Award to Stefania Sandrelli

Lifetime achievement award and honor from the Giacomo Puccini Foundation to STEFANIA SANDRELLI

Stefania Sandrelli was born on 5 June 1946 in Viareggio, Italy. She made her cinematic debut in 1961 at the age of just fifteen, appearing in “Gioventù di notte”. In the same year, she achieved significant success alongside Ugo Tognazzi in “The Fascist”, which propelled her to fame. She was then selected to act in two Italian cinematic masterpieces, both directed by Pietro Germi: “Divorce Italian Style” (1961) and “Seduced and Abandoned” (1964). Her career soared, and in the 1970s Sandrelli was officially established as one of the stars of Italian cinema. During this period, she worked with renowned director Bernardo Bertolucci in the cult film “The Conformist” (1970) and was directed by Mario Monicelli in “Brancaleone at the Crusades” (1970), alongside Vittorio Gassman. Another prominent name she worked with is Ettore Scola. They first collaborated in 1974 on “We All Loved Each Other So Much”, the first film in a long series. Under his direction, Sandrelli performed in several masterpieces, including “La terrazza” (1980), “The Family” (1987), “The Dinner” (1998), and “People of Rome” (2003). Her collaboration with Bertolucci continued over time as well: in 1976, she appeared in the epic “1900”, alongside renowned actors such as Robert De Niro and Gérard Depardieu, and later as one of the protagonists in “Stealing Beauty” (1996). In the 1980s, Sandrelli ventured into erotic cinema, a brief phase in her extensive career. She starred in the film “The Key” (1983), directed by Tinto Brass, showcasing her beauty and sensuality. She then returned to being directed by Mario Monicelli, acting in “Let’s Hope It’s a Girl” (1986) and “Dark Illness” (1990). In 1988, under the direction of Francesca Archibugi, she starred in “Mignon Has Come to Stay”, a film that earned her the David di Donatello award for Best Actress. Over the years, Stefania Sandrelli also appeared on the small screen, notably in the successful TV series “Il maresciallo Rocca” (1996-2001), in which she portrayed Gigi Proietti’s wife. In 2005, she was honoured with the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement at the Venice Film Festival. This significant recognition adds to the numerous awards she has received for her performances, including three David di Donatello and six Nastri d’argento awards. In 2007, she acted with her daughter Amanda in the TV series “Io e mamma”, broadcast on Mediaset television channel Canale 5. In 2010, she starred in “The First Beautiful Thing” and made her directorial debut in the same year with her first film, “Christine Cristina”, a biography of the poetess Cristina da Pizzano, portrayed by her daughter. From 2012 to 2015, she was involved in the successful Rai TV series “Una grande famiglia”, in which she played the lead role. In 2016, she returned to Mediaset networks as the protagonist of the new TV series “Non è stato mio figlio”. In 2017, she went back to the big screen with the comedy “Il crimine non va in pensione”, Fabio Fulco’s directorial debut, and with the film directed by Pupi Avati, “We Still Talk” (2021), alongside Renato Pozzetto in an unconventional dramatic role. In 2023, she appeared on Prime Video in the film “The Hottest Summer”, directed by Matteo Pilati, starring alongside Nino Frassica.

Followed by a screening of the film

I KNEW HER WELL

Adriana moves from the countryside near Pistoia to Rome to try and enter the world of cinema. In the meantime, she adapts to many different jobs and gets involved with men who use her naivety to their own advantage. The girl, however, does not lose heart and after having earned a small part in a costume drama is interviewed by a newsreel. Apparently, they want to let the general public know her. But the underlying aim is unfortunately very different.