Narrator of lives
Marco Cervelli, the Florentine film director with the intense, ironic gaze
Where did your passion for film come from?
From my childhood, when I’d go with my dad to see films at the Dante cinema in Campi Bisenzio, which is now a wonderful theatre. I still remember the first film I saw there: Roberto Benigni’s The Little Devil.
Which director do you most admire?
It’s really hard to choose just one, or even two… At the moment I’m re-watching the early films of Gabriele Salvatores, one of the many directors I admire. Films that focus on escape, both external and internal.
An actor you’d like to work with?
All the actors I’ve worked with have shown enormous professionalism and loyalty; I owe a lot to every single one of them and I’d be happy to work with them again. However, so as not to offend anyone, I’d go for the classic daydream, Al Pacino.
Waiting for Bardot is your first feature film. The awards it’s picked up already say a lot, but can you whet our appetite by telling us more?
I’ve noticed that a lot of people who see the film find they identify with one or more of the characters, and that’s a wonderful and very gratifying thing.
Is there a story you’d like to tell?
I’m already writing the story I want to tell. I’ve had the subject in mind for several years, but it’s not quite there yet. I don’t want to give any spoilers, but I can say the ideal setting for this film is the streets of Genoa, narrated by maestro De André.
Florence is a classic movie setting. Which film do you think has best captured its soul?
Another great classic that’s always in fashion: My Friends, directed by Mario Monicelli.
