GREEK FRANCIS – Adored by the Danish director Lars von Trier (“For me he is a God”), his work, seven films (from “Ivan’s Childhood” of 1962 to “Nostalghia” of ’83), is now studied in the schools of cinemas from all over the world.
Alexandra Gureva finds “beauty and philosophical silences” there. The BBC lists four of her films among the best foreign films of all time. And to think that Andrej Tarkovsij left still young (54 years old), at least with the parameters we have given ourselves in the 21st century. In fact, he was born in Zavrazh’e, a town in central Russia, in 1932, he died in Paris in 1986. he He was versatile, multitasking as we say today: director, screenwriter, film critic, editor, writer. In short, a cult author to be scanned, rediscovered, given a new life 90 years after his birth.
The director from Puglia by birth (Santa Maria di Leuca) and Roman by adoption, Donatella Baglivo, must have also thought of it, who dedicated a robust biography to the Soviet director recently released by Protos Edizioni (publishing house founded by young women in the historic center, Rione Monti, of the capital).
“It happened in moviola”, pp. 472, € 45, has just been presented at the Casa del Cinema in Rome (Largo Marcello Mastroianni, Sala Gian Maria Volontè): it offers about a thousand photos, and then testimonials, interviews, documents, materials (many of which unpublished), directing lessons , reflections on cinema and so on.
Federico Fellini, Franco Zeffirelli, Tonino Guerra, the Greek Theo Angelopoulos speak of him, among others.
Baglivo’s CV suggests the philological and semantic power of a definitive work. At 15 she graduated as a fashion designer, at 18 she signed her first feature film as editor, at 19 she opened the “Ciak Studio” becoming the youngest Italian film entrepreneur. In addition to being a director, screenwriter, producer, editing expert, she works for Rai and private entrepreneurs, editing documentaries, investigative reports, commercials, film trailers and screenplays.
In the 80s he met Tarkovsky with whom he collaborated and who later became his teacher and spiritual guide. He made three films dedicated to him, the only ones in the world about his life.
After various film and TV productions, in 2012 he opened his own archive with the intention of publishing the box set entitled “Tarkovskian Triptych”, which includes the films “Cinema is a mosaic made of time”, “A poet in cinema” and “Andrey Tarkovsky in Nostalghia”.
On the occasion of her 50-year career, Donatella decides to write a book on the Russian genius. For all of her works, she has received at least a hundred awards in different parts of the world, including Italy. Her most important award to date is the Honoris Causa.
A book necessary to understand, through the author, the Russian soul, the imagery, the culture, the history, the spirituality of the people and consequently that great mosaic suspended between Europe and Asia which is Great Mother Russia.