Model/Actress Anna Falchi

Anna Falchi was born Anna Kristiina Palomaki, on April 22, 1972, in Tampere, Finland. Her mother, Kaarina Palomaki Sisko, is Finnish, while her father, Benito "Tito" Falchi, is from Romagna, Italy. Growing up in Italy, Anna was a tomboy, and had a fervent imagination.

She is known mostly for her prolific career in modelling. However, she tried her hand at acting and landed a role in one of my favorite Italian comedies, Nessun messaggio in segreteria. I consider it my one of my favorites because it brought together so many amazing, talented filmmakers during a time when they were all just starting out. Those filmmakers, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valerio Mastandrea, Luca Miniero and Paolo Genovese are now huge names in contemporary Italian cinema, so it's great to look back and see their work in a low-profile film completely different from the bigger-budget stardom they now know. Watch the trailer.

Anna Falchi started her career as a model. She first appeared on TV in a commercial for an Italian bank in 1992. The ad starred Paolo Villaggio, and was actually directed by Federico Fellini. This helped her launch a film career, starting with Nel continente nero (On the Dark Continent) in 1993. She appeared in a number of films since, including the 1994 fantasy movie Desideria e l'anello del Drago and then more recently in the comedy Nessun messaggio in segreteria. She has also been a popular television personality, hosting various specials on Italian TV. She is less known in the English speaking world. Some fans of the horror comic Dylan Dog, know her as the lead female in a film adaptation called Dellamorte Dellamore, which was released in the United States as Cemetery Man.

I caught up with Falchi while she was in New York. We talked about her diverse background and what it was like working with two cinema greats of yesterday and today, Federico Fellini and Pierfrancesco Favino.

What was it like growing up in two cultures, with your mother from Finland and your father from Italy?
It was beautiful. I grew up in northern Italy, in Rimini. My parents were teachers, so it was never expected that I would become an actress. But they've always been very supportive. My brother is a producer and we have our own production company. So, it's great to work with him. I like producing because I enjoy helping young actors and actresses, and giving them the opportunity to work. Also, I don't always want to be on camera.

When did you start working as a model?
I started modeling when I was 14 years old. I would just do it on weekends. It was good for me because when I was a child, my family used to move a lot, so I was always changing schools and houses. Modeling gave me the opportunity to work and meet people, so there was no chance to be lonely.

Tell me about your first on-camera job, and working with Federico Fellini.
I spent 10 days working with Fellni on a commercial for a bank. It was shot in Rimini, so it was great to be home. He was very sweet. When he directed me, he told me to just be myself. He said that he wanted to work with me again, but sadly he died shortly after.

What it was like to work with Pierfrancesco Favino on Nessun messaggio in segreteria?
It was great to work with Pierfrancesco. He usually plays hard roles, but in this film, he was a little shy and funny. I really enjoyed working with him. I liked my character because she was not only a dancer, she had a big heart and also struggled with loneliness.

What do you think of Italian cinema today and roles that are being offered to women?Well, we are not very international because we produce inexpensive movies. We have a few big directors who are successful outside of Italy, like Gabrielle Salvatores and Gabrielle Muccino. The starring roles usually go to men with supporting roles going to women. I think it's because younger people go to see movies and they prefer younger stories, not a woman's story.

Comments

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

The Legend of Alberto Sordi - Rome's Eternal Son

′′They will always judge you, whether you behave well or if you behave badly. So screw it and live as you want but above all don't listen to anyone.′′ - Alberto Sordi By giving his fellow Italians something to laugh about during tumultuous times, he emerged as his generation’s King of Comedy. One of Italy’s best-loved personalities, Alberto Sordi played a pivotal role in Italian cinema from the end of World War II to the postwar economic boom of the 1950s. During those tumultuous years, he gave his countrymen a hearty laugh when they might have otherwise cried. Former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi perhaps said it best: “Alberto Sordi interpreted the feelings of Italians, especially in their most difficult and tough moments.” Born in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome in 1920, Sordi grew up in a creative household. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father, a professional musician for the Rome Opera House. A young Sordi joined the children’s choir o...

Martin Scorsese's Voyage to Italy

Martin Scorsese’s deeply personal documentary “My Voyage to Italy” is an exploration of Italian cinema and the films that shaped him as a director and storyteller. Released in 1999, the documentary is both a history lesson on Italian cinema and an autobiography of Scorsese’s childhood and artistic influences. Using family movies and actual footage, Scorsese begins by explaining how important movies were during his childhood in New York’s Little Italy. Because he suffered from asthma, he could not play outside often, so he spent much of his time watching films with his family. Italian cinema became a way for him to connect with his heritage and understand the lives, emotions, and struggles of not only Italian people but also his close relatives. He notes that these films were different from Hollywood movies because they felt more realistic and emotional. A large part of the documentary focuses on the Italian Neorealism film movement that emerged in the wake of World War II. The fil...

Alessandro Gassmann: Born to Act

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda" Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty. He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence. Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play ...

Iconic scenes from 'Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina' highlight Italy's North-South divide

If you’re in the mood for a quintessential old-school Italian comedy, look no further than “Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina.” Directed in the mid-1950s by Camillo Mastrocinque, the film has stood the test of time. Starring two of Italy’s most beloved comic actors, Totò (Antonio De Curtis) and Peppino De Filippo, it is widely regarded as one of the country’s most iconic comedies, showcasing mid-century Neapolitan humor. The film also features a young Nino Manfredi at the beginning of his prolific six-decade career. “Totò, Peppino e la malafemmina” is the story of two simple, old-fashioned brothers from Naples, Antonio and Peppino Caponi (Totò and De Filippo respectively), who embark on a trip up north to check on their young nephew Gianni. Gianni has moved to Milan and fallen for a seductive nightclub dancer named Marisa (Maria Luisa Mangini, aka Dorian Gray), whom they refer to as a “malafemmina,” meaning a “bad woman” or femme fatale. Believing she is corrupting him, Totò and Peppino ...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog