Roberto Benigni returns to TV after ten years with the dream, aired tonight on Rai 1. But today it is also the Father’s Day and therefore we republish some excerpts of the interview that the Tuscan Oscar comedian released us on the occasion of the release of the film Pinocchio by Matteo Garrone, in which he played Geppetto:
«I went to check and the words that are most repeated in the book of Collodi, in order, are:” poor “,” hunger “,” home “,” dad “. Pinocchio tells a wonderful poverty that I also met me, who makes you look like life a miracle anything happens. A poverty that then reveals itself as the mother of all the riches, because Pinocchio alla nor from puppet turns into a child. He gained life: richer than that! ».
Roberto, to interpret Geppetto, are you inspired by your dad Luigi?
«I practically thought only of him during all the filming. My dad was like Geppetto, a real farmer who knew how to do all the trades, also work the wood. And our house was very similar to the one seen in the LM. We had the hearth drawn on the wall because we could not afford the wood for fire. My mom occasionally made some bread or feed us with what she found: even a chestnut or a piece of watermelon were fine. For me, my father was a very strong model and now I also resemble him surely. As well as sucking my grandfather. When Garrone showed me a drawnman of mine elaborated to make me understand how I would be in the LM, I asked him: “But who gave you the photo of my grandfather?”. I am grateful to Matteo for making me interpret Geppetto after I had done Pinocchio in my LM. For me, it represents the completion of a path ».
Apart from your personal memories, what is Geppetto’s charm?
«The name Geppetto derives from Giuseppe. He and St. Joseph are the most famous fathers in history and are linked by many things: they are both carpenters, they have a son who does not know where to come from where they arrive, but who love the same immensely, showing that there is no difference between natural fathers and adoptive fathers. Their child is a divine gift for them, especially since he arrived in late age. And they love it. If we want to widen the speech again we can say that Geppetto resembles the Father par excellence, our Lordwho built his children in his image and likeness and they, as soon as they were able, ran away from the house just like Pinocchio did “
