Events

Sergio CASTELLITTO

17 May 2007

"I have often been to Cannes. The first time was unforgettable. In 1987, I was in Ettore Scola's The Family, going up the red carpet with the other young unknown actors in the film, surrounded by the big stars, Ettore Scola, Vittorio Gassman, Fanny Ardant, Stefania Sandrelli ... I remember our electrifying emotions which freed all of us, passers-by ang kings... Because you never forget Cannes, I have come back time and again, even as a star, even with Luc Besson, Jacques Rivette, Francesca Archibugi, Margarethe von Trotta, Marco Bellochio, Penelope Cruz... That thrill, that electrical short-circuit does not go away because Cannes gives you the feeling you are an eternal student. That's the gift of Cannes. That's why I love Cannes, I love to come here, open up my suitcase on my bed and take my tuxedo. I love to lean against the window and watch the rustling of that band of human penguins. I love climbing the red carpet, going into a full cinema theatre and experience the swelling applause. I love the dinners, feverish or tedious according to the event. I love going back to the hotel with a friend, my bow-tie undone and sit down at the table of a bar which is about to shut, take a beer and talk about the cinema of the past and of the future."
Sergio Castellitto


BIOGRAPHY

Sergio Castellitto's long career starts in the 80's and in his first film The General of the Dead Army he played alongside de Marcello Mastroianni, Michele Piccoli, Anouk Aimée director Luciano Tovoli.
Known for his great technical skills, for his unique way of acting which lies in his deep humanism and his particular combination of passion and self irony, Sergio has very solid stage backgrounds: he graduated at the Academy of Dramatic Arts in Rome and worked with some of the best european stage directors such as Otomar Krejca, Luigi Squarzina and Aldo Trionfo

On screen over the last 25 years he performed in the most important Italian and European films, bringing to them his unique simplicity and finess in multifaceted performances, the latest of which are: Paris je t'aime episode by Isabelle Coixet, l'Ora di religione and il Regista di matrimoni by Marco Bellocchio, la Stella che non c'è' by Gianni Amelio, Caterina va in citta by Paolo Virzì, Va savoir by Jacques Rivette, Mostly Martha by Sandra Nettelbeck, Ne quittez pas by Arthur Joffe.
Among his films in the '80 and '90 we should mention A vendre by Laetitia Masson, The Star Maker by Giuseppe Tornatore, Il grande cocomero by Francesca Archibugi, la Famiglia by Ettore Scola and Le Grand bleu by Luc Besson.

Sergio's career as a director started in 1998 with the film Libero burro and continued on the stage: he directed Manola and Zorro, two very successful plays written by his wife, Margaret Mazzantini, the appraised and very successful Italian writer. In 2004 he directed co-wrote and starred alongside Penelope Cruz in Don't move (Non ti muovere), the multiawarded Italian box office buster from the Strega Awarded novel written again by Margaret Mazzantini.

In 2005 the Film Society of the New York Lincoln Center honoured Sergio with a wide retrospective of his work both as an actor and a director. Sergio's awards include the EFA, best European actor in 2002, three David di Donatello (the Italian Cesar) and three Nastro d'argento (the critics award).

At present, while writing his next film with Margaret Mazzantini, he is performing the role of King Miraz in the epic - fantasy The Chronicles of Narnia-Prince Caspian directed by Andrew Adamson

Sergio Castellitto is giving this year his actor masterclass led by Elizabeth Quin on May 17th, 15:00, in the Buñuel Theater.