11/11/2008

After recently unveiling Giovanna’s Father at this year’s Venice Film Festival (where it won a Coppa Volpi), the tireless Pupi Avati is already in post-production on Gli amici del Bar Margherita (“The Friends of Margherita Bar”, known until now under the working title Nel tepore del ballo).

“I become more productive with age. The stories I want to tell increase by the time in which to tell them decreases,” said the director. After “the tragedy and drama” of his previous film, he choose a lighter, more comical tone for his new project, which is nevertheless imbued with the nostalgia typical to all of his work, often (such as now) tinged by the autobiographical.

“The Margherita Bar was across the street from my childhood home, in Bologna in the 1950s. I used to listen to the exploits of the customers who came there, they were the ‘heroes’ of my first Pantheon. I wanted to belong to their world but I was kept out, just like the character Taddeo, played by debut actor Pierpaolo Zizzi”.

Judging by the first teaser shown to the press (who also heard the beginnings of the soundtrack, composed by the renowned singer-songwriter Lucio Dalla), the film is similar to a cheerful Amarcord – “I know Italian critics won’t like this. They like my harsher films and don’t tolerate happy ending,” said Avati – full of love for its characters. The cast includes many of the director’s regular actors (Diego Abatantuono, Gianni Cavina, Neri Marcorè, Alfiero Toppetti, Katia Ricciarelli and Claudio Botosso), along with new entries Luigi Lo Cascio and Fabio De Luigi.

It is an ensemble film with few women, however, because “at the time chauvinist bar culture excluded them,” he added. The most important female roles are played by Laura Chiatti and Luisa Ranieri.

Produced by Antonio Avati of Duea in collaboration with RAI Cinema, Gli amici del Bar Margherita will be released in Italy on April 3, 2009 by 01 Distribution.

(Translated from Italian)