the interview
noon, December 11, 2021 – 4:41 pm
“The De Filippo brothers” by the Apulian actor and director from Monday in cinemas. And then at the end of the month on television on Rai 1
from Nicola Signorile
Per all Italians are Titina, Eduardo and Peppino. Their story is that of many Italian families, “metaphorically from the whole country,” he says Sergio Rubini than in his latest film The De Filippo brothers, in the hall on 13, 14 and 15 December, then on Rai1 on 29, tells a popular novel made up of wounds and redemption, the tenacity of three young southerners and a dream that finally comes true. In Naples, the three brothers (played by Anna Ferraioli Ravel, Mario Autore and Domenico Pirelli) live with their mother Luisa; their father Eduardo Scarpetta (Giancarlo Giannini), the king of the theater of the time, did not recognize them and, on his death, the extended family split. Illegitimate children are not entitled to anything. Everything starts from there: from a humiliation.
Rubini, his Scarpetta tells Eduardo “you are my punishment: I didn’t give you your name and you stole your art”. Does the wound trigger the reaction?
«Once a lady asked Bruno Lauzi why his songs were so sad. He replied: “When I’m happy, I go out”. Pain is the engine of art, suffering is a propellant. In Eduardo’s case, the wound not only fueled the desire for redemption, but it became narrative matter. He elaborated his family history, turned it into art. Think of Filumena Marturano’s joke, “children are all the same” ».
The dream of creating his own company, freeing himself from the Scarpettas, is constantly threatened by mutual envy, quarrels, economic problems. Is failure for the artist always around the corner?
“Dreams are in danger of disappearing every day. It’s up to you to keep them standing even when nobody believes them. But the element that struck me in De Filippo is the possibility of making it regardless of where you start. When Scarpetta dies they have nothing. Talent, self-denial, tenacity make it possible to overturn destiny, to succeed. It is the story of many families, perhaps the metaphor of our country ».
«I am referring to the healthy part of the country that often starts from a disadvantaged condition and with tenacity makes its way into the world. I tell a positive story. Today more than ever the happy ending is an act of courage, it traces a path that can inspire many young people who see a dark future. The De Filippo are an example ».
Eduardo is part of your personal history, right?
«One of my myths that I never had the courage to approach. My father took me to see him at Piccinni in Saturday, Sunday and Monday. I met Peppino in his dressing room after a show and talking about Christmas at the Cupiello house he said the best jokes were his. Then I often thought back to that bitterness towards my brother after so many years ».
He portrayed three boys with their own desires and fears, but one of them wants to make a revolution.
“We all benefited from that revolution. It lies in our cultural history, from Neorealism to Italian comedy. The bitter laugh is Eduardo’s invention. He tries to break free from Scarpetta, looks for a new father in Pirandello’s avant-garde, has many experiences, acts in Milan, marries an American. Then, to create something new, he must betray everything: the language, Naples, tradition, family. On the sidelines, he observes reality, re-elaborates, becomes an author. I tried to tell about guys with a dream, like the Beatles. I hope to be able to continue to tell their story ».
Do you have the sequel ready yet?
«It is already written. The film ends in 1931 with the debut of the De Filippo company. After that there is an equally strong story. The war, the quarrel in 1944 between the two brothers which sanctioned the final separation and, in March 1945, the debut at the San Carlo di Naples millionaire: that’s my ideal ending ».
11 December 2021 | 16:41
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