Skip to main content

Nobel Laureate Dario Fo Reaches a New Generation Through Filmmaker Michele Diomà


I remember reading a beautiful article by the New York Times in October of 2016 when playwright Dario Fo passed away. It was one of the most comprehensive obituaries I had ever read and it sparked my curiosity about Fo's life and what inspired him to write such moving, controversial works.

The Times article stated that Fo was "best known for two works: "Accidental Death of an Anarchist" (1970), a play based on the case of an Italian railroad worker who was either thrown or fell from the upper story of a Milan police station while being questioned on suspicion of terrorism; and his one-man show "Mistero Buffo" (Comic Mystery), written in 1969 and frequently revised and updated in the decades that followed, taking wild comic aim at politics and especially religion. After a 1977 version of "Mistero Buffo" was broadcast in Italy, the Vatican denounced it as 'the most blasphemous show in the history of television.' The church’s attitude toward Mr. Fo had not mellowed a generation later, when he was awarded the Nobel. 'Giving the prize to someone who is also the author of questionable works is beyond imagination,' the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano said."

Dario Fo was born in 1926 in Sangiano, a comune in the region Lombardy, located about 40 miles from Milan. He joined the fascist army of Mussolini's Repubblica Sociale Italiana. When the war ended, he was was accused of collaborating with the fascist regime and spent a few months in prison. However, he was a supporter of the Italian Communist Party, even helping his father smuggle refugees and Jewish scientists to safety in Switzerland. Those few months in prison would not be the end of the abuse he endured for his political beliefs and the work they inspired. 

After meeting his wife, Franca Rame, in the early 1950s, the two began to collaborate. Their creations received mixed reviews that ranged from praise to outrage. "We’ve had to endure abuse, assaults by the police, insults from the right-thinking and violence,” Mr. Fo said in his Nobel lecture. According to the Times article, "The worst episode occurred in 1973 — after a Fo play criticizing the police was presented in Milan — when his wife was kidnapped, tortured and raped by a fascist group later found to have links to members of the carabinieri, the Italian federal police." 

Fo would go on to write more than 80 plays, many of them with his wife. Their satirical style was inspired by the commedia dell'arte genre. The couple put on thousands of plays and performances in diverse venues across Italy, which included theaters, factories, universities, parks, and prisons.

One year after Fo's death, filmmaker Michele Diomà traveled to New York to present his film "Sweet Democracy," which offers an interesting look into modern day politics and the new type of celebrity politician. In the age of Trump politics with all the sensationalism and fake news claims, there's no better time to have this discussion. Diomà features many scenes with Fo offering his take on politics, revolution and society. The film is a sharp aberration from your typical commercial release being that many audio and visual effects were added in post-production as well as the over-the-top style of acting. The perfect storm of peculiar performances and effects may seem baffling at times, but everything comes full circle in the unexpected ending. 

Michele Diomà and I have been connected on social media for years. He was kind enough to take the time to answer my questions about his experience working with Fo and presenting this clever film in New York. 

First, what is the message you wanted to communicate with Sweet Democracy?
I wanted to return to a time when cinema was a free voice. Unfortunately, in Italian mainstream cinema, which is run in part by politicians, the meritocracy and freedom of expression principle have been destroyed. There are not many showings of Italian films anymore, which should be considered a public crisis but is not being reported. I consider "Sweet Democracy" the first step in achieving a revolution in the Italian film production system. The model could be that of independent American cinema, which is competitive in the market.

Qual'è il messaggio di Sweet Democracy?
Desideravo far tornare il cinema ad essere una voce libera. Purtroppo in Italia il finanziamento pubblico al cinema gestito da una parte della politica ha distrutto qualsiasi principio di meritocrazia e libertà espressiva. Non è un caso proprio in questi giorni è stata registrata una crisi drammatica di pubblico, che non va quasi più a vedere i film italiani. Considero Sweet Democracy il primo step concreto per realizzare una rivoluzione nel sistema di produzione cinematografico italiano. Il modello potrebbe essere proprio quello indipendente americano, in cui è necessario essere competitivi sul mercato. 

A scene from Sweet Democracy

Tell me about the world you created within this film?
"Sweet Democracy" is definitely a film with a particular style. This was my goal. Many believe that cinema has already been made in all styles and languages, but I think there is much more to discover and "Sweet Democracy" is proof.

Parlami del mondo che avete creato all'interno di questo film.
Sweet Democracy è sicuramente un film dallo stile particolare in ogni suo punto. Questo era il mio obiettivo. Molti credono che ormai il cinema abbia sperimentato già tutti i linguaggi, io invece credo che ci sia molto altro da scoprire e Sweet Democracy ne è la prova.

