Interview: Valentina Lodovini on her role in Alessandro Piva's "Milionari"

Last week, "Milionari" opened in theaters across Italy. Inspired by one of the Camorra's most notorious Neapolitan crime bosses, the film is an action-packed, emotionally-charged drama, which offers a glimpse into the life of an infamous gangster and the trauma one woman endured as she stood by the man she loved.

I talked with actress Valentina Lodovini about her role portraying that fascinating woman, Rosaria. Our interview was done in Italian, so both versions are included.

Tell me about your character.
Rosaria is a woman, not a criminal. She has nothing to do with the business or power of the Camorra. She has just fallen in love with a man who is a criminal. My character, otherwise, is just one aspect of organized crime. We call this the Omertà, which describes a person who does not complain about the injustices that lie before him or her. It is someone that prefers not to know and not to ask questions.

Raccontami il tuo personaggio nel film "Milionari".

Rosaria non è una donna criminale, non tratta mai con il potere della Camorra ma ha scelto un uomo criminale. Il mio personaggio è comunque una sintesi di uno degli aspetti della criminalità organizzata L’omertà. Quando si parla di omertà non ci si riferisce solo a chi non denuncia un sopruso ma anche a chi preferisce non sapere e non fare domande.

Since the film was based on a true story, what did you do to research your character?

I’ve portrayed other characters inspired by true stories, and I have always avoided doing research on them because I don’t want to risk imitation. I always try to approach the portrayal of a true character with my own sensitivity and work in trying to build the excitement that is the story of the film.

Il film è basato su una storia vera.. che cosa hai fatto per la ricerca del tuo personaggio?

Già altre volte ho lavorato su personaggi realmente esistiti ma evito sempre di fare una ricerca su di loro. Non voglio cadere nel rischio dell’imitazione. Cerco sempre di avvicinarmi con la mia sensibilità al personaggio e lavoro cercando di ricostruire l’emozione che il film vuole raccontare.

What were the challenges in playing this role?
In a few scenes, I wanted the viewer to feel an intimacy like that of the actor Alain Delon as he always tried to separate the criminal world from the private life of his characters.. but it was a beautiful challenge. I always kept this is mind whether in a scene of silence or with a family having lunch and talking to each other.

Quali sono state le sfide in questo ruolo?
Poche scene che però dovevano accompagnare lo spettatore nell’intima di Alen Delon, un’intimità che lui ha sempre cercato di tenere lontano dal mondo criminale. È una bella sfida questa. In ogni scene dovevo tenere sempre presente tutto, anche il silenzio e la quotidianità di un pranzo di famiglia dovevano raccontare qualcosa.

What do you feel is the moral of this story?

I don’t pretend that my work will change the world but I know well that telling a story like “Millionaires” is important because it offers a look back without rhetoric or bigotry and helps us to understand the present because in this story, we find Italy today. This is a fact.

Vorrei sapere la tua opinione nella morale di questa storia?

Io non pretendo con il mio lavoro di cambiare il mondo ma farlo conoscere sì. Raccontare una storia come quella dei “Milionari” è importante perché senza retorica o fanatismo ci si guarda indietro per capire il nostro presente. Nei “Milionari” ritrovi L’Italia di oggi. È un dato di fatto.

We'll keep you posted on international distribution for this film.

Related articles:
Director Alessandro Piva
Actor Salvatore Striano

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