Venice, Benigni: “Golden Lion? I deserved a kitten”

“I deserved a kitten, a kitten, but not a Lion, and then even gold: it is truly the most prestigious, most beautiful, brightest, brightest award that can be dreamed of in Italy; one of the most extraordinary awards, wonderful in the world “. Roberto Benigni said this during the inaugural ceremony of the 78th edition of the Venice Film Festival, during which the Oscar-winning actor and director was awarded the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement. After the ‘laudatio’ by director Jane Campion with the reasons for which the Venice Biennale, chaired by Roberto Cicutto, awarded the prestigious award, the Oscar-winning actor and director said: “When they called me I made some jumps of joy, rumba steps, mambo steps: one day when we are alone I will show them to you, because I am an extraordinary dancer. I did some wonderful dance steps “. “When they told me that Mattarella would be in Venice – said Benigni – I had the same reaction that you had as president when he was at Wembley and Bonucci scored: ‘no! Goal, there is Sergio Mattarella”. Then Benigni thanked Laura Mattarella, who accompanied her father (“I am happy that you are here” and the other authorities present in the Sala Grande of the Palazzo del Cinema: the Minister of Culture Dario Franceschini, the president of Veneto, Luca Zaia (“Che beauty governing such a beautiful region, the Veneto, I envy you, dear Zaia, one day or another we will meet, I have great esteem “), the mayor of Venice Luigi Brugnaro, at the helm of” a unique city “. Tuscan actor then launched into an endorsement in support of Mattarella’s second term at the Quirinale, which was greeted by an ovation: together with the applause from the audience shouts like “bravo”, “you said well”, “bis “.” President Mattarella stay with us a little longer, at least until the next Film Festival, stay with us maybe until the World Cup in Qatar, because it brings luck, it brings good. It must remain, it must remain president a few more years “, argued Benigni. The Osca Prize r for the film “La vita è bella” he then thanked “Venice for the welcome and support. When I arrived I received a doge’s welcome, with a chime, from gondolas to boats … Then I thanked the president Roberto Cicutto who wanted to honor me with this award, thank you very much; the director of the Venice Film Festival, Alberto Barbera, who when he called me I jumped and undressed for joy even though he didn’t see me. “” Whoever receives such a great gift from a manifestation of love – commented Benigni about the Golden Lion – has only one duty as Saint Ambrose says: the first duty is to thank. It is a thank you that I do to all those who simply loved me and who believed in what I did, from the first people without whom I would not have taken the first steps in the world of entertainment: I come from nothing, from a poverty wonderful, aristocratic. Many people have helped me on this journey that led me to this wonderful gift. And I want to start right from the first steps, they really owe a lot to Donato Sannini, Carlo Monni and Lucia Poli, and then two bright, polar stars who have guided my path in the sea of ​​entertainment: Giuseppe Bertolucci and Vincenzo Cerami. And then all the directors I worked with who believed in me chose me: it is an immense emotion to be chosen. And many have chosen me and have made stories with me that have become everyone’s stories: Marco Ferreri, Ugo Gregoretti, Paolo Pietrangeli, Luigi Zampa, Bernardo Bertolucci, Costantino Costa-Gravas, Sergio Citti, Renzo Arbore, Massimo Troisi, Jom Jarmusch , Federico Fellini, Blake Edwards, Claude Zidi, Woody Allen, Matteo Garrone. Thanks to all of them for choosing me, for looking into my eyes and saying ‘I want you, I love you, there is something in you’. It’s an enormous emotion “. So Benigni wanted to dedicate the Golden Lion to his wife Nicoletta Braschi,” a person who is at the top of my thoughts, my favorite actress “.” In truth, I can’t even dedicate this award to Nicoletta, because in truth – he underlined turning to his wife – it belongs to her. And then Nicoletta will dedicate it to whoever you want. You and I have been doing everything together for 40 years. I know only one way to measure time: with you and without you. But we can share this Lion: I take my tail, to show you my joy, my joy by wagging my tail and you take the rest; above all the wings are yours, because if I have sometimes taken flight in my work it is thanks to you, your talent, your mystery, your charm, your talent, your beauty, your femininity, the fact of being a woman . Being a woman is a mystery that we men don’t understand. Groucho Marx was right when he said ‘men are women who have not made it’. And that’s the truth. I couldn’t be like you Nicoletta. If something beautiful and good I have done in my life has always been crossed by your light. Ours was a love at first sight, indeed at eternal sight “. Concluded the ceremony in the Sala Grande in the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido of Venice, Roberto Benigni went out and returned to the red carpet with the Golden Lion to please the photographers. Then he spoke briefly with the reporters answering some questions, but not before having improvised a few steps of rumba, the same ones that Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia Loren did in the film “A special day” by Ettore Scola. “And for me too. it was a special, unique, unrepeatable day. Unless – Benigni joked – they gave me the Golden Lion because I’m a beginner, a child. After all, in Venice we had Titian who began to make his most beautiful works on the threshold of his 90th birthday. So it may be that in about thirty years, on the 100th anniversary of the Venice Film Festival, they will give me a second Golden Lion for the second part of my career. “Benigni then explained his declaration of love for his wife:” In a I couldn’t talk about work like that, after all I did everything with Nicoletta and therefore this Golden Lion belongs to her “. The actor then dedicated the Golden Lion” to all Italians, because without the Italians and without Italy who loved me for the things I did would never have given me this award. “Regarding his endorsement for the extension of President Mattarella’s stay at the Quirinale even with a second term, the award Oscar for “Life is Beautiful” said: “I am really proud to be his contemporary. I would like to study as a Great Elector to go and vote in the next elections to get him a second term. I want to convince him, but I have no opportunity to talk to him so much. For me Mattarella is the most prestigious president, with his seriousness and his cheerfulness. It’s incredible, he’s a president who really helped us a lot in this moment when Italy needed a presence that would give us security and he did all this for all of us. “And when will a new film be made? “I would like to do my revolutionary and innovative works now – replied Benigni – I would love to make a new film, and if I found the idea I would give you an appointment here. Every time I start and then … “