How did Dario Fo become involved with the project?
When I told our co-producer Donald Ranvaud, recipient of four Oscar nominations for the "City of God" masterpiece, that I wanted to have Dario Fo in "Sweet Democracy," he was enthusiastic. While we both feared that it would not be an easy feat, like all great artists, Dario Fo was immediately available.

In che modo Dario Fo è stato coinvolto nel progetto?
Quando proposi al co-produttore di "Sweet Democracy", Donald Ranvaud, 4 nominations agli Oscar per il capolavoro “City of God”, che avevo in mente di coinvolgere Dario Fo nel film, lui ne fu entusiasta, ma temeva come me, che non sarebbe stato facile, invece come tutti i grandi artisti Dario Fo fu subito disponibile.

Tell me about your experience with him. 
Our collaboration was one of the most beautiful gifts that I received in my life. Thanks to the presence of Dario Fo, I am certain of having made an immortal film, which will be studied forever in universities around the world. I was very lucky.

Parlami della tua esperienza con lui..
La nostra collaborazione è stata uno dei regali più belli che mi ha fatto la vita, perché chiaramente grazie alla presenza di Dario Fo, sono consapevole di aver realizzato un film immortale, che verrà studiato per sempre nelle università di tutto il mondo. Ho avuto molta fortuna. 

Explain to me your personal significance of having him in the film.
For me, having made a film with Dario Fo, was like a young singer playing with Bruce Springsteen. Dario Fo, in addition to winning the Nobel Prize for his greatness as a dramatist, also had a fundamental social and political role in Italian history. Together with his wife, actress and writer Franca Rame, he was persecuted for decades by those who wanted to censor him. 

Spiegami il tuo significato personale di averlo nel film.
Per me aver girato un film con Dario Fo, è stato come per un giovane cantante suonare con Bruce Springsteen. Dario Fo oltre ad aver vinto il premio Nobel per la sua grandezza di drammaturgo, ha avuto anche un ruolo sociale e politico fondamentale nella storia italiana. Insieme alla moglie attrice e scrittrice Franca Rame, ha subito persecuzioni per decenni da parte di chi voleva censurarlo. 

Michele Dioma and Dario Fo on set

Were his lines part of the script or did he answer the questions in his own words? I had the impression that he was speaking from his own experience.
Dario Fo freely answered all the questions. Even in editing, I did not alter his thinking. I wanted Dario Fo in my film because it was necessary to place a free intellectual at the center of the project and in Italy there are not many.

Le sue risposte all'intervista erano parte della sceneggiatura o rispondeva alle domande liberamente?
Dario Fo ha risposto liberamente a tutte le domande. Anche nell’editing non ho alterato il suo pensiero. Ho voluto Dario Fo nel mio film, perché era necessario collocare al centro del progetto un intellettuale libero ed in Italia non ce ne sono molti.

Tell me about your experience presenting the film in New York.
Bringing the film to New York was an important milestone. I was curious to find out how the American public would react to a satire film on the Italian political system. I must say that it was a success, also because many viewers told me after the screening that certain aspects of my film tell a reality of politics also present in the United States. Of course, all this was possible thanks also to the exceptional cast of "Sweet Democracy," having been able to work with actors like Renato Scarpa, which we remember from the masterpiece "The Postman" by Michael Radford next to the unforgettable Massimo Troisi, in addition to the talented Antonello Pascale, a thirty-year-old actor that the New York public generously compared to the immense Charlie Chaplin.

Raccontami la tua esperienza a New York dove hai presentato il film. 
Portare il film a New York è stata una tappa importante. Ero curioso di scoprire come avrebbe reagito il pubblico americano davanti ad un film di satira sul sistema politico italiano. Devo dire che è stato un successo, anche perché molti spettatori mi hanno detto dopo la proiezione che certi aspetti del mio film raccontano una realtà della politica che c’è anche in US. Naturalmente tutto questo è stato possibile anche grazie anche al cast eccezionale di "Sweet Democracy," avendo potuto lavorare con attori come Renato Scarpa, che ricordiamo nel capolavoro “Il postino” di Michael Radford accanto all’indimenticabile Massimo Troisi, oltre al bravissimo Antonello Pascale, un attore trentenne che il pubblico newyorkese ha generosamente paragonato addirittura alla maschera di Charlot dell’immenso Charlie Chaplin.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Anna Foglietta: Actress and Activist with Old School Elegance

