“I am an infinite Pascolian”. He expresses all his affection for the poet from San Mauro, Marco Bellocchio, who returned to San Mauro Pascoli, the poet’s homeland, after 24 years. The occasion was the national preview presentation of the volume “Una dolore immobilità. La vita di Giovanni Pascoli in una Schermo interroga”, in an evening organized by Sammauroindustria in collaboration with Fondazione Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori, in the presence of the book’s editors, Gianfranca Lavezzi and Federica Massia.
The evening was opened by the mayor of San Mauro Moris Guidi and the President of Sammauroindustria Daniele Gasperini, with a speech also by the general director of Fondazione Arnoldo and Alberto Mondadori, Paolo Verri. Dialogue with Bellocchio was by the director of Sammauroindustria, Miro Gori, who pressed the director on his relationship with Giovanni Pascoli.
“I met Pascoli as a child, in elementary school, from poems learned by heart such as Cavalla storna, 10 august, L’Aquilone – began the director – Pascoli was a great poet who never had a moment of happiness. Vincenzo Consolo in the screenplay he wrote for a film about him in the early ’80s gave voice to his political side, personally I think that a crucial turning point in his life was prison during the period of his socialist commitment with Andrea Costa . There he understands that his vocation is not political militancy but the study and care of his sisters. It is a real turning point in his life. The one where he will then create the family nest to defend himself from the outside world.”
Bellocchio explained why the film about Pascoli was not made. It had been commissioned by Rai, chaired by Sergio Zavoli, which had decided on its release, scheduled for 1982. The writer Vincenzo Consolo had written the screenplay that had been discussed and developed with Vincenzo Cerami and Bellocchio himself, who would have directed it. “That film had coincided with ‘Salto nel vuoto’, the story of a relationship between a brother and a sister. At that point it no longer made sense to return to a theme that was the same. In the role of Pascoli I would have seen Michele Placido, one of the protagonists of ‘Salto nel vuoto’”.
Will we see a film of his about Giovanni Pascoli in the future, Gori asked? “It’s difficult, I don’t think I’ll have time. But I’m sure of one thing: Pascoli is an extraordinary poet, a giant of literature. I’ve drawn on his life and work for some films. I admit: I’m an infinite Pascoli fan.” The evening ended with the screening of two short films directed by Marco Bellocchio: the national preview of La cavallina storna (2003) and Un filo di passione (1999).
