Half a century after the making of one of the most famous films of all time, La Dolce Vita by Federico Fellini, the young Italian filmmaker and writer, Mauro Aprile ZANETTI points out in his interdisciplinary narrative-essay of authentic heretical empiricism, “the light and monumental presence” of a Giorgio Morandi still life. This element, which up until now has gone practically “ignored” by both general audiences, as well as official film critics, appears in one of the film’s most complex and beautiful sequences, yet paradoxically also the least remembered: Steiner’s intellectual salon.

The book is literally painted with words, further brought to life through the original painting-illustrations by Italian painter and art director, Piero Roccasalvo (selected by one of the most prominent international art curator, Hans Ulrich Obrist, in the short list of artists he did for El Mundo art magazine El Cultural, Nov. 13th, 2008, as one of the “12 art-protagonists of the new generation in the international art scene”); Roccasalvo has been inspired by the humorous storyboards of ZANETTI’s vision of Fellini’s movie much more as a storyboards for a new filmmaking.

Renato Miracco — Director of the Italian Institute of Culture of New York and co-curator together with Maria Cristina Bandera (Roberto Longhi Foundation) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art of the largest Morandi retrospective ever held in the USA (Giorgio Morandi, 1890-1964, Sept. 16-Dec. 14t 2008 —; the exhibition has registered the highest number of presences amongst the Italian exhibits made by the MET; also reaching the third podium place in absolute for number of presences amongst all the exhibits hosted by the prestigious Museum; from January 22th to April 13th 2009 the same exhibit will be on show at the MamBo Museum in Bologna) — Miracco highlights in his forward to Zanetti’s book, published as a Bloc-notes edition by the Italian Institute of Culture of New York that: “The author should be recognized for having thoroughly investigated an aesthetic element of which there’s no trace even in the exhaustive literature dedicated to Fellini’s filmmaking.”

As ZANETTI cleverly demonstrates, the strange and magical mystery of this invisible and unforgettable disappearance-appearance of the Morandi “sign-of-art” (a still life) in La Dolce Vita, entails the pure question of perception (in both the filmmaking and the vision,) which in this case does not only mean recognizing the Morandi (the transparent setting of a “sign-of-art”,) but realizing what this still life (its opacity) renders visible, comprehensible and possible in the film.

By means of the Morandi chromatic-sign, ZANETTI defines Steiner’s salon as: “the still life of La Dolce Vita”; a vanitas and a real memento mori inside that great film-tabloid about the universal tribune of the Via Veneto café-society. In this way, Fellini’s theatrical microcosm portrays universal life. ZANETTI arrives at his conclusion that Marcello (Marcello Mastroianni) and Steiner (Alain Cuny,) in contemplating and observing the Morandi, are able to look beyond art (painting and poetry) to discuss existence and the ultimate sense of life.

Features of the book
Elegant catalog size 10"x13"; 112 pages; limited edition at 1000 numbered copies; written in Italian and English, forwarded by Renato Miracco; all illustrated with original paintings by the Italian painter Piero Roccasalvo.

Scheduled lectures and presentations of the book in NYC, December 2008
MURO APRILE ZANETTI gave a lecture for the first international presentation of the book at the Italian Institute of Culture of New York on December 5th. Moderator, Director Miracco. Along with the author, Penny Marcus (Yale University) discussed the book and the filmmaking. December 8th 2008, ZANETTI gave a lecture at the NYFA (New York Film Academy). ZANETTI also gave a lecture on December 10th, at the Garden City High School in Long Island. ZANETTI was a special guest for speaking in some radio programs (www.icnradio.com, Dec. 18th.)

Articles released in New York on Italian newspapers and international websites
quotidianonet.ilsole24ore.com/newyork/2008/12/09/138039-giallo_dolce_vita.shtml

www.oggi7.info/2008/12/15/1634-speciale-cinema-arte-ciak-si-gira-con-morandi

americaoggi.info/2008/12/17/9198-il-regista-e-scrittore-zanetti-ospite-alla-garden-city-high-school

www.artnewschannel.net

www.italplanet.it/interna.asp?sez=298&info=13794&ln=0

Italian and overseas releasing press
I Love Sicilia (monthly art paper magazine) available in cities stands, since Jan. 30th 2009 in Sicily, in Rome and Milan too. èITALIA-Italy’s (bimonthly multilingual magazine about Italians abroad). Distributed in New York City through the NYT, and in Italy through Panorama. Available in city stands since Feb. 5th 2009.

Book selling
At the occasion of the MAMbo Museum retrospective in Bologna, Giorgio Morandi – 1890-1964 (Jan. 22 - Apr. 13, 2009), now in Italy, after the big New York City success at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. the book will be available for buying it exceptionally at the Skira bookshop of the Museum.

2009 BOOK-TOUR for lectures and book presentation in North-America
In 2009 (50th Anniversary of La Dolce Vita making of) Mauro Aprile ZANETTI will be touring to give lectures and presentations of the book in North-America through the Italian Consular-Diplomatic channel in collaboration with some of the best North-American Universities and Institutes for art and cinema studies, and some festivals. (Miami-West Palm Beach, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Vamcouver & Kingston.)

On May 7 2009, ZANETTI will present the book with a lecture at the Italian Institute of Culture in San Francisco at the occasion of the exhibition opening, Giorgio Morandi – Watercolors and Drawings.

Première National Presentation in Italy
On Feb. 27 2009, the publication will also be presented for the first time in Italy, as a National première, at the RAI Auditorium in Palermo (Sicily.) Together with the author, there will be also the film critic, Gregorio Napoli (Il Giornale di Sicilia-RAI TV,) and the literary critic, Salvatore Ferlita (La Repubblica).