The celebrations for the one-hundredth anniversary of the foundation of the Italian Cultural Institute in Prague – the first stronghold of Italian cultural diplomacy in the world – got into the swing of things in the past few days with the show “Le Voci di Dante” [The Voices of Dante], at the ABC Theatre in Prague, starring Toni Servillo. The show, produced by the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, proposed a narrative journey in the sign of Dante and a unique cultural heritage in the world, such as that represented by the Divine Comedy; a play which deals with one of the founding works of world literature by resorting to the original interpretation offered by a contemporary Neapolitan writer, Giuseppe Montesano. The event, which was sold out, was organised together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Also as part of the celebrations for the one-hundredth anniversary of the Italian Cultural Institute, at the kino Lucerna in Prague, Toni Servillo inaugurated the 10th edition for the Czech Republic of the MittelCinemaFest, the event for Italian contemporary cinema in Central Europe. The event was well received by the audience. The Neapolitan actor presented the film “The King of Laughter” by Mario Martone, starring the actor in the role of the protagonist Eduardo Scarpetta.
The Italian Ambassador in Prague, Mauro Marsili, participated in the inauguration and emphasised the special synergies that have always characterised the MittelCinemaFest. He said: “The Festival’s great visibility and prestige are due to the work and commitment of all the actors of Sistema Italia present in the Czech Republic, as well as the fruitful collaboration of Cinecittà and Lucerna cinema, and the support of the City of Prague and of some Italian companies active in the area.”
The festival will continue until 8 December, switching between the screening of the most recent works by great directors such as Paolo Virzì, Mario Martone, Gianfranco Rosi, Gianni Amelio, Giuseppe Tornatore and Francesca Archibugi, and productions by emerging authors. A special evening is scheduled for 6 December with the concert “Omaggio a Morricone”, a tribute to the great Italian composer, conductor and arranger by the Czech virtuosi orchestra and soprano Vera Talerko, under the baton of Maestro Walter Attanasi.