VITTORIO GASSMAN TRIBUTE

This week, we are delighted to present the UK online Premiere Screening of “Let me speak: I am Vittorio! Gassman King of Comedy” an award-winning, insightful documentary on the films, life and career of the actor Vittorio Gassman, one of the most cherished Italian national treasures.

Awarded the Nastro D’Argento for Best Documentary in 2019,  it’s a portrait of Vittorio Gassman, showing his vital and multifaceted interpretative abilities, through clips taken from some of the best known films from Italian cinema.

With contributions from actors and directors such as Stefania Sandrelli, Giancarlo Giannini, Jean Louis Trintignant, Ettore Scola, Dino Risi and Monicelli and also by his children, this documentary reveals a more private side, an unexpected shyness and insecurity under his apparent bravado. There are also many interviews from some of the leading protagonists of Italian comedy such as Carlo Verdone, Paolo Virzì, Paola Cortellesi and many others sharing their memories of Gassman and building up an in-depth portrait of the actor, his films and a whole period of Italian life.

This tender recollection of memories from his family and friends, is also a celebration of the golden age of Italian cinema, specifically, of the genre known as Comedy Italian Style (Commedia all’italiana), which dealt with the serious problems and challenges of life, all the while portraying them with a light touch and bitter irony, producing films that were both funny and thought provoking.