Skip to main content

Actor Domenico Centamore: Pride and Passion for his Sicilian Culture

He’s had roles in some of the biggest Italian blockbusters of the new millennium and each time, he portrayed a fearless protagonist willing to fight until the end against organized crime. 

 Sicilian born actor, Domenico Centamore is proud of his heritage, expressing that pride by working on films that make strong statements against the corruption his culture has had to endure. He’s had roles in  popular mafia-themed films such as I cento passi (One Hundred Steps), La mafia uccide solo d’estate (The Mafia Only Kills in Summer) and Anime nere (Black Souls).

Centamore has an impressive list of credits to his name, always portraying complex characters, some of which seem to border on insanity. His gaze is penetrating, as you can see in the clip below from I cento passi with Luigi Lo Cascio, and he sincerely gives a performance that comes straight from the soul. When we began our informal interview a few weeks ago, Centamore at first seemed a man of few words but then his pride and passion for his Sicilian culture took over and he shared some very special cinematic moments with me. He's especially proud of the work he and his colleagues have done through filmmaking to take a stand against organized crime in their regions and communities. My intention was to talk about the numerous David di Donatello nominations and then sweep for Anime nere but he had so many other things he wanted to talk about. During our interview, I also learned that he is somewhat of a composer and was nominated for a David di Donatello for his work on Pierfrancesco Diliberto's (Pif) La mafia uccide solo d’estate.

Tell me about your experience working on Anime nere.
Working on Anime nere was an extraordinary journey in Calabria. Munzi managed to create a good mix of professional and non-professional actors. He made us recite our lines in Calabrian dialect, and for me it was my first acting experience that was not my dialect. My character, Rosario was a member of the Carbone family. The film shows the stark reality, and unfortunately is the true story of how people in these situations live. The story of Anime nere is really a Greek tragedy that takes place within the ‘Ndragheta of Africo, Calabria.

Since you were previously involved in the mafia stories,I cento passi”and La mafia uccide solo d’estate, was it meaningful for you to be involved with another film that speaks of the life-changing effects of the mafia?
I am from Scordia, which is located in the Sicilian province of Catania. However, Sicily and Calabria are similar lands where the gangs have done a lot of damage, as you can see in these films, Anime nere, I cento passi and La mafia uccide solo d’estate. So, it’s really been a privilege to take part in all these projects.

How do you feel about the success of Anime nere at the David di Donatello’s? 
I didn’t attend the David di Donatello awards show this year. However, I was there last year and had a very beautiful experience as I was a nominee for Best Original Song on another great movie, Pif’s film, La mafia uccide solo d’estate. I was at the premiere for Anime nere at the 2014 Venice Film Festival where we received 15 minutes of applause.
Tell me about the song you wrote for Pif’s film.
The name of the song is Tosami Lady. It’s a parody of the song by Ivana Spagna, an Italian singer that in the film, was deeply admired by the mafia boss, Bagarella.

(Check out the song below in the closing credits of the film)

You gave a beautiful, heartfelt performance in I cento passi alongside Luigi Lo Cascio. It seemed a very special role for you.
It was my first film, and remains in my heart for many reasons. The story of Peppino Impastato is heartwarming for Sicilians and he set an example for everyone. We traced his footsteps by shooting in the actual places in Cinisi (the town in which the film was made) where he spent time, and we got to know his mother. So, this character, Peppino, really existed and as we were shooting around town, many people came up to us and told anecdotes about Peppino and the character that I play. It created an extraordinary atmosphere among the actors and we really felt that we were doing something important. It was a unique experience because all the actors, including Luigi Lo Cascio were just starting out. It was also the producer, Fabrizio’s first film and Pif was working as an intern. Every time I see it, I still get emotional.



What are the similarities between Pif's La mafia uccide solo d'estate and Marco Tullio Giordana's I cento passi? 
The message is the same. Never forget these people who sacrificed so much for what they believed in.. and we must keep their memory alive.


