In Pittsburgh, ‘Fences’ and August Wilson’s Hill District

MONDAY, MAY 1, 2017 37

A woman looks at an art work called “Papillon Monarque-Migration is Beautiful” by US artist Andrea Bowers, as part of the exhibition “La Terra Inquieta” (The Restless Earth) on migrants odissey organized by the Trussardi foundation during La Triennale di Milano on April 29, 2017. — AFP Iranian filmmaker imprisoned over his work released early

Coppola and ‘Godfather’ cast reunite at Tribeca Film Fest ebilitating studio battles. One worst film ever made!” But Pacino said he miraculously still cat. Mooning con- was straightened out after a pep talk from Dtests between James Caan and Coppola, who showed him early footage of Marlon Brando. These were the memories his performance and told the struggling shared, 45 years later, on the making of Pacino “to get your chops together.” There “The Godfather” in a rare reunion of the were many such stories shared Saturday. All film’s cast and director Francis Ford marveled at the cat, roaming nearby, that Coppola at Radio City Music Hall. With the was thrust into one scene where it calmly stage decorated to resemble the library of burrowed in Brando’s lap. After the lengthy Brando’s Don Corleone, and a portrait of wedding scene, Pacino said, he and Keaton the actor hanging above, Coppola and cast “got so loaded, we were on the floor.” members Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert During the same scene, Duvall said, “We Duvall, James Caan, Diane Keaton and Talia were all mooning each other and Brando Iranian filmmaker Shire, gathered together once again on took it very seriously.” Keywan Karimi. Saturday. The night was organized by De Niro as the closing evening of his Tribeca n award-winning Iranian filmmaker spending his first month in solitary confinement, Couple.” The short film, based on a story by Italian Film Festival, which preceded the affair imprisoned over his work has been a place he described as “very dirty, very cold.” He writer Italo Calvino, follows the grinding routine with a grand double feature of “The Areleased after serving about five months said he suffered pain in his stomach and leg, but of a husband and wife working opposite shifts, Godfather,” parts one and two. of his yearlong sentence, though he doesn’t ultimately recovered. He later was put into the she in a bottle factory and he at a mannequin That made for a long day - the event know whether he’ll make movies again in the general prison population, sharing a room with store. Neither speaks, the only noise is the hum spanned nearly nine hours - but one of gid- Islamic Republic. Keywan Karimi told The 20 other prisoners. “You’re far away from freedom, of the city they live in. dy delight for devotees of Coppola’s mas- Associated Press yesterday that he credited inter- far away from something you love,” Karimi said. The film played in some 40 film festivals and terpieces. While both films are widely national pressure for his early release, as well as Karimi was convicted of “insulting sanctities” won prizes in Spain and Colombia. Karimi is one of viewed as among the finest ever made, escaping the 223 lashes that were part of his sen- in Iran, whose government is ultimately overseen several artists, poets, journalists, models and Coppola and cast spoke again and again tence. Others, however, remain imprisoned in the by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The activists arrested in a crackdown on expression led about the films’ humble origins, when Islamic Republic as part of a hard-line crackdown case involved footage from both a “video clip” by hard-liners who oppose Rouhani. His release Coppola was a young, untested director, amid President Hassan Rouhani’s outreach to the and a film he directed called “Writing on the City,” comes ahead of Iran’s May presidential election, in Pacino was an unknown theater actor who wider world through the nuclear deal. which focuses on political graffiti in Iran from its which Rouhani is seeking re-election. For now, the studio, Paramount, was loathe to cast, Karimi said in an interview over Skype that he 1979 Islamic Revolution to its contested 2009 Karimi said he was grateful to be out of prison, and few thought the source material - served his sentence in Tehran’s Evin prison, which election. Karimi is perhaps best known by inter- though he felt alienated from Iran and its people. Mario Puzo’s best-seller - was the stuff of great cinema. Even Coppola, himself. holds political prisoners and dual nationals national film critics for his 2013 black-and-white “I want to continue filmmaking, but I don’t know In this file photo, director Francis Ford “I was disappointed in the book when I detained by the security services. He described minimalist film, “The Adventure of the Married how and in which country,” Karimi said. — AP Coppola poses for photographers as first read it because it’s very long,” said he arrives for the premiere of Verdi’s Coppola, who called Puzo’s book “a bit of a ‘La Traviata’ at the Rome Opera House, potboiler.” “Much of the book - about a third in Rome. — AP - is about Lucy Mancini’s anatomy,” he said. Coppola’s battles over casting Pacino as Brando, of course, wasn’t the only one Michael Corleone have long been missing Saturday. John Cazale (Fredo) was Hollywood legend. To help convince the spoken of frequently, as was cinematogra- wary studio, Pacino said he did more screen pher Gordon Willis. The event was moderat- tests - including after he actually got the ed by Taylor Hackford and live streamed on part - than he could remember. Pacino even Facebook. The conversation sometimes got suggested Coppola shouldn’t fight so hard bogged down and some on the panel hard- for him, telling him, “It’s OK. We’ll work again. ly spoke, as many watching grumbled. De There are other things to do.” But Coppola Niro said little until nearly an hour in. But if was enamored with Pacino. After meeting it was an imperfect evening, it only high- him in San Francisco, he couldn’t shake the lighted the almost inhumane perfection of image of Pacino as Corleone. “I just saw his the movies Coppola et al produced. Having face,” said Coppola. “Everywhere we went, all recently watched the films for the first time the girls lit up for Al, for some reason.” in decades, Keaton could hardly contain her amazement. “Every choice you made ‘To get your chops together’ was so authentically brilliant,” she Still, Pacino was skeptical. “I thought, exclaimed to Coppola. “It’s so unusual!” ‘Gee, it’s not a really good role,” said the With time running out, Coppola tried to now 77-year-old actor of the part that take questions from the audience, asking for A metal music earned him two Oscar nods and made him the house lights to be raised and urging band performs a movie star. “Sonny is the part I can play,” audience members to holler out. But after a on stage of the he said, referring to the hot-headed Sonny few questions, a voice announced over the Opera du Rhin Corleone, played by Caan. (De Niro, who speakers that the night was over and “The during the ‘Metal ended up playing young Don Vito Corleone Godfather” got the hook. Coppola and the Oper’Art’ festival in Part II, also auditioned for the part of group gathered together on stage to in Strasbourg, Sonny.) When the shoot got off to a rocky embrace each other while the crowd, eager eastern France, start, Pacino lost his already shaky faith. “It’s for more, took pictures of the legendary on April 29, over,” he remembered thinking. “This is the “Godfather” team, draped arm in arm. — AP 2017. — AFP