A Cura di Simone Bandini
“With this film we wanted to tell an extraordinary man and his great love for our city, a love that we also feel and that we are happy to have transmitted with our work”
Elena Giogli
Recently awarded in Rome by Claudia Gerini and Marco Giallini – winning the “Sorriso Rai Cinema Channel” Award and triumphing over 400 documentaries in competition – director Elena Giogli talks to us about her now famous documentary on Dino Marinelli.
“The documentary that tells the life of the legendary custodian of the Pinacoteca di Città di Castello Dino Marinelli, an exceptional Tifernate, a living symbol of the memory of our city” – Elena tells us – “Was born from my idea and Luca Rubini, dear friend (and now also executive producer of the film, editor’s note) who for many years was a projectionist of Cinema Eden; very close to Dino, also an authentic lover of the memories of Città di Castello, Luca knew how I was working as a screenwriter and author on TV and how I liked documentaries and biographies. So he convinced me to embark on this new production adventure”.
“Dino trusted us and we worked many months on the preparation, with interviews and research. We have therefore gathered a troupe of very valid professionals, almost all from Città di Castello, such as Cristian Doti, Michele Fiorucci and Marco Milanesi, who have launched themselves into the project with great passion; as well as the actors of Medem: Mauro Silvestrini, Irene Bistarelli, Alessia Martinelli and Enrico Paci, the actor Michelangelo Pulci (who created for us the irresistible little film on ‘Tifernate’ dialect) and all the interviewees – who agreed to participate with joy. We shot in beautiful places in the city such as the Pinacoteca, the Grifani Donati Typography, the Illuminati Theater, the Gallery of the Arts, the park of Palazzo Vitelli in Sant’Egidio, Piazza Matteotti and Piazza Gabriotti, meeting the enthusiasm of all citizens”, she says.
“Shooting with Dino was fun and taught us every day something more about Città di Castello and the ‘Tiferno’ that was, it made us live beautiful moments and feel nostalgia for eras that we, for reasons of age, have never lived but that, thanks to him and his stories, we seemed to be able to see, touch and feel,” she continues.
In a documentary of this type the most difficult thing is to select and choose the material, then standardize it with rhythm and balance: in this, the two editors were fundamental: Marco Rizzari, with the collaboration of Giampiero Civico. The thing that makes us happiest is that the film is now on Rai Play and can be seen throughout Italy.
Elena Giogli dedicated the award won in Rome to the protagonist Marinelli: “An exceptional and unique person, without whom this film would not exist”, she then recalled that Dino has just turned 90 and all the members of the jury joined her in sending virtually many wishes to our illustrious fellow citizen.
The director then said that she had received compliments personally from Marco Giallini, the talented Roman actor with innate comedy, famous for films such as: “Perfect Strangers” and “We just have to crime” and for the acclaimed television series “Rocco Schiavone”. Giallini said that he was very impressed by the figure of Dino Marinelli and that he was particularly fond of our city because his mother was originally from Città di Castello.
The protagonist Dino Marinelli, extremely satisfied with this beautiful result, declared that it is already very nice to “make cinquina (five winning numbers)” – referring to the fact of being back in the pool of finalist works – but even: “Winning the bing is an unprecedented joy”. Dino added that: “Being able to show the wonders of Città di Castello throughout Italy and abroad, thanks to Elena’s work, has a very deep meaning for me: it is the continuation and amplification of the work I did for many years in the Pinacoteca, when I told everyone about our beautiful Renaissance city”. The ‘Tifernate’ star finally thanked all the public who in these days has seen and voted for the film and in particular his fellow citizens who are covering him with a sincere affection, which he always reciprocates.
We recall that Dino Marinelli was officially the custodian of Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera but over the years, thanks to his spirit and ingenuity, he became an appreciated artistic guide, a journalist, a poet and a writer, with more than ten books to his credit. Cited by art scholars, national and international newspapers, guest of TV broadcasts, from Rai to BBC. In the documentary, in addition to the presence of talented actors such as: Michelangelo Pulci, Irene Bistarelli, Enrico Paci, and Alessia Martinelli there are important testimonies: Vittorio Sgarbi, Valeria Ciangottini, Mauro Silvestrini, Alvaro Tacchini, Walter Verini, Massimo Zangarelli, Sara Scarabottini, Paolo Puletti, Luigi Amadei, Sara Borsi, Giovanna Mariucci, Michela Botteghi, Silvia Consigli and Antonio Giogli. The plot is full of funny stories, biographical stories and events of other times that are intertwined with the memories of Dino, always ready to tell tasty anecdotes about characters met in the Pinacoteca such as the master Alberto Burri, Massimo Troisi, Roberto Benigni and Dario Fo.
After the important awards received by the film abroad: we remember the selection at the “Los Angeles, Italia” festival in Hollywood, the award for best documentary at the Indian festival “Knight of the Reel”, the honourable mention at the “Nice Film Festival” and the award for best first film at the “Berlin Independent Film Festival” and finally this important Italian recognition conferred by Rai Cinema – the channel dedicated to the best cinematographic works.
Info: The film will remain available for a year on the Rai Play platform: to watch it from the TV, simply access the platform and type the title of the work; From all other devices such as mobiles and computers just go to the site: www.raiplay.it