 Centamore is currently working on two television projects. His latest, a role in Rai Uno's Il giovane Montalbano can be seen in upcoming episodes of the popular Italian series. Then in July and August, check him out in the role of Inspector Cariddi on Rai Uno's Lampedusa, a show about the illegal immigrants that arrive on the Italian island. Lampedusa has become the main entry point for immigrants from Africa. Many never make it because of the dangerous conditions on the boats. The issue has emerged as one of Europe's most serious and controversial topics, so this would be a great show to catch if you're in Italy.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Conversation with Actor Mirko Frezza of David di Donatello Winner "Il più grande sogno"

The 2017 David di Donatello award show, which took place on Monday, was an exciting event that celebrated many great contemporary talents of Italian cinema.  I was fortunate to have seen most of the nominees.  Among my personal favorites  is Michele Vannucci's  Il più grande sogno  simply because it is based on one of the most inspiring, beautiful stories I've ever  heard, and the person behind that story is as authentic and down-to-earth as they come. The film won the 3 Future Award, which is determined by the public. With Director Michele Vannucci and Actor Mirko Frezza I first saw  Il più grande sogno last September when it premiered at the Venice Film Festival. I didn't make it to Venice, but thanks to a great online platform called Festival Scope , which offers a handful of premieres to be screened on the web, I felt like I was there. The film itself blew me away, and then when I realized it was based on a true story, I knew t...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Timeless Talent of Stefania Sandrelli

On screen since the tender age of 14, she has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with a compelling combination of strength and vulnerability. She achieved stardom at just 14 years old playing the angelic cousin of a love-struck Marcello Mastroianni in Pietro Germi’s “Divorce Italian Style.” More than half a century later, she is still going strong and remains one of Italy’s most esteemed actors. Stefania Sandrelli was born on June 5, 1946, in Viareggio in the province of Lucca in northern Italy. As a child, she studied music and dance. Then in 1960, she won a beauty pageant and was featured on the cover of Le Ore magazine. Her purity captivated the country and shortly thereafter, movie offers began pouring in. Just one year later, she made her cinema debut in three feature films: Mario Sequi’s Gioventù di notte , Luciano Salce’s The Fascist, and Pietro Germi’s Divorce Italian Style . She instantly became a star and before long was a key figure in Italy’s legend...
Post a Comment
Read more

Film at Lincoln Center honors Monica Vitti with retrospective featuring restored classics

Photo Courtesy of Archivio Luce-Cinecitt à A retrospective dedicated to the films of Italian cinema icon Monica Vitti will be held from June 6 to June 19 at Lincoln Center in New York City.  The 14-film series, titled "Monica Vitti: La Modernista," is presented by Film at Lincoln Center and Cinecittà and marks the first North American retrospective celebrating Vitti's 35-year career. "We are pleased to partner with Cinecittà to celebrate one of Italy's most revered actresses," said Film at Lincoln Center Vice President of Programming Florence Almozini. "It is a privilege to present decades' worth of films from Monica Vitti's illustrious and prolific career, especially with many restored versions of her legendary works." Monica Vitti, a key figure in film history, began her career in the mid-1950s and quickly became a captivating presence on screen. Her collaboration with director Michelangelo Antonioni produced memorable films in the 196...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Sweetness and Genius of Giulietta Masina

Fellini and Masina on the set of "La Strada" As open-hearted and sunny as Federico Fellini was dark and complex, they were perfect counterpoints during a half-century of marriage and professional collaboration.  Nicknamed a  “female Chaplin” and described by Chaplin himself as  the actress who moved him most,  Giulietta Masina confronted the tragedy of her characters with an eternal innocence and enthusiasm that gave Italians hope in the most challenging of times.  Born in 1921 in San Giorgio di Piano, a commune north of Bologna, Masina was the oldest of four children born to a father who was a music professor and violinist and a mother who was a grade-school teacher. Her parents sent her as a child to live in Rome with her widowed aunt while she attended school there. As Masina took an early interest in gymnastics, her aunt saw in her a passion for performing and encouraged her to pursue acting. So after high school, Masina attended Rome’s La...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Anthology Film Archives Presents: The Italian Connection: Poliziotteschi and Other Italo-Crime Films of the 1960s and '70's

June 19 – June 29 Influenced both by 1960s political cinema and Italian crime novels, as well as by French noir and American cop movies like "Dirty Harry" and "The French Connection," many Italian filmmakers in the late-60s and early-70s gradually moved away from the spaghetti western genre, trading lone cowboys for ‘bad’ cops and the rough frontier of the American west for the mean streets of modern Italy. Just as they had with their westerns, they reinvented the borrowed genre with their inimitable eye for style and filled their stories with the kidnappings, heists, vigilante justice, and brutal violence that suffused this turbulent moment in post-boom 1970s Italy. The undercurrent of fatalism and cynicism in these uncompromising movies is eerily reminiscent of the state of discontent in Italy today. ‘The Italian Connection’ showcases the diversity and innovation found in the genre, from the gangster noir of Fernando Di Leo’s "Caliber 9" ...
Post a Comment
Read more