L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 28 L'Italo-Americano P osso Entrare? A n O d e t o Naples is a docu- mentary directed by Trudie Styler and shot by legendary cine- matographer Dante Spinot- ti. Through vivid imagery, personal stories, and intimate interviews, the film explores the soul of Naples, a city full of contradictions, creativity, h i s t o r y , a n d h e a r t . F r o m working-class alleyways to middle-class neighborhoods, from street rappers to priests and intellectuals, Naples is portrayed in all its complexity. This immersive journey is part of Fare Cinema, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Coo- peration's global initiative to promote Italian film and film- making talent abroad. "Tonight we are bringing together two of Italy's great cultural ambassadors: cinema and territory," said Consul General Raffaella Valenti- ni. "The goal is not only to showcase the wealth of our cinema, but to shed light on how the film sector is a vital and growing part of Italy's economy, identity, and public diplomacy." She added, "Italy remains one of Europe's most d y n a m i c f i l m - p r o d u c i n g countries. In 2023, the Italian audiovisual sector generated over 12 billion euros in reve- nue, with more than 400 films produced and over 2 billion euros invested in film and TV production." Emanuele Amendola, Director of the Italian Cul- tural Institute, added: "This year we wanted to turn the spotlight on Naples, since 2025 marks its 2,500 years of history." Following the scree- n i n g , a c o n v e r s a t i o n t o o k place on stage with director Trudie Styler and cinemato- g r a p h e r D a n t e S p i n o t t i , m o d e r a t e d b y j o u r n a l i s t Valentina Martelli. How did you come to c h o o s e N a p l e s a s t h e main character of your documentary? Trudie Styler: My love for Naples evolved over the three years that I was making the film, but I really didn't know Naples at all before starting, much to my embarrassment. T h a t ' s n o t t o s a y I d i d n ' t know Italy. I worked in Rome from the mid-'80s until the early '90s. I had a child in P i s a i n 1 9 9 0 . S t i n g a n d I ( T r u d i e S t y l e r i s s i n g e r Sting's wife, ndr) bought a house in Tuscany: we have a vineyard, a winery, and we own a pizzeria. I've spent a lot of time on the Amalfi Coast and in Capri. But I always just passed by Naples, on the w a y t o a b o a t , o r d r i v i n g south. And I'm ashamed to say, I never actually visited. T h e n R A I a n d p r o d u c e r s f r o m M a d E n t e r t a i n m e n t approached me to make a documentary about Naples. I leapt at the chance. I thought, "Why on earth, at this point in my life, have I bypassed it?" The opportunity to walk into the city with a blank can- vas and make a film about it however I wanted – that was incredibly appealing. RAI was very generous about letting me shape the project freely. They said, "Make it your own, then write a synopsis, and we'll sign off." I said, "Absolu- tely, I'd love to do it." I invi- ted Dante to go on this jour- ney with me, to discover the city and its people for myself, to see everything with my own eyes and my foreign len- ses. And that discovery ended up being completely unex- pected. It's not only that I made a film about Naples: I fell in love with it. Why did you choose "Posso Entrare?" as the title? It came about during the editing process. As I worked with Walter Fasano, I kept hearing myself on the sound- track saying to people, "Posso entrare?" –knocking on shut- ters and doors, asking for entry, so I could go in and have a chat. I'd ask people, "What do you think of your rione in Naples? What are your ideas about your com- munity? What do you need? Do you thrive? Do you strug- gle?" That led to understan- ding the local dynamics – who to talk to, what stories to i n c l u d e . I ' d a s k , " W h o ' s someone here doing good work that I should talk to?" It became a way of discovering the city, literally and emotio- nally. Was there one name that kept coming up in those conversations? Yes, Don Antonio Loffre- do. Everybody, especially people in Sanità, mentioned his name. He's kind of like a spiritual leader for the area. A very respected figure. You've said that Naples d o e s n ' t j u s t o p e n i t s doors, it opens its heart. Can you explain that? It's a very emotional city. It's been through so much. That history is etched into the people, who have withstood incredible hardships, and are still happier and more joyful than they have any right to be. They are survivors. They'- ve resisted so much. That kind of strength made me want to ask questions and listen. People pointed me toward others…"This would be an interesting person for you to speak with." And they were right. It was the most emotional experience I've ever had in filmmaking. I don't think my life can ever be quite the same. I now have a relationship with some of the people you'll see in the film. Roberto Saviano is in t h e f i l m . H o w d i d h i s v o i c e s h a p e t h e d o c u - mentary? Roberto gave his perspec- tive on many things, inclu- ding Maradona, and his own personal story. He now walks around with four detectives wherever he goes in public. He has no public life unless he's protected. His interview was very emotional. What he has sacrificed to speak the truth is extraordinary. The film opens with r a p p e r C l e m e n t i n o performing a song about N a p l e s . H o w d i d t h a t idea come to you? I knew I needed to include a bit of history, but I didn't want to do a boring seminar. I'm not a historian, and it would have felt odd if I had done it that way. One night I was in the bath, mulling it over, and I had a little Archi- medes moment. Eureka! I thought, "Why not use rap?" T h r e e t h o u s a n d y e a r s o f history in three minutes. So we went to Clementino. He wrote a great rap song, Nea- polis, that covers all these amazing historical conquests. W e s h o t h i m o n a g r e e n screen and paired his perfor- m a n c e w i t h i m a g e s f r o m beautiful paintings housed in Naples' museums. It worked perfectly. W h i c h i n t e r v i e w o r story was most touching for you? S o m a n y o f t h e m w e r e incredibly emotional. One that really resonated with me was delving into the Second World War. My father used to tell me stories about the war, but hearing it from the Italian perspective, especially f r o m N e a p o l i t a n s , w a s something else. Naples was the most bombed city in all of Italy. W a s t h e r e o n e p e r - son's story that particu- larly stood out? Nora, the swimmer. Her recollections of being a teena- ger during that time were incredible. Not only did she live through the war, but then i n 1 9 4 4 , M o u n t V e s u v i u s erupted. That was a dramatic time: the war was still going on, and then you have this volcanic eruption that killed a lot of people and made hun- d r e d s , i f n o t t h o u s a n d s , homeless. Her story stayed with me. Naples is famous for its coffee. Were you a cof- fee person before making the film? No! I've never drunk more coffee in my life than I did in Naples. In the afternoon, especially after lunch, every hour or so we'd stop at one of t h e m a n y b a r s : e s p r e s s o , espresso, espresso. I'd never really drunk espresso before, b u t n o w I ' m a c o m p l e t e espresso addict! SILVIA NITTOLI Posso Entrare? Naples opens its heart to Trudie Styler and Dante Spinotti at Fare Cinema LA From left: Emanuele Amendola, IIC LA director; Consul General Raffaella Valentini; Trudie Styler; Dante Spinotti; Valentina Martelli (Photo: Veronica Maffei) LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY

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