Coppola gets Roman She-Wolf, says thanks to grandparents

(ANSA) - ROME, OCT 15 - Francis Ford Coppola on Tuesday received the Capotoline She-Wolf, Rome's highest civic award, from Mayor Roberto Gualtieri and thanked his grandparents for making him an Italian.
    Speaking after Gualtieri said "the She-Wolf is to thank you for all the emotions you gave us," the 85-year-old multiple Oscar winner said: "Thank you for this eloquent speech, now I think of my grandparents, without them I could not have been a son of this land and I would not be here and with this I also want to thank Rome".
    Coppola, whose maternal grandparents were from Basilicata and whose paternal grandfather was a popular Neapolitan composer, is set to present his latest film Megalopolis at the Rome Film Festival running October 16 to 27.
    Despite being set in New York, it refers to the city of New Rome, a metropolis that is also changing due to the conflicts between Cesar Catilina, a brilliant artist who tries to project himself into a utopian and idealistic future, and the mayor Franklin Cicerone, a reactionary who is tied to a corrupt status quo. The film will be in theaters from October 16 with Eagle Pictures.
    Gualtieri said in presenting the prize to the Godfather auteur: "It's a great honor to reciprocate at least in part all the emotions that you have given us.
    "This is a way to say thank you for your work. Your bond with Italy is deep and real and your courageous and visionary cinema is a point of reference for all of us. Megalopolis is a tribute to our city, but also a drama for democracy in a place that is a symbol of our freedom. Your films have changed our lives, but also those of others, I think of Apocalypse Now and The Godfather even if I love The Conversation above all.
    "Coppola," Gualtieri concluded, "is also a giant in civic-minded cinema. Your generosity towards young people is also well known.
    Rome loves you". (ANSA).