100 years of Marcello Mastroianni: Daughter's tribute on screen
September 28, 2024, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the cinema legend Marcello Mastroianni, widely known for his roles in Federico Fellini's films. To celebrate this occasion, American theatres will screen the exceptional comedy "Marcello Mio," which revisits the life and career of this outstanding actor with humour, nostalgia, and lightness through the character played by Chiara Mastroianni.
The daughter of Marcello Mastroianni and Catherine Deneuve, Chiara is an actress. One summer, amid personal chaos, she decides to live like her father. She dresses, speaks, and breathes as he did, so convincingly that those around her start to believe it and call her "Marcello."
- "All my life, I've been told I look like my father. That's why it intrigued me to use this resemblance on screen. An actress doesn't always get the opportunity to play both a woman and a man, act in different languages, and confront her own feelings and memories," says Chiara Mastroianni.
In "Marcello Mio," Chiara is joined by Catherine Deneuve, Fabrice Luchini, Melvil Poupaud, Benjamin Biolay, and Nicole Garcia. This film marks yet another collaboration between Chiara and director Christophe Honoré. For her role in his "Room 212," she received an award at the Cannes Film Festival. It is also Honoré's fifth film selected for this prestigious festival and the third to have its world premiere in the Main Competition, following "Love Songs" and "Sorry Angel."
"Marcello Mio" is a nostalgic yet humorous and self-aware return to the iconic roles and locations associated with Fellini's films. Chiara Mastroianni transforms into her famous father through costumes from the cult productions "La Dolce Vita" and "8 1/2," speaks fluent Italian, spends time with her mother, and seeks to learn about herself, her father, and the unique magic his films exude. It is also a story of identity exploration and delving into the past, serving as an excellent reference point for the present. The film also provides a glimpse into cinema's fascinating, though not problem-free, backstage world.
- "One of the initial ideas for this film was to depict the daily lives of actors when they are not working on films. This 'downtime' actually occupies most of their lives. But an actor never truly stops being an actor; it's a specific relationship with the world. I wanted to portray Chiara in ordinary, everyday moments, surrounded by her loved ones. She is a unique actress because her private life and films are intermingled due to her famous parents. In 'Marcello Mio,' I reconstructed this unique family story from a fictional perspective, through echoes and analogies, blurring the lines between fiction and reality," adds Christophe Honoré.
