CIAO ANNA

ZAGREB FILM FESTIVAL in cooperation with ITALIAN CULTURAL INSTITUTE presents photo exhibition
about life and work of Anna Magnani ‘‘CIAO ANNA'‘ at Cinema EUROPA 9th till 25th of October 2008.

Some stars never fade out. One of them is Anna Magnani who would now be one hundred years old. Anna Magnani's film work marked the golden ear of Italian neo-realism as well as the world cinema of the 1950's and 1960's. She paved the path for many future generations of actresses creating a place within the seventh art for the character of a strong, confident and temperament woman.
‘‘Please, don't brush up my wrinkles. It took so long to get them,'‘ said to a photographer Anna Magnani, the legendary actress who created her film and theatre career counting solely on her talent and expressiveness, and not on the size of her bosom and feminine appeal. Indisputable gift for acting, spontaneity and courageous life attitude made her the beloved actress and muse of famous directors and dramatists of the 1950's and 1960's, such as Vittorio De Sica, Luchino Visconti, Roberto Rossellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Jean Renoir, George Cukor, Sidney Lumet and Tennessee Williams, while her roles of a brave and passionate ‘‘ordinary woman", particularly in film classics such as ‘‘Rome, Open City" (1945) and ‘‘Bellissima" (1951) gained her such popularity that at the peak of it only three types of postcard could be bought in Rome: city sights, Pope and Anna Magnani. Among many awards, Anna won Oscar in 1956 for the role of Serafina della Rosa in the film ‘‘The Rose Tattoo", thus becoming the first Italian owner of the golden statue. Today, we are reminded of the 100th anniversary of the birth of unforgettable Nannarella, as she was affectionately called, by numerous photo exhibitions and cycles of her best films at such events as Venice Film Festival and elsewhere around the world. Zagreb Film Festival takes this opportunity to join many world festivals in remembering the great La Magnani.
In one of her last interviews, she said:
‘‘When I die, when people will be thinking of me, they should know that Magnani never betrayed them.
And that Magnani never betrayed herself!'‘
Now, when we look back on her contribution to the seventh art, which never left room for compromise, this statement of Anna Magnani rings so real and true.

Therefore, we too remember you lovingly and greet you ‘‘Ciao Anna'‘!