03/07/2007

The first edition of the RomaFictionFest was opened by Rino Gaetano – Ma il cielo è sempre più blu, the film loosely based on the life of the Italian singer-songwriter who died in a car accident at the age of 31. The Rai Fiction project produced by Claudia Mori for Ciao Ragazzi! will be broadcast on television in autumn.

Directed by Marco Turco, the film stars a masterful Claudio Santamaria – who plays Gaetano and sings all of the songs in the film himself (except for the first and last ones, which are the originals) – along with Laura Chiatti, Kasia Smutniak and Ninetto Davoli. The two-part mini-series will cover aspects of both the singer’s private and professional life.

“We spoke with his friends and many who knew him,” said the director, “and each person painted a different picture of him. This is why we took some liberties in the story, yet always remained faithful to the soul, personality and fragility of this great artist”.

In regards to the controversy sparked by Anna Gaetano, who has stated her “dissatisfaction” over the portrait the film paints of her brother, producer Mori responds curtly: “I knew Rino and I’m positive that in depicting him we did not betray his character”.

(Translated from Italian)