The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, Vittorio De Sica (1970)
When Italian fashion brands dabble in cultural sponsorship their engagement is not necessarily tied to their usual field of business. Think of Tod’s supporting the restoration of the Colosseum or Fendi throwing some serious loose change into the Trevi fountain. Antony Morato, however, a young label from Naples, decided to get behind the restoration of Vittorio De Sica’s Oscar-winning “The Garden of the Finzi-Continis” from 1970. A movie so fashionable, Italian Vogue’s Franca Sozzani calls it “a true testament of the Italian style”. Sleek talked to Antony Morato’s Creative Director and President, Lello Caldarelli, to learn more about his interest in “The Garden of the Finzi-Continis” and the relationship between cinema and fashion.
Why did you get involved with the restoring and digitalisation of this movie?
I’ve known “The Garden of the Finzi-Continis” for a long time. But I only discovered a few months ago that it was the last Italian movie to win an Oscar that had not yet been digitalised. As soon as I learned that, I wanted to get involved and contribute to its digitalisation. For me this is a piece of art that needed to be preserved. So many movies from those days will be lost soon because of the film rolls’ limited lifetime.
Coming from the fashion industry: where do you see a connection between the worlds of film and fashion?
Fashion and film are both looking for aesthetics. Whether you’re fashion designer or a director, you’re always trying to create a lasting image. Which is especially true for this movie: the cinematography, the style of the costumes, the dialogues – it all feels so contemporary. Of course the costumes in the movie are far from what we are wearing today. They are contemporary within their time – the Thirties where the story is set, but also the late Sixties when the movie was shot. However, the taste and the attention to every single detail with which they have been put together is something that I can relate to. Especially when looking at the group shots when you see all the young people together in one take. The coordination of those looks reminds me of what you see on today’s catwalks.
Why do you think that is, this enduring appeal of the costumes?
Today the fashion industry has a great influence on the movies being made. Stylists, fashion designers, marketing people – they are all involved in the costume design of a big movie production. At that time it was different. All the costume designers of the great Italian Fifities and Sixties movies came from theatre. They came from a profession of their own. They had a different approach and also they didn’t have anyone to report to except the director and his vision. This is why the fashion in old movies and especially that of “The Garden of the Finzi-Continis” often feels that much more powerful – it didn’t try to appeal to everyone.
Interview von Hans Bussert
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