Deneuve praises Italy, discusses upcoming projects

(ANSA) - Rome, June 7 - Film star Catherine Deneuve equated Italy with beauty in praising the country during her attendance on Wednesday evening at the Festival of Beauty in Verona. "When I entered the Teatro Romano (Roman amphitheatre) I had the feeling of total beauty," she said. Along with film critic Gianni Canova and the festival's editorial director, Alessandra Zecchini, the actress whose name has long been associated with seduction in arthouse films spoke about the contemporary scene and her career, relaying unique anecdotes on encounters in her life that changed the course of film history. "I very much love Nanni Moretti," she said. "I follow him and wait eagerly for his films to come out. But also the new generation with Paolo Sorrentino, Matteo Garrone and Luca Guadagnino. Italian cinema is still very much alive." She added that "I think that European cinema is always very important. It deals with very strong subject matter and this was seen at the last Cannes Film Festival with Christophe Honoré's film, which did not win any prizes but which dealt with the difficult issue of homosexuality. It is a very beautiful love story. We can expect a great deal from French cinema." The actress then discussed her upcoming projects.
    "I have just shot a film with André Téchiné. In two weeks I will begin to work in France with Cédric Kahn, and then in October with Kore'eda, a Japanese director that I absolutely adore and who just won the Cannes Palme d'Or." On her long and successful career, Deneuve said that "in Truffaut's 'La Sirène du Mississipi', there was no written script, which made everything difficult. It was an incredible experience because he loved the actors very much. He was attentive and close to them, with such intensity." She also had unique anecdotes on Luis Buñuel, who directed her in 'Belle de Jour', which won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1967, with Deneuve's acting rated one of the best in the history of film.
    "Working with Buñuel was special. He wanted the scenes to be done as described in the screenplay. When I saw it, I realized that it had more to do with the fantasies of my character, which later became a reference point for psychoanalysts on the issue of sexism. I never imagined it would become a classic." The fifth Festival of Beauty of Verona is drawing to a close with the final events: on June 7 there will be philosopher and former Venice mayor Massimo Cacciari at Teatro Filarmonico and musician Morgan's orchestral tribute to late singer-songwriter Fabrizio De Andrè at Teatro Romano, on June 8-9 there will be concerts by Bosnian musician Goran Bregovic and band Elio e le Storie Tese, and the closing event will be in June 10 with pianist Stefano Bollani.