film is treated by everyone - journalists, critics, producers, politics. There is great attention, a lot of fun, but also a lot of seriousness," Moretti told ANSA in an interview.
"But in Italy, there is so much melancholy and so much sloppiness. You go back to Italy happy to have seen that all this is possible, but also sorry for how you know it is in your country," Moretti concluded.
Moretti had pointed out that three Italian films were in the Cannes competition - movies by Matteo Garrone and Paolo Sorrentino in addition to himself. Moretti called them "a great big exploit, but by individuals".
"There is no system Italy; here there is a lot of distraction around the film both as an artistic and industrial phenomenon," Moretti said.
Culture Minister Dario Franceschini responded, "He's right: in Italy there have been years and years of inattention and scarce interest in Italian cinema".
"It was that way for too much time, but now things have changed, and the initiatives put in place in this year of government (led by Premier Matteo Renzi) have inverted this trend. I am proud of the things done for 'the cinematic system' and to help young talent," Franceschini continued. This week marks the seventh time Moretti has vied for the Palm d'Or.
Moretti, who is a celebrity in Italy, expressed relief at the neutrality of the audience in Cannes.
"In Italy, there are many additional elements when a film of mine is seen. Here, when they see a film of mine, they see a film, and that's it".
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
