Interview: Arianna Chirico

Photography: Paolo Santambrogio

Styling: Veronica Bergamini 

Grooming: Filippo Monzio @ Cotril

We saw you on TV with the miniseries “Only for passion, Letizia Battaglia Photographs". What did you love the most about this project and the story of such a courageous and revolutionary woman and artist?

Taking part in a project that narrates the story of a woman with a unique and rare personality like Letizia's was an honor and also a privilege, because our country is teeming with characters who are not often talked about, but it's important to build the Italian cultural identity. Working with a director like Roberto was amazing. He wanted to tell the whole life of Letizia, starting from her childhood for a better perception of her character. One of the main messages of our work was to focus on the strength of a woman who tried to fight for her freedom, in a historical period in which she had to struggle for her rights. I felt very stimulated, experiencing emotions that I will always carry inside of me. The entire cast made this adventure unique: Isabella is a wonderful actress and it was precious for me to work with her.

Did you have the opportunity to meet the real Santi Caleca?

Yes, I did. We had our first contact by telephone, because he lives in Milan and there was no way to physically meet. Then later, when part of the shoot was filmed in Milan, he was kind enough to come to the set, where we met each other.

Which are the peculiarities you and Santi share in common?

I suppose we are two different men. From what I have learned about him, I know that in those years, when he was about my age, he was an extremely cynical, very thoughtful and silent young man. His photography reflected his personality: he scrutinized everything, capturing the most minute details, those that can only be grasped in a given moment and with a watchful and attentive eye. On this we are very different, as I am extremely impulsive. But we are both quite introverted, even if I feel I am a more dynamic person: I don’t like to overthink so much. Perhaps every now and then I would need that more meditative aspect of Santi's character. In some way I believe that this "lightheartedness" is also due to an age issue. In the 1960s, at the age of 25 you were considered an adult man with obligations towards yourself and society: I feel mature, but the society we live in is less tyrannical in pretending to fulfill social responsibilities, giving priority to study and work.

Has notoriety made you a different person?

No, I don't even think I have become famous and fortunately I don't experience the problems faced by public figures, such as the loss of privacy. I often imagine how difficult it must be not to live one's freedom totally. I live in a small city, which is Cagliari, in Sardinia. From this point of view my life has not changed, on the contrary I always feel like a hikikomori: I don't go out very often and my friends are the ones I grew up with. I often reflect about what is the best way to choose the work projects that are proposed to me. I definitely always follow my feelings, which are the ones I trust most of all. However, I learned that what interests me most is never the popularity and visibility that a product can have, but the quality of the entire project, which can help me improve and grow.

What role do you take to heart the most?

Good question, it's not that simple to answer. Each role played is a personal investment that can give you emotions and lessons that need to be treasured. The most adult part of me resembles Santi: when I approach to interpret a new character I believe I adopt his same seriousness, reflection, precision and it is my modus operandi that I only know at work. Four years ago I took part in "1994", a Sky tv series in which I played the son of Veronica Castello and Stefano Accorsi, who I consider exactly the same as me in that time, and a totally different person from who I am now: I was a 20 year old who lived alone in Rome. It was very strange, because I remember that I experienced the feeling of telling everything about myself, of getting naked in front of everyone. It was an experience that I will always carry with me, that has shaped me as an actor.

Do you not  live in Rome anymore?

No, I do not. After the Academy I came back home to Sardinia, just when the pandemic started. I love Rome, it is a beautiful city, but living here is another story. In Sardinia, the quality of life is much better. Obviously it depends on how you are made, what you like and what your priorities are: I always believe that big cities can offer you a lot, but from a human point of view they also take that away. I often return to Rome for obvious business reasons, but Sardinia is my safe haven.

Do you have a deep relationship with your origins?

Definitely yes, I do. My parents are not really Sardinian, my mother was born in Cagliari, but her father was Tuscan. I have only one Sardinian grandmother, so my traits are not exactly local. My father was born in Milan to Neapolitan and French parents. All the people I know here have relatives rooted in this land for generations, but in my house we don’t speak so much Sardinian. Sometimes this makes me feel a bit like an outsider, but I have a very strong bond with my city and every time I'm away I can't wait to go back. It is something that you do not decide, but that you feel innate inside. I believe that this sense of belonging can be summarized, albeit not in a completely literal way, to the ideal of the Oyster of the Malavoglia, by Giovanni Verga, whereby as the oyster live clinging to the rock, so many, living anchored to their traditions and to the family unit, they manage not to get lost and to save themselves.

When did you decide to start acting?

Since I was a child I have always been passionate about cinema: I have no memories of my childhood without the presence of movies in my life, which I have always watched in large quantities. Growing up in high school, I realized that one of my greatest passions was cinema and that I was not interested in anything else as much. So initially I tried to approach a theater course to understand if this desire could be transformed into concreteness and reality, and I immediately fell in love with that world. After high school I knew that the only thing I wanted to do was to continue this path and to commit myself more and more.

What is the experience that gives you the most emotions, theater or cinema?

Definitely cinema. Theater offers wonderful emotions and I am currently on stage with a show adapted to opera by Dostoevsky. Both are equally thrilling work experiences, but from an inner standpoint, you experience different anxieties, responsibilities and feelings. The energies invested in the interpretations are different. I personally feel more akin to cinema, but theater is an experience that any actor should have. Without theater you cannot grow, you do not test your interiority, you do not evaluate your ability to act and react in the face of difficulties.

You told me that you have always had this passion for cinema. If you had to think of a favorite director you would like to work with, who would they be?

Among my favorite directors there is certainly Francis Ford Coppola, who I think is quite unattainable, but who I find brilliant for everything he has achieved; Michael Mann is the director I would like to work with, because watching his movies, I always dream of being able to work with an artist like him. Among the younger and more contemporary directors, I'd say David O. Russell. If I have to think of Italian cinema, I really like the work of Emanuele Crialese, of whom "Nuovomondo" is my favorite movie made in Italy.

Previously we talked about Letizia Battaglia and how she struggled in her life. If you were to think of a current battle that you feel you have to do something about, what would it be?

I support many social battles, but an issue that is very close to my heart, for which I feel I have to make a strong commitment is the defense of children. The protection of minors in the first place, because I believe that the system of social services in Italy can be improved, but in general the right to childhood is essential and must be preserved and safeguarded, because by investing attention and energy in the new generations can create a better world.

Is there any past experience that has made you more sensitive to this issue?

Actually, no. My parents are divorced, but they have never made me miss anything. However, I am aware of how important childhood is in the life of an individual and how much living it peacefully is essential to grow as a healthy human being. Every experience lived as a child has a consistent weight in all future psychological development: the school system itself should be modernized. Episodes like those that recently happened and unfortunately often happen in America traumatize entire generations of students. School should be the place where each individual can get to know themselves, experience things first hand without anxiety and without ever feeling judged; the place where you can invest in your skills, whatever they are. It is absurd that all those theoretical subjects are not accompanied by practical workshops, artistic and sports activities, which can help to acquire greater awareness of one's body. There are still few schools that invest in these activities, but I hope that more attention will be given to a general optimization of the system: if school becomes a peaceful place for everyone, in the future we will have fewer repressed and angry people. There are too many battles to fight for in this world, but I believe that education to respect and forging happy individuals are the basis of everything else.