Eight masters of contemporary Italian photography

A detailed and fascinating exploration of the world of Italian photography, the docu-series Fotografi, broadcast on Tuesday 25 June on Sky Arte, presents eight of the major contemporary exponents of this art. Reviewing the works of photographers of the caliber of Letizia Battaglia, Paolo Pellegrin and Giovanni Gastel, the eight episodes of the series offer an accurate overview of the styles and themes addressed by each artist, in a story that intertwines their respective professional paths with the main events in the country’s history. The opening episode, broadcast at 9.15 pm, is dedicated to Letizia Battaglia, celebrated as the “mother” of Italian photography, known throughout the world for the strength of her shots on the world of the mafia in Palermo. The docu-series continues with the second episode, broadcast at 9.50 pm, centered on the Roman photographer Paolo Pellegrin: a member of the well-known Magnum agency for almost twenty years, Pellegrin talks about his work as a photojournalist since theater of war in Palestine in 2009. The third documentary, broadcast at 10.35 pm, recounts the career of Umberto Pizzi. The “king of the paparazzi” reveals secrets and anecdotes from the world of VIPs, the result of his decades of work behind the scenes of Dagospia. For the fourth episode, broadcast at 10.45 pm, the spotlight moves to Milan to tell the shots of Giovanni Gastel, nephew of Luchino Visconti, famous fashion photographer, much appreciated for his portraits. The fifth episode is dedicated to Mustafa Sabbagh, shown at 11.15pm. Born in Amman into an Italian-Jordanian family, Sabbagh is considered one of the most important living Italian photographers, whose shots have been exhibited all over the world. The documentary broadcast at 11.45pm therefore explores the world of Davide Monteleone, winner of 3 World Press Photo awards, discovering his work between Italy and Russia. The scenario changes radically with the episode broadcast at 00.20, dedicated to Oreste Pipolo, whose work in Naples as a photographer of weddings and bridal portraitist has made him an absolute celebrity. Closing the evening, at 00:50, is the episode centered on photojournalism, which reviews the shots of Sergio Ramazzotti, a Milanese photojournalist who reported the Arab Spring directly from Libya.