L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2020 www.italoamericano.org 24 L'Italo-Americano Continued from page 20 computers, that were emerg- i n g a t t h e t i m e . I h a d t o m a k e a f i l m i n I t a l y w i t h Nicola Carraro and Franco Cristaldi, and they had sent me here to understand what the situation was like. I came to Los Angeles with what would later become my wife, a n d w a s l u c k y e n o u g h t o meet the people who were first using digital. W h a t w a s y o u r impression of the city? I found the city to be very magical; I was staying at the C h a t e a u M a r m o n t , a n d I remember I was struck by these very long streets with Spanish names. It seemed v e r y d i f f i c u l t t o m o v e around. How has the relation- s h i p w i t h t h e c i t y changed over time? I started to like it when I b e c a m e a r e s i d e n t h e r e . Coming here to just shoot movies had me spend many h o u r s o n s e t a n d t h e n g o s t r a i g h t t o m y h o t e l . L A seemed almost gray to me, but it is a city you need to know to love and appreciate i t . W h e n y o u k n o w i t , I think it has no equal. What are your favorite places? One of my favorite spots, one I discovered just now during the pandemic, is a hilly area, north of where I live in Santa Monica. Hiking from Mandeville Canyon to W e s t r i d g e y o u f i n d s o m e extraordinary walks. From above, you can see the gulf and the whole city, a panora- ma of unique beauty that has been a real relief for my soul in these months of lockdown. Other parts you like? The port of LA is another spectacular area, with all that happens around it and its extreme situations, like peo- ple who bet on dogs. There is always a lot of humanity, a lot of diversity, there are p e o p l e f r o m a l l o v e r t h e world and, perhaps, this is one of the most fascinating things. D i d y o u r w o r k h e l p you discover aspects of the city you didn't know? I've been lucky enough to work on films like Michael M a n n ' s H e a t a n d L A Confidential and these got me to know the city quite thoroughly. LA has many faces and changes according to the various areas. In the center I shot at night with a bulletproof vest during the preparation of the film Heat; flanked by a police captain we would go see drug sites, t h e i n d u s t r i a l a r e a o f Downtown. I recall it full of improvised bonfires. When we shot LA Confidential, on the other hand, we went to West Adams, a residential area with historic houses in the craftsman style very pop- ular in the 30s, 40s, 50s, but which is no longer popular today. Which movie are you most fond of? E a c h m o v i e h a s t h i n g s that I am fond of, and others that are not entirely happy memories. The last film I shot here and I'm proud of is the thriller Fatale, starring Hilary Swank, due out in January and shot by Deon T a y l o r , a c l o s e f r i e n d o f mine, a very young, very tal- ented director and former basketball player. Another film that is very dear to me is the one my wife and I pro- duced for our son Riccardo. It's called Where are you and Anthony Hopkins is also in the cast. The latest editing version is really nice and this, too, is all shot in LA, with the final scene shot in the desert. When you face a film as a producer you end up getting to know the city more intimately, because you go around to see the places, you interact with people and with various realities that y o u m a y n o t h a v e k n o w n before. W h a t i s y o u r f i r s t memory related to pho- tography? The passion for my work has a long story behind. As a c h i l d w h e n I w a s 1 2 , 1 3 I developed photographs and in my town of Lendinara, in Polesine. I was the official photographer of the football team. I remember I would stand behind the goalkeeper t o t a k e p i c t u r e s o f t h e actions and goals; the photos were then printed, enlarged and placed in bars around town, and said "Fotografie Spinotti." A n d w h a t h a p p e n e d then? Then at the age of 18 I moved to Kenya where my father's brother, who was a film operator, lived. I could- n ' t s t a n d t o f i n i s h h i g h school and my parents, not k n o w i n g w h a t t o d o a n d knowing about my passion for photography, decided to s e n d m e t o h i m . I w a s i n charge of repairing cameras, w h i c h w e r e m y p a s s i o n . After a few months I realized that was my path. I had some incredible experiences there, l i k e w h e n I f i l m e d J o m o Kenyatta coming out of cap- tivity. Do you often go back to Italy? Yes, I always come back at least a couple of times a year. I h a v e a l w a y s s p e n t Christmas in the mountains i n m y f a m i l y h o m e , o r i n Rome which is the city where I started working in cinema, as well as the city of my wife and my son. Hope to be back soon. W h a t d o y o u m i s s about Italy? I've never see things in these terms. Having left at 18 and having started traveling early, I don't have a world view divided by nations. I am very fond of both America and Italy, each represents different things for me and I feel a citizen of the world. "Being a film director is one of the most difficult jobs in the world" ITALIAN TELEVISION KSCI CANALE 18. Presentano: Maria Cristina Heller e Franco Brescia Teleitalia in onda tutte le Domeniche alle ore 13 o 1:00pm Siamo collegati con i satelliti DISHNET e DIRECTV, SPECTRUM E TUTTI I CAVI DEL SUD CALIFORNIA Per Informazioni e Pubblicita` telefonate a (818) 260-9318 Cell: (818) 288-2518 LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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