David Di Donatello 1956ÂŒ2016

JICMS 4 (2) pp. 163–165 Intellect Limited 2016

Editorial

Flavia Laviosa

David di Donatello 1956–2016: Sixty years of awards1

The David di Donatello Award, named after Donatello’s bronze statue of 1. Italian versions of David (1440s), is a prestigious Italian film prize awarded each year for cine- excerpts of texts in English authored by matic performances and productions by the Accademia del Cinema Italiano film professionals (The Academy of Italian Cinema). The trophy is a golden replica of David on appear in the volume celebrating the 60th a square malachite base with a golden plaque recording the award category, anniversary of the year and winner. David di Donatello, The Accademia del Cinema Italiano – Premi David di Donatello, is published by Electa in 2016. supported by two major Italian associations: Associazione Generale Italiana dello Spettacolo/Italian General Show-Business Association (AGIS) and Associazione Nazionale Industrie Cinematografiche Audiovisive/Italian National Cinema and Audiovisual Association (ANICA). The Accademia del Cinema Italiano operates in collaboration with and thanks to the contribution of the Ministry of the Performing Arts and the Ministry for Cultural Properties and Activities. Gian Luigi Rondi, the current president, has worked with the organization since its inception. In the 1950s, during Italian cinema’s period of heightened success, the Open Gate Club was founded in Rome. Its logo was an open door symbolizing the positive post-World War II cultural climate and the beginning of a new international artistic exchange. Within the Open Gate Club, the Comitato per l’Arte e la Cultura/Art and Culture Committee and the Circolo Internazionale del Cinema/ International Cinema Association were created in 1953 and 1954, respectively. In 1955, the Circolo Internazionale del Cinema became the Club Internazionale del Cinema/International Cinema Club. In that same year,

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under the leadership of Italo Gemini (1901–1984), film operator and president of AGIS, the two above mentioned cinephile associations, presided over by Gino Sotis (1902–1960) and Lidio Bozzini (1924–2006), established the David di Donatello endeavouring to honour the best Italian and foreign motion picture production, following the example of the American Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The first David di Donatello awards ceremony was held in Rome on 5 July 1956 at the Fiamma movie theatre. From 1957 to 1980, the ceremonies were held at the Greek theatre in Taormina during the Taormina Film Fest, with a few exceptions: in Rome at the Terme di Caracalla (1971), in Florence at Piazzale Michelangelo (1978) and in Rome at Teatro dell’Opera (1979). In 1981, the award ceremony was held in two different sites: in Rome at Teatro dell’Opera and in Florence at Palazzo Vecchio. In 1982, the David di Donatello returned to Rome, with the support of the President of the Republic, Sandro Pertini, and with the collaboration of the Rome City Council Cultural Policies Department. Since 1956, the David di Donatello has been the main national film prize in Italy and has been awarded to international directors, producers and actors by Italy’s best professionals in the industry. During the 1980s, a nomination ballot was introduced to the decision process and the Awards expanded the categories of professionals included in this annual celebration of Italian cinematic excellence. Consequently, categories dedicated to international productions were reduced and today the Accademia del Cinema Italiano recognizes two separate awards for feature films produced abroad and distributed in Italy: Best Film from the European Union and Best Foreign Film. There are 24 categories as of in 2014. In 2006, a documentary celebrating the 50th anniversary of the David di Donatello, produced by Accademia del Cinema Italiano, RaiCinema and Istituto Luce and headed by Massimo Mascolo, was released on DVD in conjunction with the book, David di Donatello 1956–2006 50 Anni di Premi (Gian Luigi Rondi et al., 2006). The book features a year-by-year history through a collection of images and a master list of all the nominees and winners from 1956 to 2006. In 2016, the Journal of Italian Cinema and Media Studies celebrates the 60th anniversary of the David di Donatello prize with a themed issue that pays homage to the award for its cultural influence on Italian and world cinema, and endorses its international role. President, Gian Luigi Rondi, opens the issue with a comprehensive overview of the history of the David di Donatello since the 1950s. Mr Rondi’s introduction is followed by a varied collection of original testimonials, reflections and conversations written by artists in the film industry who have enthusiastically welcomed the invitation to contrib- ute with their own personal experiences: Giuliano Montaldo, Nicola Piovani, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Giuseppe Tornatore, Ennio Morricone, Emilia De Sica, Carlo Verdone, Giuseppe Battiston, Aldo Signoretti, Dino Trappetti, Luca Bigazzi, Francesca Calvelli and Paola Cortellesi. Their unique accounts historicize the value of the David di Donatello as the utmost expression of Italian film heritage and symbol of collective cinematic memory. This issue preserves its academic character by also publishing five criti- cal articles: Roberta Tabanelli’s contribution, ‘Authorial visions: Saverio Costanzo’s negotiation with auteurism’; Gloria Dagnino’s article, ‘Studying Italian para-industry: The case of Boris’; Umberto Famulari’s work, ‘The Duce on the creen: The image of Mussolini in the newsreels of the Istituto Luce’;

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Chiara Ferrari’s article, ‘Cinema and Sassi: Urban development and film-in- duced tourism in Matera and Basilicata’; and Romana Andò, Fabio Corsini and Stefania Pizza’s study, ‘Watching television today. A comparative survey of Italian and American students’ habits in front of television’. This issue also includes three film review essays. Paolo Russo examines and discusses Giorgio Treves’ 2014 bio-documentary, Gian Luigi Rondi: Vita, Cinema, Passione/Gian Luigi Rondi: Life, Cinema, Passion. Anthony Cristiano contributes with an extensive analysis of the 2006 historical documentary, 50 Anni di David, 1956–2006 La storia per immagini/50 Years of David, 1956- 2006 The History through Images. Johnny Bertolio engages in an in-depth study of literary references in Paolo Sorrentino’s 2013 La grande bellezza/The Great Beauty. Antonio Falduto’s report on the 68th edition of the Cannes Film Festival concludes the issue. This issue is the result of a one-year collaboration with Massimo Mascolo, who has been rigorously committed to the project. I am especially grateful to Mr. Mascolo for his enthusiastic interest and personal involvement, conduct- ing interviews with several authors and preparing the list of David di Donatello winners over the past 60 years. I also thank President Gian Luigi Rondi for his contribution to this issue and his official support of the project, and I am grateful to Secretary General of the Accademia del Cinema Italiano, Manuela Pineschi, for facilitating communication with Italian film professionals. My deepest gratitude goes to all Italian artists who have shared their stories and agreed to publish them in the JICMS. Thank you also to the Accademia del Cinema Italiano for the cour- tesy of granting permission to publish Giuseppe Di Caro’s photographs of the contributing artists and of the David of Donatello for our cover. Finally, I am particularly indebted to my Wellesley College editorial assistant, Gabrielle Van Tassel, and translator, Alessandra Saluti, for their tireless and excellent work.

Flavia Laviosa has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work in the format that was submitted to Intellect Ltd.

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