Fellini, cinema and dreams: the Magnani-Rocca Foundation celebrates the director 30 years after his death

On the 30th anniversary of the death of Federico Fellini (Rimini, Jan. 20, 1920 - Rome, Oct. 31, 1993), the Magnani-Rocca Foundation pays tribute to the famous director. It does so with Fellini, Cinema and Dream, the focus exhibition curated by Mauro Carrera and Stefano Roffi, set up from March 18 to July 2, 2023 at Villa di Mamiano di Traversetolo (Parma), in the mansion that had Nino Rota, author of the most famous soundtracks of his films, such as those for 8½, Giulietta degli spiriti, Satyricon, Roma, Amarcord, and Il Casanova, as a guest.

The exhibition traces the career of one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema, creator of internationally renowned films and highly original narrator of the Italy of his time. Written in collaboration with Ennio Flaiano, The White Sheik inaugurated Fellini’s unique and personal style, a kind of fantarealism, which recounted the dreams and achievements of Italy, passing through films such as I vitelloni, a film dedicated to the Italy of industry, which consecrated the Italian director in the Olympus of world cinema, then confirmed with La strada, from 1954, a lucid portrait of post-war Italy, and with Le notti di Cabiria from 1957; from the dreamy country of La Dolce Vita (1960) to the modern, triumphant and lively Italy of 8 ½ (1963), from the lysergic and experimental Italy of Giulietta degli spiriti (1965) to the decadent, violent and fragile Italy of Amarcord (1973) perhaps the apogee of Fellini’s autobiographicalism, of his fabulous and revelatory memory. With subsequent works( Federico Fellini’sIl Casanova, 1976, Prova d’orchestra, 1979, La città delle donne, 1980, E la nave va, 1983, Ginger and Fred, 1986, Intervista, 1987) the allegories of the present become more anguished and, in some ways, mannered, and then close with La voce della Luna (1990), in which Paolo Villaggio and Roberto Benigni spearhead a message of silence necessary to confront an increasingly arrogant contemporaneity, a prologue to Fellini’s death.

The exhibition presents sumptuous costumes, belonging to the CSAC in Parma, made for the films and worn by famous actors such as Marcello Mastroianni and Donald Sutherland, the posters of the films themselves, true milestones in the history of cinema and graphics, as well as surprising drawings by the director and rare period photographs. Fellini traversed the history of cinema with strokes of masterful lightness; a great orchestrator of images, visions and narrative rhythms, he proved to be a master in giving substance to the passion of dream that invades the cinema screen, where the boundaries of imagination coincide with those of reality without, however, being conditioned by it.

He was awarded five Oscars: in 1957 for La strada, in 1958 for Le notti di Cabiria, in 1964 for 8 1/2, in 1976 for Amarcord, and in 1993 with a lifetime achievement Oscar from the hands of Sophia Loren.

To speak of Fellini restores to us the memory of an Italy full of ambition and aspirations that seems to have been lost today. But it is also to talk about a certain sense of life, a sense that this great artist had intuited, convincing himself that the only true realist is the visionary. There is a scene in the film Il tassinaro, by a great friend of Fellini’s, Alberto Sordi, in which the protagonist, caught in the euphoria of hosting on his ’Zara 87’ the famous director, explains well the popular vision of those who loved the films of the Rimini genius: “ Er vecchio che se perde nella nebbia. Which then would be all his dreams...”

The catalog, published by Dario Cimorelli Editore, features essays by Gianfranco Angelucci (screenwriter of the film Intervista), Mauro Carrera, Eugenia Paulicelli, and Stefano Roffi, as well as color reproductions of the works on display.

The exhibition, made possible thanks to the contribution of Fondazione Cariparma, Crèdit Agricole Italia, media partner: Gazzetta di Parma and with the collaboration of Angeli Cornici, Bstrò, Cavazzoni Associati, Società per la Mobilità e il Trasporto Pubblico, is open daily, including holidays.

Information and group reservations: tel. 0521 848327 / 848148 info@magnanirocca.it www.magnanirocca.it

Saturdays 4:30 p.m. and Sundays and holidays 11:30 a.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m., visit to the Casorati exhibition and the focus exhibition dedicated to Federico Fellini with a specialized guide; reservations can be made by e-mail at segreteria@magnanirocca.it , or show up at the museum entrance while places last; cost € 19 (admission and guide).

Fellini, cinema and dreams: the Magnani-Rocca Foundation celebrates the director 30 years after his death

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