Antonioni: Documents and Testimonials Page #4

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I asked him to do it two years ago and... time flies.

Are you sure he is painting it?

Sure. Do you want to try something?

Let's ask him. We'll give him a call.

Zavattini had founded a review solely

comprised of screenplays for shorts;

it only lasted one issue

and its theme was "love in the city."

One of the shorts was written by Antonioni

and it had been inspired by the real story of women

who had tried and failed to take their lives

and re-enacted it on the screen.

Attempted Suicide can be placed on a borderline

between documentary and fiction

and it utilizes art as a means of exploring humanity.

You might think, because of all of these television programs,

that Antonioni and l had arranged this call,

but this is not the case. I swear it.

No one's answering.

Still nothing. This goes to show you it wasn't a set up.

One of the things I hate most about television

is when they point the camera on somebody and he says:

Were you looking for me?

And you know he was there waiting for one hour.

Hello? Is Mr. Antonioni home?...

...Hi, Zavattini speaking.

I'm calling you 'cause I'm here with our friend Mingozzi

who is shooting as I am talking to you,

he's coming closer with the camera for a close up,

so we've called you home and he had the good idea

of inserting this phone call in the narrative.

Yes, I know.

Right.

Right.

Sure,

it's no bother.

I showed him the sofa,

it's not the same one,

it's a new one and told him you sat there

and said you weren't going to do it that way.

"l do it my own way," he said.

You know it was about Lo schiaffo...

"It's a pleasure doing it

and I love working with you but I'll do it my way."

Understand? Right, ciao Michelangelo. Ciao.

Antonioni wrote Lo schiaffo one of his projects

that was never to be realized, and Girlfriends,

a story rich in nuances, played in the frivolous circle

of the mundane and artistic bourgeoisie of Turin.

This intimate combination of an unbalanced universe

and uncertain passions, opens the cycle of Antonioni's masterpieces.

I do not clearly recall the whole question; it's been ten years.

VALENTlNA CORTESE actress What I remember is that the movie met with a series of

difficulties,

financial difficulties.

It was during one of the industry crises

and no distributor believed in Girlfriends,

they didn't realize that as a movie

it was in a league of its own.

Actually, producer Franco Cancellieri had the courage

to promote the project and begin production.

Unfortunately, a few weeks later,

when the money ran out,

it had to be stopped again.

It was resumed, I don't remember if one or two months later, or less,

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