On Tuesday 25 October, Pif was a guest at the Cinemateket, the film archive in Copenhagen, Denmark, for the screening of “E noi come stronzi rimanemmo a guardare” (2021) and “Momenti di trascurabile felicità” (2019), in which he is director and actor respectively.
For the actor, presenter, screenwriter, director and producer Francesco Diliberto, known for his innovative news reports, it was like a homecoming to the land of his distant ancestor, Danish sculptor Bertel Thorvaldsen.
The two screenings at Cinemateket were an opportunity for him to present in person the two films and talk about his vision of film and television, answering questions from the audience that filled the hall.
“I don’t like making contemporary films,” Pif stated. “When I want to talk about the present, I pick up the camera and make programmes for television. TV talks about the present, films about the past.”
Pif also talked about technology and algorithms, the main themes of the film E noi come stronzi rimanemmo a guardare, which offers a reflection on the world of workers’ rights, as well as on the role of technology and its consequences: “The algorithm is ‘the word of God’. If something does not make sense, in Italy we complain about the algorithm: it’s not my fault, it’s the algorithm. Man is at the centre and technology surrounds us. Life is certainly easier thanks to technology, so I am not against it. But nowadays the algorithm seems to be at the centre, while we are struggling to keep up. We must do something, we can’t just stand by like assholes and watch”.
The event, organised by Cinemateket with the support of the Italian Cultural Institute of Copenhagen, is one of the events organised as part of the Week of Italian Language in the World, whose theme this year, ‘Italian and youth’, explores how the Italian language has changed in recent years, thanks mainly to the younger generations.
“With his television reports, Pif has invented a new language and a new way of reporting on current events,” said Raffaello Barbieri, Director of the Italian Institute of Culture in Copenhagen, talking about the Cinemateket event. “His innovative vision also involves film, with works such as “E noi come stronzi rimanemmo a guardare” and “Momenti di trascurabile felicità”. Pif is exemplary of the Italian creativity to which many young people aspire today, as demonstrated by their overwhelming presence at the two Cinemateket screenings, who actively participated with questions and interest”.
Pif also recorded a brief video message thanking the Italian Cultural Institutes in the World, expressing interest in producing something in the future on the activity of these institutions, which are still little known in Italy.
