Under the padronage of Leonardo Recalcati Valerio Ruiz present A film by Valerio Ruiz Lina Wertmuller BEHIND THE WHITEwww.behindthewhiteglasses.it GLASSES Production In Association With Thanks Media Partner PressKit_LinaWertmuller_eng.indd 1 25/08/15 16.54 present Lina Wertmuller BEHIND THE WHITE GLASSES Written and directed by Valerio Ruiz Cast Giancarlo Giannini Rutger Hauer Harvey Keitel Nastassja Kinski Sophia Loren Martin Scorsese John Simon Produced by RECALCATI MULTIMEDIA with WHITE GLASSES FILM Length 104’ Coming out in September 2015 The documentary will be broadcast on a TV premiere soon on Studio Universal (Mediaset Premium – DTT) NBC Universal Press Office Press office and Communication Global Networks Italia Francesca Romana Massaro Francesca Ginocchi E-mail: [email protected] E-mail: [email protected] mob. +39 3395824040 ph. +39 06 852091 – mob. +39 3356116803 Simona Pedroli E-mail: [email protected] Press kit avaiable also on: ph. +39 06 852091 – mob. +39 3336076773 http://www.behindthewhiteglasses.it/ PressKit_LinaWertmuller_eng.indd 2 25/08/15 16.54 BEHIND THE WHITE GLASSES CAST Lina Wertmüller Whit interviews by Marina Cicogna Caterina D’Amico Masolino D’Amico Isa Danieli Domenico De Masi Piera Degli Esposti Laura Delli Colli Giancarlo Giannini Rutger Hauer Roberto Herlitzka Harvey Keitel Nastassja Kinski Raffaele La Capria Pierluigi Leonardi Muzzi Loffredo Sophia Loren Rita Pavone Martin Scorsese John Simon Piero Tosi Massimo Wertmüller PressKit_LinaWertmuller_eng.indd 3 25/08/15 16.54 BEHIND THE WHITE GLASSES TECHNICAL Director Valerio Ruiz Scriptwriter Valerio Ruiz Director of Photography Giuseppe Pignone Editing Pierluigi Leonardi Art Director Virginia Vianello Musical score Lucio Gregoretti Line Producer Valentina Negri Executive producer Leonardo Recalcati for Recalcati Multimedia Sound designer Stefano Di Fiore Live recording Michele Antonio Parisi Assistant cameraman Lorenzo Catenacci Data Manager Elisabetta Giri Grip David Lisi Gaffer Diego Lombroni Script supervisor Cecilia Triestino Color correction and finishing Andrea Bonanni Graphic Design Sergio Pappalettera Studio Prodesign Transportation Claudio Vinci Produced by Leonardo Recalcati Una produzione Valerio Ruiz Recalcati Multimedia S.r.l. White Glasses Film S.r.l Distributers for Italy Recalcati Multimedia with Nbc Universal Global Networks Italia Srl Canale Studio Universal Sales agent world wide House Of Film, Llc PressKit_LinaWertmuller_eng.indd 4 25/08/15 16.54 BEHIND THE WHITE GLASSES SYNOPSIS Behind the White Glasses is the story about Lina Wertmüller’s life and career. First woman in the world to receive a nomination for the Academy Award as best director for her masterpiece Seven beauty (Pasqualino Settebellezze, 1975). From the unpublished pictures taken in Cinecittà when she was Federico Fellini’s assistant director for in 8 ½ , the documentary takes us to the places were her most famous films were set , revealing theartistic and human universe of a woman who with her unfailing irony and taste for the grotesque, has left her mark in all fields entertainment in which she worked: cinema, drama, television, music. The journey is accompanied by many exclusive interviews with the artists who witnessed her intense and constantly evolving career. Among them Giancarlo Giannini, Marina Cicogna, Sophia Loren and many foreign talents like Martin Scorsese, Harvey Keitel, Nastassja Kinski and film criticJohn Simon. The film features a long series of unreleased videos, images and songs written by Lina Wertmüller. “Behind the white glasses” is a personal poetic portrait by Valerio Ruiz, who was her assistant director and very close collaborator. PressKit_LinaWertmuller_eng.indd 5 25/08/15 16.54 BEHIND THE WHITE GLASSES FACT SHEET OF THE DOCU-FILM Valerio Ruiz and Leonardo Recalcati present: Behind the white glasses, a docu-film. A portrait on film of the icon of Italian cinema in the world: Lina Wertmüller. The author of the film isLina Wertmüller’s assistant director and right-hand man, Valerio Ruiz who, with this work, pays tribute to quality film-making. Lina Wertmüller started out in the film industry as assistant director working with great film-makers. For instance she worked on the set ofFederico Fellini ‘s 8 ½. The film focuses not only on the director’s career but it also presents the actors and artists who bore witness to a dream life. Among them are Giancarlo Giannini, Marina Cicogna, Sophia Loren and several foreign talents like Martin Scorsese, Harvey Keithel, Nastassja Kinski and John Simon. The producers are Valerio Ruiz, the head of White Glasses Film, and Leonardo Recalcati on behalf of Recalcati Multimedia, as well as NBC Universal Global Networks Italia – editor of the Studio Universal television network (Mediaset Premium DT). The docu-film received the patronage of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Cinecittà Studios became partner in the production of “Behind the white glasses”. The film is available in two formats, 52’ and 104’, and holds a long series of unpublished materials including videos, images and songs, some of which