Paolo Sorrentino revealed some of his dreams and secrets at the Turin Book Fair, interviewed by Francesco Piccolo. The director, usually sparing with words, opened up to the public for an hour, talking about his cinema, his passions and his inspirations.
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“I have films in my head, but I always have the same old ideas that I continually recycle. But now I have such a new idea that I was surprised by myself,” confessed Sorrentino, without revealing more about the new project. He preferred to keep his latest film, “Partenope,” coming out in Cannes, a secret.
On his literary preferences, Sorrentino expressed his desire to bring Natalia Ginzburg’s “Lessico familiare” to the big screen. “I would like to play a character like Natalia’s father, the funniest and most shrewd, it would be perfect,” he said.
“Success helps me, but more frustration, failure. It works better”, revealed Sorrentino. The last question was about football and Napoli. “I am not a Napoli fan, but a Maradona fan,” he concluded. “I am more passionate about football than a fan, I like Serie B, women's football. I like the role of the coach, which is similar to that of the director.”
James Bond: A Dream in the Drawer
Among his dreams, an ambitious project: “I would like to do James Bond,” confessed the director, making the audience smile.
Sorrentino also spoke about his relationship with cinema. “I don’t like cinema, I do everything quickly because after a while I get bored,” he joked. “I like the first five days of writing, the first five of shooting, the first ten of editing. Then it all becomes heavy. The thing I like most is writing. On set I like it when something unpredictable happens.”
Favorite Movies and Masters of Cinema
Among his favorite films, Sorrentino cited “Cinema Paradiso” by Giuseppe Tornatore and “Libera” by Roberto Rossellini. “What I would have liked to do?” he reflected, “Once Upon a Time in America” by Sergio Leone.
As for the actors, Sorrentino chooses them “out of tiredness. At a certain point I say 'well, I'll take this one,'” he explained. “My casting director manages to influence me a lot, I took many actors that she proposed to me”.
His way of making films changed after the TV series “The Young Pope”. “I used all the tricks I knew, then I got bored,” he admitted. “I can’t make films with tricks anymore, only films that can release emotions, I don’t want to hide behind the veil of the profession”.
Article published on May 12, 2024 - 07:58 pm
