The Italian-American director Francis Ford Coppola, 85 years old and six Oscars, received this Tuesday (15), in Rome, the “Lupa Capitolina”, the highest civic award of the capital of Italy, and thanked his grandparents for making him an Italian citizen.
In a statement in the Giulia Cesare del Campidoglio hall, the mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, said that the tribute is to thank the filmmaker for all the emotions he has given to everyone.
“This is a way of saying thank you for your work. Your bond with Italy is deep and real and your courageous and visionary cinema is a point of reference for all of us,” said the Italian politician.
Coppola thanked everyone for the “eloquent speech”. “Now I think of my grandparents, without them I could not have been a son of this land and I would not be here. And with that, I also want to thank Rome”, he highlighted.
The director of “The Godfather,” whose maternal grandparents were from Basilicata and whose paternal grandfather was a popular Neapolitan composer, is set to present his latest film “Megalopolis” at the Rome Film Festival, which runs from October 16 to 27.
Although the film is set in New York, it refers to the city of Nova Roma, a metropolis that is also changing due to the conflicts between Cesar Catilina, a brilliant artist who tries to project himself into a utopian and idealistic future, and Mayor Franklin Cicerone, a reactionary who is imprisoned for corruption.
The film will hit theaters from October 16th.
During the award ceremony, Gualtieri highlighted that “Megalópolis is a tribute to our city, but also a drama for democracy in a place that is a symbol of our freedom”.
“His films have changed our lives, but also the lives of others, I think of “Apocalypse Now” (1979) and “The Godfather” (1972), although I love “The Conversation” most of all,” he says, adding that “Coppola is also a giant in civic cinema. His generosity towards young people is also well known. Rome loves you.”HANDLE)
