(by Chiara Venuto) (ANSA) – ROME, SEPTEMBER 20 – We cannot know how Sophia Loren, fresh from her ninetieth birthday, started her day. But we know how it ended: with the embrace of relatives and friends between The Space Cinema Moderno and the terrace of the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi hotel in Piazza della Repubblica, Rome. A very secretive birthday: the diva did not show up, entering through a secondary entrance. Thanks to her guests, however, a new catwalk was created just a stone’s throw from Termini station, so much so that it seemed like we were on a red carpet. Among the first spotted were Al Bano, followed by Alessandra Mussolini and family. Then Ferzan Ozpetek and ‘aunt’ Mara Venier, for whom Loren “is the greatest, the most wonderful, the most ‘normal'”. And, again, from Zubin Mehta to Aurelio De Laurentiis, passing through Christian De Sica, Trudie Styler, Claudia Gerini, Margareth Madè, Franco Nero, Nancy Brilli, Gigi D’Alessio and so on. Wishing her a happy birthday from the stage were Enrico Lo Verso, Ferzan Özpetek, Laura Delli Colli, Ibrahim Gueye. Once inside, the timeless diva was greeted with a long, warm round of applause. Her son, Edoardo Ponti, moved, read a speech from the stage, a dedication to his mother. “You are a light that this country carries like a torch around the world and that we all carry in our hearts,” he said. “The light of dignity and courage that shines through your example of never having denied or forgotten your roots and of never having allowed another light, that of the spotlight, to steal your identity.” The actress also received a one-of-a-kind recognition, a golden key with her name printed on it and the shape of the Cinecittà studios. Precisely, the ‘Key to Cinecittà’, one of a kind, given to her by the Undersecretary of Culture, Lucia Borgonzoni, and the President of Cinecittà, Chiara Sbarigia. A tribute desired by MiC, Cinecittà and Archivio Luce. “The advantage of age is that we cannot waste time with useless things. An evening like this is too short – said Loren, after the thanks – An evening with my family, my children, my grandchildren, my friends, my collaborators. This love between us counts. These friendships are life. The fact that we cried together, we laughed together, we danced together and tonight we can also toast together. And if there is a gift you want to give me, a gift is to celebrate not only me, but all of us who are still here”. In closing, the screening of the episode “Pizze a credito”, taken from the film “L’oro di Napoli” (1954) by Vittorio De Sica in the new version restored in 4K by Luce Cinecittà and Filmauro, presented as a world premiere in the pre-opening of the last Venice Film Festival. Then, the moment of celebration on the hotel terrace, with a magnificent view of the illuminated eternal city. But it’s not just the stars that celebrate Sophia Loren. Among her fans is also the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, who sent her a message this morning: “I would like to send you my most heartfelt wishes – he wrote – together with the thanks of the Republic for her extraordinary career as a film actress, marked by the attribution of numerous and very prestigious national and international awards”. (ANSA).
2024-09-21 09:51:24