L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 6 NEWS & FEATURES TOP STORIES PEOPLE EVENTS " B e l i e v e m e , n o o n e i s more suited than the person I'm about to introduce to g u i d e u s e m o t i o n a l l y t h r o u g h t h e r e s t o f t h e e v e n i n g , " s a i d E d o a r d o Ponti, speaking of his moth- er. "This person, in her 90 y e a r s o n t h i s e a r t h , h a s weathered storms and lived through the highs and lows of human history in ways we can only imagine. Tonight, as throughout this month, w e c e l e b r a t e t h e l i f e a n d resilience of an incompara- b l e a r t i s t w h o s e t a l e n t , authenticity, humanity, and, yes, beauty have become a beacon of light, not only for her native Italy but for the entire world. The light she radiates so naturally is the light of her wisdom, encour- aging us to believe in our- selves even in difficult times. It is the light of a talent that moves us, makes us laugh, and inspires us to embrace our empathy. It is the light of d i g n i t y a n d c o u r a g e t h a t shines through her example: she has never denied or for- gotten her Neapolitan roots, nor has she ever let fame's allure take away her identity. S h e i s a t r u e s t a r , n o t because of her success, but f o r t h e e n d u r i n g , r a d i a n t s i m p l i c i t y s h e c o n v e y s i n every glance and gesture." W i n n e r o f a n A c a d e m y Award for Best Actress for her role in T w o W o m e n (1960) — the first time an acting Oscar was awarded f o r a n o n - E n g l i s h p e r f o r - mance — Loren also received an honorary Oscar in 1990. In Vittorio De Sica's World War II drama, Loren plays t h e I t a l i a n w i d o w C e s i r a , who leaves Rome with her daughter Rosetta (Eleonora B r o w n ) w h e n t h e c i t y i s attacked by Allied forces. Loren's Oscar win came after she fought to play the role of the mother rather than the daughter. And although she wasn't present for the victo- ry, Cary Grant informed her of her win. "It is a privilege to call her my mother, my friend, and my professional collabora- tor," Edoardo said. "I know how fortunate I've been to h a v e b a t h e d i n t h i s l i g h t s i n c e I w a s b o r n , a l i g h t that, through her humility and generosity, helped me g r o w i n t o t h e m a n I a m today, never once feeling overshadowed by the vast- ness of her presence. This is who she is. She is a light t h a t d o e s n ' t e v e n c a s t a s h a d o w . V e r y f e w p e o p l e have found the right words to capture the essence of this unique person. Roberto Benigni once said that she is as timeless and as enduring as Rome itself, that her face is as iconic as the Coliseum, her legs as long as the Appia Antica, and as famous as the Tower of Pisa, and her smile more blinding than the Sicil- ian sun." The retrospective includ- e d r a r e U S s c r e e n i n g s o f f i l m s s u c h a s M a r i o M a t t o l i ' s P o v e r t y a n d N o b i l i t y ( M i s e r i a e N o b i l t à ) a n d D i n o Risi's The Sign of Venus (Il Segno di Venere), along- side classic works like Yes- t e r d a y , T o d a y , a n d T o m o r r o w ( I e r i , O g g i e Domani), Marriage Ital- ian Style (Matrimonio all'I- taliana), and A Special Day (Una Giornata Particolare), which highlighted her leg- endary collaborations with De Sica and Mastroianni. The event also featured new 4K restorations curated by C i n e c i t t à , i n c l u d i n g D e Sica's The Gold of Naples ( L ' O r o d i N a p o l i ) , L i n a Wertmüller's Saturday, Sun- day and Monday (Sabato, Domenica e Lunedì) — pre- miering in its original TV version — and Alessandro Blasetti's Too Bad She's Bad ( P e c c a t o c h e s i a u n a C a n a g l i a ) , w h i c h w a s Loren's first significant role a n d h e r d e b u t w i t h M a s - troianni. As the evening wrapped up, the impact of Loren's career felt as present as ever, not only through the images on screen but also through the words of her son Edoar- do, who gave us all a glimpse into the real woman behind t h e f a m e — a m o t h e r , a f r i e n d , a n d a s o u r c e o f strength who never lost sight of who she is. A thought all of a sudden e m e r g e s . A t h o u g h t t h a t clearly defines her movies as a journey through time with a person — a friend, even — who truly understands the ups and downs of life. That's w h e n R o b e r t o B e n i g n i ' s words come back to mind o n c e a g a i n : S o p h i a , a s enduring as Rome itself, her smile a symbol of beauty and r e s i l i e n c e . A t 9 0 , s h e remains an inspiration, a reminder that elegance and kindness are even more pre- cious when they go hand in hand. Sophia gave so much to the world, and this celebra- tion felt like a small way to give something back to her. "When I was a young girl in Pozzuoli, long ago during World War II, my reality was fil- led with fear and hunger. Cinema was my window into a fairytale world where both vanished. Cinema became my therapy. It became my home." Sophia Loren CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4 Sophia Loren, as beautiful as ever, at her birthday celebration at the Academy Museum. Photo: Academy Museum Foundation. Photo by: Andrew Ge

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