“I don’t like my son to watch movies on his phone. But I’d rather he watch movies on his phone than not watch movies at all. People need movies. Movies will never die” – Giuseppe Tornatore
Giuseppe Tornatore at the Regal cinema in Mumbai
You don’t just grow up watching movies but live vicariously through them. Legendary Italian film director Giuseppe Tornatore An Oscar-winning film ‘Wayang Paradiso‘ (1988) exuded this sentiment, used as the most heartening love letter to cinema. Coming-of-age drama as seen through the eyes of the young Toto and heartwarming friendship with the old projectionist Alfredo, depicting in the cinema not only. shape but define the journey of our life – childhood, friendship, nostalgia, first love, loss and longing. So it was fitting for Tornatore on his first visit to India, the initiative of filmmaker, archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur.Film Heritage Foundation‘ to felicitate unsung heroes of the film industry – the projectionists. The three-day festival, which culminates today, is on display Restored Italian classics. In an exclusive chat, Tornatore, accompanied by Dungarpur, shares his thoughts on India, Indian cinema, the longevity of great films and more. Quote…
A still from Cinema Paradiso
You made Cinema Paradiso 36 years ago, and it is a film that continues to be watched and discussed among film lovers. Would you attribute longevity to it?
You are very generous. It is a great mystery to me that 40 years after its creation, it continues to be popular and close to people in every country. I introduce it as the opening film of the festival here. People of all ages call me, write to me about this movie even today. Yes, the film is autobiographical in some parts. But not all autobiographical films receive love, this affection. It could be because cinema is where generations of people grew up and saw their lives. Perhaps there is a certain honesty that touches people’s hearts.
Filmmaker Luca Guadagnino, another great Italian, was in town last year and he told us that India and Italy are similar in many ways. What do you think?
I agree with him. Yesterday I was walking down the street in the city with a lot of people, and I immediately felt familiar. I asked myself why I felt this connection with this place, these people. Living on the streets of Mumbai, the pace, the vibe here reminds me of the first big city I knew back home when I was young — Palermo in Sicily. Until six years ago, Palermo was … noise, chaos, screams, shops, pastries, colors, fruit vendors. It was a very powerful experience yesterday and I hope to spend more time here before I leave.
Giuseppe Tornatore at the Gateway of India in Mumbai
You have been attracted to film projectionists since the early years and became one yourself, so you would say that it was right when you first visited India, you felicitated the unsung hero of our cinema here- projectionists?
I will confess a secret to you. At first, I thought movies were made in cinema projection rooms. I don’t understand the concept of screening. I started going to cinemas like this (pointing to Mumbai Regal Cinema) when I was six. I do not know how it is possible that the character that looks so big on the big screen manages to get there from the small window of the theater at the back. For a long time I believed that it was the imagination of this person (the projectionist) who created the film. I thought the film was made in a projection room. When I had a chance to check out the room, the projectionist looked like a legend to me. I think the movie wasn’t made there, but the idea I had before decoding the real situation stayed with me. I met other projectionists and became one when I was nine. That is my world. So, I’m very happy to be able to thank the projectionists here because it feels like I’m paying tribute to all the projectionists I knew when I was young.
Giuseppe Tornatore at the Regal cinema in Mumbai
Do you know Indian movies?
I think what binds Indian and Italian cinema is realism. There is a lot of fantasy in both, but the soul and origin of poetic cinematography in both cinemas is real. Satyajit Ray was the first great director I met when I was young. About a year ago I watched a movie, (Pan Nalin) ‘Last Film Show’, which I believe was inspired by Cinema Paradiso. The film is India’s official Oscar entry, (it didn’t win a nomination) so it’s a huge honor for him and for me. I have also watched some commercial Bollywood movie clips, and I am curious about this world. Shivendra (Dungarpur) has promised that he will take me to the shooting of these big Bollywood films one day. I am amazed at how many movies India produces every year. The Indian film industry is one of the largest in the world. A country that produces about 2,000 films a year is heaven to me.
Images from ‘Last Film Show’ and ‘Cinema Paradiso’
In an ever-evolving digital world, how important is film preservation and restoration?
Turner: People connect with each other through movies. Even politically, it is important because art transcends borders. Movies are not limited to any language. Shivendra and people like him work to preserve and restore great films that are part of human history. Be it the works of Federico Fellini, Akira Kurosawa, Satyajit Ray, John Huston, or Alfred Hitchcock, to name a few. In future, if people will have a chance to watch this wonderful movie, thanks to Shivendra and everyone who worked for this. They are important. They give eternal life to the film.
Founder Film Heritage Foundation Shivendra Singh Dungarpur with Giuseppe Tornatore
Shivendra: It’s unbelievable that he’s here, because for me, his film (Cinema Paradiso) embodies our collective love for cinema. The movie represents everything I did as a child. I was Toto in the movie. I continue to be Toto because my life is only about showing movies. We show movies to people for free. This was probably the most emotional moment for me. Not only did he come here as a director, as an artist, but also as a person who maintains the cinema. And the fact that he started his career as a projectionist. He was a photographer, then a projectionist, and he respected our projectionist. This is the best thing that has ever happened to cinema.
The Film Heritage Foundation is doing some great work to restore classics, but seeing the advent of technology and OTT platforms, do you fear that the longevity of cinema will be affected?
Shivendra: From my point of view, we are still living in the cinema. Judging by the number of people who have come to us (at this festival), it shows that basically, the classic film is back. Today, see how many classics are being re-released in multiplexes. All this is happening thanks to the Film Heritage Foundation’s initiative to bring back classic films to cinemas. In addition, the fact that we maintain a single screen is very good. More than 1800 people registered for this Italian festival. The movies are available online, but people flock to theaters for the experience.
Tornado: People watch more movies today than they did 50 years ago. Thanks to technology that gives you the opportunity to watch movies wherever and whenever you want. Okay. I don’t like my son watching movies on his phone. But I’d rather have him watch a movie on his phone than not watch a movie. People need movies. Movies never die. Maybe the traditional film business is anachronistic, but it will change and it will find new ways to move forward because today, film financing is very complicated. As film technology changed, we were able to produce films in a much simpler way than in the past. But one thing I am sure of. In this world, people will always have the need to watch movies. So we had to make a movie. Even if we don’t want to, we have to make a movie. (laugh).
