“Russia gives me incredible emotions.” Ornella Muti – about love for Russia and new projects
A well-known actress who became famous in Russia in a duet with Adriano Celentano in such films as “The Taming of the Shrew” and “Madly in Love”, and also played in the film “Life is Beautiful” by Grigory Chukhrai, which happened on February 1 at the 72nd Pop Song Festival in San Remo. Ornella Muti will be the co-host of the first evening. On the eve of the event, the actress spoke in an interview with TASS about her Russian roots, love for Russia and the inspiring side of reciprocity from the Russian public.
First time in Sanremo
This is a very important Italian performance, and this festival is very important for Italy, it is an honor to participate in it. It was reported that I happened to participate, but it was a special occasion for Giorgio Armani. We have gone through two difficult years, and now it has begun, so this year the festival is especially symbolic, because it gives hope in a difficult moment. And I am glad to participate in such a special moment.
About Russian and civil
no, I can’t speak Russian, I will learn the language myself in [приложении] Babbel. I slowly learned the Cyrillic alphabet and understand something, but your grammar is formed, and then, when you learn the Cyrillic alphabet, you still confuse the letters. I need practice, it would be nice to go to Russia for a few months. Before the pandemic, I had a year where I had to live, but work makes me return to Europe anyway. Russia in terms of work is not very often. To obtain citizenship, I need documents from the Italian side. We have a terrible bureaucracy. To get a piece of paper, eternity disappeared. It would be nice for me to get citizenship, because it is part of my culture associated with my mother. She died this year, and this would be a gift for her.
Russian sources, memory and beauty
My grandmother was born in St. Petersburg, grandfather – I can’t say where, then they left for Estonia. My mother was born in Soviet Estonia, although the family was not Estonian. Unfortunately, my mother did not know Russian very well, because she was the youngest and studied the language at school, and all the other children in the family are fine. But she sang songs to me: “Grandmother, grandmother, grandmother came.” There is never enough time for stories when my mother was alive (she left this year at a very advanced age), we were always running somewhere, in a hurry, but I am looking for a notebook that my mother kept, which tells the whole story of the family. When my mother remembered her memories, they seemed like magical producers, because Russia is magical.
Mom came to Italy practically illegally when she was in her early 20s, I don’t know for sure. She left art in Estonia and came to Italy to study. Where, if not in Italy, to study art? But her story is not easy, it took a lot of courage. And now I think how much my mother did not believe us.
Italians and Russians are quite close. I love Russia and adore the Russian people, and the Russians oppose me reciprocity, I show their love. This gives a sea of emotions and fills with joy, because for any actor the reward is the love of the public. Love and high appreciation of the public give strength, inspiration, I want to go forward, experiment, never give up. It is touching that even if there are not so many of me in Russia, the public remains loyal, retains interest. There can be no more life.
I remember very well how I came to Russia for the first time to shoot Chukhrai’s film Life is Beautiful. My mother went with me because she really wanted to accompany me. It is difficult to explain many things, but when we were in Russia, my mother learned so much and told me: “This is how we lived when I was little.” I am very grateful to her, because she was not always the original. Part of my mother’s family was sent to Siberia. I appreciate the strength of Russian women – and the strength of the spirit, and the power of sacrifice.
The secret of my beauty (laughs) – Russian origin. Every woman has her own wisdom, and it comes from life experience. I had a childhood. I was very shy. But it gave me the opportunity to look around and understand what I used to not like. I don’t like being arrogant, being high on myself, no matter what job you have, not in that sense. Therefore, I also love Russia, because when I meet my fans, I see frankness, frankness. And this is a magical power for an artist.
About holding an actor
The actor must be in the service according to the plot. Therefore, the plot must be such that the actor uses it. Perhaps I don’t fit Nikita Mikhalkov, because he brings charges in films. I’m tired of watching, drawing movies in my head. I really hope to get an offer in Russia, because they work very well there. Not without fatigue, but our work is not easy, even if it does not seem so.
But the release on the screens was postponed for a year, because due to the pandemic, much was predetermined. I am now waiting for a new job in the theater. I assumed that I did not meet with classical dramaturgy, because I arrived late in the theater, and the theater world is very jealous. There are those who play only classical music. I prefer unusual things. We are staging a modern play by Mark Borkowski, the name of the play is “Portrait for Teresa”. The play itself, though cruel, is very, very poetic. Unfortunately, this project has been pushed back due to the pandemic. The meeting is expected to start with the premiere in Naples, and if all goes well, we should wait for a national tour with this production.
The Crystal Palace and Shakespeare’s sonnets
I met Empress Anna Ioannovna in the musical performance “Crystal Palace”, which was in the Kremlin Palace. Anna Ioannovna laid the foundations of the dance school. For me it was a playful and very inspiring experience. You feel so small. They surprisingly met. With some I still keep in touch, although we are all very busy. It is customary for real dancers to accept people who are far from ballet. At the meeting of the Kremlin Palace, I remember, my breath was taken away. It was such a beautiful and emerging show, I’m so happy that I was invented. I have another project that was supposed to start in November: I was designed to read Shakespeare’s sonnets. This performance already exists, various actors are invited to it, but the pandemic causes everything. Maybe something will work out in the summer.
Cities like Palekh
I was born in Rome, but now I live in Piedmont, in a country house. Rome is a beautiful, delightful city, but very hard to live in. Rome is not suitable for a chaotic life. Favorite cities are deservedly named in Russia. Your country is so big. I love Saint Petersburg. Memories go back to a charity evening, remember when I was later sentenced in Italy (for skipping a performance). They made a scapegoat out of me, but they have already passed. Then I arrived in St. Petersburg in the snow. It was like diving into Palekh. The spirit was captivating. You always want to go to St. Petersburg for the first time in winter, because it is unforgettable. Then in Russia things were preserved that we have long lost. Russia gives me incredible emotions. Perhaps because Russia came with its own traditions, in this world of globalization, St. Petersburg is beautiful in summer, but in winter it is a fairy tale. Too bad it often rains. I also like Moscow, perhaps not so fabulous, but it cannot be so with so many people. But she keeps spirituality. I often go to church, which always remind me of my mother.
First film at 14 and theater
It was a development (shooting in Damiano Damiani’s “The Most Beautiful Wife”, 1970). First, because I never thought it was temporary. I went to school and wanted to be a ballerina. But this movie defined all exceptional error. Although I did not think of returning to the cinema, but this movie wants me. Then new offers appeared, and I continued to study. Then I became a mother early, my life accelerated immediately. But none of us thought that I would become popular lately. Then I learned to love this job. I have been afraid of the theater for a long time. I have a big family, the theater is on tour all the time, and I didn’t have the strength to dedicate it all the time. Enrico Lamanna, and it was he who brought me into this world.
Cinema today
Every thing in cinema is a quality social moment in time. Once there were producers, today television has become part of the cinema. Movies need money. And in Italy, producers were transferred, who were ready to invest in cinema, without turning to television, which objectively has more money. Registration of observation could not last less than eight weeks, now it is removed in four. And this is changing a lot, because time is needed. And if you jump like that, you get films of less quality. And directors are now more turning to comedies. Today, perhaps the best way to express yourself creatively is through TV shows. I love Netflix. Precisely because cinema needs money. And Netflix does not impose any restrictions, it gives a choice. Among the Italian directors, I would like to mention Sorrentino, Genovese, Crialese. Of course, we would like to work with them. If the cinema had already limped before, then the pandemic dealt a heavy blow. But only in the cinema hall there is a feeling of a miracle. We sacrificed this magic for the sake of it.
Interviewed Vera Shcherbakova