Gabriele Salvatores is on set and shooting Il ritorno di Casanova
- Filming has begun on the Oscar-winning director’s new movie, based on Arthur Schnitzler’s novella of the same name and starring Toni Servillo, Fabrizio Bentivoglio and Sara Serraiocco
An established Italian director who’s unwilling to accept the passing of time decides to dedicate his latest film to the great Venetian seducer of the 1700s Giacomo Casanova. During filming, he realises he’s very similar to the character he’s depicting, more so than he could ever have imagined: this is the plot of the new film by Oscar-winner Gabriele Salvatores, Il ritorno di Casanova [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], on which filming has begun over the past few days and will continue between the Veneto and Lombardy regions over a 9-week period.
Loosely based on Arthur Schnitzler’s novella Casanova's Return to Venice and written by Umberto Contarello, Sara Mosetti and Salvatores himself, the film stars Toni Servillo (seen in three films presented at this year’s Venice Film Festival: The Hand of God [+see also:
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interview: Paolo Sorrentino
film profile], The Inner Cage [+see also:
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interview: Leonardo Di Costanzo
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interview: Mario Martone
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film profile]) and Sara Serraiocco (recently gracing Thou Shalt Not Hate [+see also:
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interview: Mauro Mancini
film profile]), who are further joined in the cast by Natalino Balasso, Alessandro Besentini and Bianca Panconi. The clip broadcast by the production company shows Servillo wearing a tuxedo and standing, with other actors on the Venice Film Festival’s red carpet, in front of a group of fans who are screaming and taking photos.
As with all of Salvatores’ titles, photography comes courtesy of Italo Petriccione, while editing is entrusted to Massimo Fiocchi, another of the director’s faithful collaborators.
The Austrian writer’s novella was previously adapted for TV in Italy in 1978 (under the aegis of Pasquale Festa Campanile) and for theatre during the 1992-1993 season. It was also brought to the big screen in 1992 by French director Édouard Niermans, with Alain Delon in the role of the Venetian seducer.
The Oscar-winning director of Mediterraneo (1991), meanwhile, recently presented the collective documentary Fuori era primavera - Viaggio nell'Italia del lockdown [+see also:
trailer
film profile], which gathered together the emotions and fears felt during the pandemic, as well as the movie Comedians [+see also:
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trailer
film profile], which is an adaptation of the theatrical work by English playwright Trevor Griffiths. Before this, Salvatores directed The Invisible Boy [+see also:
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trailer
interview: Gabriele Salvatores
film profile] (2014) and The Invisible Boy – Second Generation [+see also:
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film profile] (2018), not to mention Volare [+see also:
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film profile] (2019).
Il ritorno di Casanova is produced by Indiana Production together with RAI Cinema, BA.BE Productions and EDI Effetti Digitali Italiani, in association with 3 Marys Entertainment. The film was made with the support of the Veneto Region and the Veneto Film Commission, and in association with BPER Banca S.p.A. It will be released in 2022, distributed in Italy by 01 Distribution.
(Translated from Italian)
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