It was announced as “an entirely Pesaro film, on screens in spring”: but 50 years have passed since that spring of 1974 which announced the release of “My Brother I”, a film by Pesaro director Paolo Baldelli, shot in 1973 between Pesaro , Fano, San Marino and never released in theaters. The film, in Kodacolor, was found by Baldelli and will be shown at the Solaris cinema from May 9th. «It is a work that addresses universal themes such as love, identity and belonging», says the director.
«Even today I would define it as a romantic-social story that tells of the overwhelming love between the son of an entrepreneur and a student of African origin. At the time I chose very good theater actors: the protagonists were Mario Valdemarin, then the protagonist of TV series and cinema, and Norma Jordan, a Canadian actress who collaborated with the Living Theatre». The operator was Renato Tafuri, one of the most sought after in Europe, the editing was by Cesare Pandolfi and the screenplay consultancy was by Fabio Piccioni.
Abandonment
Despite the efforts of shooting and editing the film, Baldelli abandoned the project before finishing the soundtrack and dubbing: «It was love for a wonderful woman that completely kidnapped me and I changed my life. But I am happy to have dusted off this film which I find very current and at the same time, through the looks of youth and the challenges of the time, the protagonists take us on an exciting journey through the seaside and hilly areas of Pesaro and Fano, up to San Marino, offering an authentic glimpse into the life and relationships of that period.”
The restoration
The film’s restoration project was immediately welcomed by Silvia Ortolani of Solaris: «A decidedly cutting-edge film for the times in which it was shot. We immediately thought of adding sound to it, with music and noises, but as regards the dubbing, having been played by various actors who have marked the history of our territory, we preferred to provide it with subtitles so as not to take away the magic of an original and powerful story that I hope he can go the way he deserves today too.”
The setup
The work of developing the film was entrusted to an expert like Adriano Razzi: «The film was shot very well, even on a technical level. My job was to try to recreate those atmospheres, both in terms of music and sound effects. The director’s desire was to complete the work: in addition to the soundtrack, I proceeded to subtitle it with the script that Baldelli provided me. The result is a product of great charm. When digitizing the film, we also preferred to leave the normal “scratches” of the film effect, maintaining that originality and above all the emotion of a period film that speaks to the present.” Actors and extras are from Pesaro and Fano and contributed significantly to the authenticity of the production. Among the curiosities, there is also a scene shot in front of the advertising posters of the Corriere Adriatico from 1973.
