Un Ettaro di Cielo e 39 di Terreno Storia d'Impresa di Franco Cristaldi by Barbara Corsi

 In this  book Un Ettaro di Cielo e 39 di Terreno

Storia d'Impresa di Franco Cristaldi by Barbara Corsi, the detailed history of the creation of the italian major signed by the beloved italian producer daoppeared abruptly in 1992.

Who is a producer if not someone visionary, with a dream, someone particularly involved in technical and bureocratic aspects: someone in connection with banks and influenctial men in grade of helping him in the realization of his projects?

 A man of left, Cristaldi was close friends with the family Marzotto who will be helpful in the material creation of Vides: at the same time Cristaldi will support the family with several spots and documentaries.

When Cristaldi will move from Turin to Rome, the Vides became Vides-SPA-Produzione Cinematografica and was located in Piazza Pitagora . From 1957 to 1959 there are nine movies produced by Vides and all of them with great directors and actors; Mario Monicelli, Steno, Vittorio Gassman, Luchino Visconti, Denys de la Patelliére.

Cinecittà is interested in co-productions with Vides but contrasts will born soon after the release of I Soligi Ignoti, mythical movie with Totò for a story of money.

Cristaldi won't never involve anymore Cinecittà in his projects, creating a new movie production center.

With the time and thanks to his new reality, the entrance in scene of new actresses is wanted by everyone: Rosanna Schiaffino, Claudia Cardinale the first ones: they also felt of lot of competition! It is interesting the modality used by Cristaldi for lauching a new actress. We are in an historical moment in which the so-called divism began to be pretty delevoped.

Nuovo Cinema Paradiso has been produced by Cristaldi and it was interesting to read what happened in the script-phase in which everyone wanted to say the last word. At the end the movie was pretty long: 185 minutes, was reduced at 135 minutes. At the box office it was not a success but Cannes believed in this project: they wanted to have Tornatore at the festival. We know the rest of the story. 

Cristaldi believed in this movie and what he did was the creation of a bridge with the various authors and director for seeing the movie at its best. Cristald had clear ideas, and no one maybe would have been in grade of let him change idea, but at the same time he wanted to listen also the point of view of the people involved in the creation of the movie. 

For, of course, obtaining the best.

A beautiful portrait of a man in love for cinema!

Highly recommended

I thank Marsilio for the physical copy of the book.

Anna Maria Polidori  

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