One look at actress Anna Foglietta in her any of her roles, and the Golden Age of Italian cinema comes to mind. Among Italy’s most sought-after actresses today, Foglietta brings to the table a classic eloquence of yesterday while representing Italy’s modern woman. Born in Rome in 1979, Foglietta began her career in 2005 with a role in the RAI television series La squadra . Her character Agent Anna De Luca had a two-year run on the series as she was transitioning to cinema with Paolo Virzì’s 2006 ensemble project 4-4-2- Il gioco più bello del mondo . Since then, she has become one of Italy’s most diverse actresses, transforming herself into interesting, layered characters for comedies and dramas alike. Aside from a small part in Anton Corbijn’s 2010 film The American starring George Clooney, Foglietta’s work began reaching mainstream American audiences in 2015. As Elisa in Edoardo Leo’s 2015 comedy Noi e la Giulia , Foglietta showed her funny side playing a goofball pregn

The Life and Work of Monica Bellucci

Monica Bellucci as Malèna Born in Umbria in 1964, Monica Bellucci is one of the most recognizable faces of international cinema. But she didn't always have her sights set on the spotlight. She went to college to study law and modeled to pay her tuition. Her success in the fashion world coupled with the offers that were pouring in to appear on the big screen eventually took over, changing her fate. Bellucci made her on-screen debut in the 1990 television movie, " Vita coi figli." Just two years later, she scored her first American role in Francis Ford Coppola's "Dracula."   In addition to her native language, she speaks fluent English and French, which has made for a smooth transition from Italian to international cinema. Stateside, she has acted in blockbusters such as "The Matrix-Reloaded,"     " The Passion of the Christ" and " The Sorcerer's Apprentice." She has also appeared in several French films, a

Pasolini's Playground of Roman Ruins

Anna Magnani in a scene from "Mamma Roma" Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1962 “Mamma Roma” starring Anna Magnani , follows the title character, a Roman prostitute determined to change her life and give her son the opportunities she never had. She seizes the opportunity to leave her life on the streets behind when her pimp (Franco Citti) gets married and frees her from his possession. Mamma then goes to the small provincial town of Guidonia to fetch her son, Ettore (Ettore Garofolo), and bring him to Rome to embark on their new life together. She buys a pushcart, finds an apartment in a nice neighborhood, and uses her connections to secure him a job in a restaurant. However, Ettore gets mixed up with boys who are petty thieves and is negatively influenced by them. At the same time, Mamma Roma’s pimp resurfaces and sends her back to the streets. When Ettore learns about his mother’s prostitution, he goes astray and wholeheartedly joins in on the petty crimes of the boys. One day, while

Stefano Natale- the Charismatic Muse behind Carlo Verdone's Iconic Characters

The beauty of Italian cinema lies in the diversity of its genres and styles. Although the ’80s have received its share of criticism for its less-than-profound output, it was the decade in which contemporary maestro Carlo Verdone emerged as a creative young director and actor. The characters he brought to life during those years became permanent fixtures in Roman pop culture. Films like “Un sacco bello,” “Bianco, rosso e Verdone,” and “Borotalco” gave birth to the iconic Mimmo, Leo and Sora Lella.   Enter Stefano Natale, the real-life muse behind Leo and Mimmo. Natale was the subject of a documentary presented at the 2015 Festa del Cinema in Rome. One of four protagonists in Luca Ferrari’s “Showbiz,” he is a soft-spoken gentle giant who recalls his life with Verdone and the creation of his characters in a nostalgic, affectionate manner. “Verdone and I grew up together in the same building near Ponte Sisto,” Natale recalls. “Our grandmothers were cousins, and for 30 years we saw each o

Nicoletta Braschi and Roberto Benigni.. What cinema dreams are made of

The Toronto International Film Festival is wrapping up its retrospective of the cinematic collaboration of husband and wife team, Nicoletta Braschi and Roberto Benigni. Over the last few days, the couple have participated in discussions, Q & A sessions and have introduced several of their films. Today, I attended a screening of "La voce della luna" (The voice of the moon). It was  Federico Fellini's last film and is a wonderful tribute to the director's signature poetic madness. The film gave Benigni the opportunity to team up with fellow beloved comic, Paolo Villaggio, and the two created a truly unforgettable adventure. Today's screening began with an introduction by Benigni. The moments leading up to his introduction were noticeably serious and somewhat tense. Benigni's publicist and TIFF security staunchly guarded his privacy. There was no interaction and no photos were allowed. Guided by his entourage, he walked quickly from the Green Room to th