(AGENPARL) – Rome, 15 May 2024
(AGENPARL) – Wed 15 May 2024 PRESS RELEASE
Massa Lombarda, 9 May 2024
MASSA LOMBARDA: FILM ABOUT FRANCO GRILLINI AT THE SALA DEL CARMINE
The politician and activist for LGBT rights will be present during the free entry evening
On Tuesday 21 May at 9pm, the film entitled “Let’s Kiss – Story of a gentle revolution” by director Filippo Vendemmiati and produced by Genoma Films will be screened at the Sala del Carmine in Massa Lombarda. During the free admission screening, the Honorable Franco Grillini, to whom the film is dedicated, will be present in the room.
THE FILM
The film focuses on the figure of Franco Grillini, from Bologna, born in 1955, the son of farmers with a degree in pedagogy, a late politician and gay man, who has always been involved in the fight for the recognition of LGBT civil rights.
Through the live story told by the protagonist, with a light tone and unpublished documentary material, it reconstructs over thirty years of political history and bears witness to a tough and gentle struggle in the name of dignity and equality. A sentimental journey along the places of life: from his birthplace in the countryside to the university, from the old headquarters of disappeared parties to parliament, passing through the streets and squares of Gay Pride, from Rome to New York.
Franco Grillini’s stages mark struggles and conquests – from the tragic outbreak of AIDS with deaths and the banning of homosexual relationships up to the first marriage between people of the same sex and the still open battle for stepchild adoption – but also the evolution of the social and media approach to a topic that still remains highly divisive if not ignored.
They are stories of love and political battles, inside and outside parliament, irrepressible drives towards change and the joy of living.
DIRECTOR
Filippo Vendemmiati, born in Ferrara on 9 February 1958, is a journalist, correspondent and author of feature films. As an author he signed “La Grande Sorella”, a reportage on the drama of leprosy in India created with colleagues Marino Cancellari and Donata Zanotti, winner of the “Enzo Baldoni Award” in 2006.
Great success was achieved by the documentary entitled “A boy was dead” (2010) on the events linked to the tragic death of Federico Aldrovandi, the student from Ferrara who died during a police check on the night of 25 September 2005. It achieved the record of ratings in the 11.30pm -1am broadcast time slot with an average audience of 860 thousand viewers and a share of 15%.
His subsequent work “Non mi hai persuaded” (2012) is dedicated to the political and human figure of Pietro Ingrao, former president of the chamber, leader of the former communist party. The film was released on DVD and sold over 10 thousand copies and was successfully presented at various national festivals
Subsequently, in 2014 he directed “Thank goodness it’s Monday”, a story of work and freedom set in the inmates’ workshop of the Dozza prison in Bologna. The film had its world premiere at the 9th Rome International Film Festival (2014).
In 2016 he created and directed the Cinevasioni Festival, the first and only film festival within the Dozza prison in Bologna.
His other productions are: “Roth’s Little Train” (2007) and “Gli anni che cantano” (2020)
PRESS OFFICE
Municipality of Massa Lombarda
