A documentary exploring the life and legacy of renowned Italian actor Gian Maria Volonté, featuring insights from his colleagues, family, and never-before-seen footage, highlighting his artistic journey and political activism.
An exceptional documentary filmed in 1978 by Swedish directors Björn Blixt and Peter Englesson showing the behind-the-scenes of the film Christ Stopped at Eboli (1979) by Francesco Rosi.
Zénon is the hero of “The Abyss”, the famous novel by Marguerite Yourcenar published in 1968. He is also the main character in André Delvaux’s film, played by Gian Maria Volonte, for the movie adaptation of the same book in 1988. But what does Zénon represent for us today, and what has become of him? How can this entirely fictional philosopher, doctor, alchemist and inventor from the Renaissance help us understand the era in which he lived as well as our own in these uncertain times? This is what this documentary sets out to do.
Volonté, the militant. How many people know this singular and important aspect of the great Milanese actor's life? "Forgotten Activism" attempts to reconstruct a particular profile of the actor Gian Maria Volonté, the one concerning his political commitment, an aspect that is often neglected and ignored. A life spent on acting, but at the same time on politics, with the fixed idea of always wanting to change things and have his say, denouncing the abuses of power - as in the case of the anarchist Pinelli - and social inequalities. A character that can be defined to all intents and purposes as a fighter, a 'revolutionary in an actor's uniform', who exposed himself without trying to mediate his positions, sometimes extreme and as a true outsider.
A vindication of the role of the technicians and artists who made spaghetti western genre possible, and a walk through the landscapes that made it possible to recreate in Spain, mainly in the desert of Almería, hundreds of adventures set in the remote American Far West.
Gian Maria Volonté (9 April 1933 – 6 December 1994) was an Italian actor. He is perhaps most famous outside of Italy for his roles as the main villain in Sergio Leone's A Fistful of Dollars (credited in the USA as "Johnny Wels") and For a Few Dollars More. In Italy and much of Europe, he was notable for his roles in high-profile social dramas depicting the political and social stirrings of Italian and European society in the 1960s and 1970s, including four films directed by Elio Petri - We Still Kill the Old Way (1967), Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1971), The Working Class Goes to Heaven (1971) and Todo modo (1976). He is also recognized for his performances in Jean-Pierre Melville's Le Cercle Rouge (1970) and Giuliano Montaldo's Sacco & Vanzetti (1971). Description above from the Wikipedia article Gian Maria Volonté, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
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