written by Lina Wertmüller herself, as well as famous interviews. The film includes backstage pictures that belong to the private and hitherto unpublished archive of the artist (e.g. 7’ of Lina Wertmüller filming Fellini on the set as he directs 8 ½) accompanied by her comments. An exclusive TV premiere of the documentary will be shown soon on Studio Universal. In the United States the House of Film will be in charge of distributing the film and it will also take care of international sales that will be promoted at the 2016 Berlin Film Festival. PressKit_LinaWertmuller_eng.indd 6 25/08/15 16.54 BEHIND THE WHITE GLASSES VALERIO RUIZ (Director and coproducer form) Valerio Ruiz, scriptwriter and director of the film about Lina Wertmüller’s life and career, Behind the White Glasses, he is also the producer of the film through his company White Glasses Film together with Recalcati Multimedia. Born in Rome in 1986, Valerio Ruiz has been working with director Lina Wertmüller for some years now. He is scriptwriter and assistant director of the documentary directed by Lina Wertmüller Roma, Napoli, Venezia ... in un crescendo rossiniano (2014), first film in 4k produced by RAI, Technological Strategies Department. He started working with Lina Wertmüller almost ten years ago as assistant in organizing the film section of the 2006 Ravello Festival and then went on to cooperate in the staging of two plays: Il Giornalino di Gianburrasca (2010) and Un’allegra fin de siècle (2013) and has continued through to the present day as assistant director of the TV-movie Mannaggia alla miseria (2009) In 2012 he contributed to the drafting of Lina Wertmüller’s autobiography Tutto a posto e niente in ordine (Mondadori) he contributed also in several master classes of acting such as the one held at Taormina Arte (2009) dedicated to the writer Vitaliano Brancati. In 2011 Valerio wrote, produced and directed his first short film Piazza Fellini, a tribute to Federico Fellini interpreted by Sandra Milo who was both actress and muse for some of the masterpieces of the maestro. The short won the 2011 Capri Short Cut Award at the Capri Hollywood International Film Festival and third prize at the XI Villammare Film Festival. The short was then presented at the Los Angeles Italian Film Fashion and Art Fest and in other Italian festivals. In 2012, Ruiz enriched his experience in the theatre by working with other directors. He was Assistant Director for the Transiti di Venere play, written and directed by Raffaele Curi, produced by the Alda Fendi- Esperimenti Foundation. In that same year he was assistant director for As you Like it, by W. Shakespeare, directed by Marco Carniti and produced by the Silvano Toti Globe Theatre of Rome. PressKit_LinaWertmuller_eng.indd 7 25/08/15 16.54 BEHIND THE WHITE GLASSES After studying in Rome and Paris, Valerio graduated in Communication Sciences from the University of Roma La Sapienza with a theses entitled Lo schermo lirico. Percorso nel genere cinematografico del filmopera (The lyric filter: a review of the film-opera genre) discussed with Prof Roberto Faenza. To further his studies the subject , he directors with maestro Rosi the Francesco Rosi documentary-interview: A Carmen in real life. In 2010 for the 20th anniversary of the Italy-Albania development cooperation he was art director of the film festival Italian eyes, promoted by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. PressKit_LinaWertmuller_eng.indd 8 25/08/15 16.54 COPRODUCER AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCER BEHIND THE WHITE GLASSES Recalcati Multimedia is an independent film production and distribution company based in Milan and run by Leonardo Recalcati. Since 2014 it has been dealing with the acquisition of rights of original contents developed by leading authors and directors among whom Fabio & Fabio, Angelo Licata and Luca Elmi. Recalcati Multimedia is engaged in the production of works of international standing that are to be distributed around the world. Among these is Behind the white glasses by Valerio Ruiz, namely the portrait of an icon of Italian filmmaking in the world: Lina Wertmüller. The work, selected for the “Venice classics” section of the 72nd edition of the Venice International Film Festival marks the debut of this production company. Made in association with Credito Valtellinese and filmed in only 24 days in Rome, New York and Geneva, the film received the patronage of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs as tribute to a work that offers a portrait of an outstanding Italian personality. The film is distributed in Italy by Recalcati Multimedia with NBC Universal Global Networks, while at the international level it is distributed by House of Film (USA – Los Angeles). Leonardo Recalcati declares that: “Behind the white glasses is my way of concluding a journey I started many years ago with Enrico Job, when for the first time I approached the filmmaking world. Lina was a great personality on the Italian scene in the 20th century and it is exciting to give lasting life to her thoughts, memories and intuitions.