David di Donatello and those thanks from relatives to colleagues – Corriere.it

When Carlo Conti has awarded
Mark Bellocchio
for best direction

I was convinced that I had the wrong plan, that I was watching «The best years of our lives», the transmission of nostalgia («Nostalgia» is also Mario Martone’s film). And instead it was there David di Donatello ceremony, the Oscars that Italian cinema can afford (Rai1). Throughout the course of the broadcast, my attention was drawn to the thanks. At the awards it is customary to thank, from relatives to colleagues, perhaps making good use of the telephone directory so as not to forget anyone and it is curious that Emanuela Fanelli inaugurated this “gratitude table”, perhaps in memory of the delightful delirium of Valeria Bruni Tedeschi .

Fortunately, the true party of the Davids it takes place at the Quirinale, in the morning in the Sala degli Arazzi, with the president as the absolute protagonists Sergio Mattarella and Geppi Cucciari
, which began like this: «Good morning like every day, in the name of all Italians. It is always a great emotion to be here, in this modest mansion, large courtyard, very bright, discreet color scheme, free. Free in five years. Five years to go, almost six: eight years, six governments, five presidents of the Council, 180 rounds of consultations and one expression (cut to the president’s face), keep that one». Then, with great simplicity, the president replied: «Cinema is imagination and history, emotion and culture. It is also leisure, dreams, freedom».

I was pleased to note that he was referring to cinema in general, not to that of a single nation. After dutiful tribute to Gina Lollobrigida (distant relative of Francesco Lollobrigida, brother-in-law of Giorgia Meloni), intervened Henry Vanzina who, interviewed by Cucciari herself, recalled, in order not to further anger her sister-in-law, how the David is an award «to my family who loved cinema very much and did so. Scola said that comedy is a great portrait of Italian vices, but always with respect and affectionate observations. Lightness is often not superficiality». This cinema of saints, poets, navigators, brothers-in-law… (semicit.)