Maria Callas a century later: an evening in Milan with “The Island of Medea” and Annarita Briganti’s book

In 2023 celebrating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Maria Callas (2 December 2023) arrives in Milan on Monday 4 December – 9pm, Cinema Mexico (via Savona 57) – the film Medea’s islandwritten and directed by Sergio Naitzaproduced by Karel with the Lagunamovies festival and also with Erich Jost Productions, the FVG Film Commission and the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.
Dedicated to the special meeting between Pier Paolo Pasolini and Maria Callas on the set of “Medea”, in the summer of 1969, “The Island of Medea” investigates the tender friendship that blossomed between the two great artists, in a vision of unattainable love, intertwining the voices of Ninetto Davoliwho shared private and artistic moments with Pasolini, of Nadia Stancioffthe personal assistant of Maria Callas, of the Oscar Awards Dante Ferretti(who made his debut with his first scenography with “Medea”), Piero True e Gabriella Pescucci (costume designer and assistant costume designer of the film), the athlete Giuseppe Gentile, Olympic triple jump champion at the time, the actress Piera degli Esposti who debuted with “Medea” in the role of the writer’s handmaid Dacia Maraini, who together with Pasolini, Moravia and Callas undertook two long journeys to Africa.

Dante Ferretti clearly remembers that «the relationship between Pier Paolo Pasolini and Maria Callas suggested a strong friendship, they seemed like two lovers. They often stayed together even in the evening, after filming. “Medea” remains one of the most beautiful memories of my life.” And the film historians also speak Roberto Chiesi, director of the Pasolini Study Center-Archive at the Cineteca di Bologna, the production director of “Medea” Fernando Franchi, witness of that set, the journalist Alessandra Zigainawhich took up family stories about the atmosphere of the set through the father’s memories Giuseppe Zigainathe artist friend of Pier Paolo Pasolini.

The fragments of the letters and poems that the director and the singer exchanged, read by voiceovers, become a living image thanks to the illustrations of Davide Toffolo, and mark the documentary as chapters, delving into the details of a delicate and sincere exchange. The artist Davide Toffolo also signs the film’s poster, through an iconic image depicting Maria and Pier Paolo. “Federico Fellini” Award at the Tiburon Film Festival – California, “Best Film” Award assigned by the Federation of Film Clubs of Greece at the Chania Film Festival, special event of the Athens International Film Festival, broadcast on Rai5 in the evening dedicated to Maria Callas, Medea’s island has photograph of Luca Melisthe assembly of Davide Melisthe original music by Marco Rocca.
The director Sergio Naitza will take part in the screening, and at 9pm he will introduce the film in conversation with the journalist and writer Annarita Brigantiauthor of the book Maria Callas. The human diva, coming out these days by Cairo publisher, available in the room for signing copies. Maria Callas, page after page, is lovingly told by the author who reconstructs her true life.

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The witnesses speak, the few who really lived it, in an essay which is at the same time a biography, an investigation and a reportage, the result of unpublished documents, studies, interviews and field research by the author. She was looking for a family, she wanted to be a wife and mother: in this book there are her loves, her desire for motherhood, there is her humanity that made her great as an artist, until arriving on Avenue Georges Mandel, where she died in 1977, and at the Père-Lachaise Cemetery in Paris.
Entrance ticket 8 euros