Yahoo Lifestyle Antonio Vivaldi Portrayed in Italian Period Movie ‘Primavera’; Memento International Boards Sales (EXCLUSIVE)
Antonio Vivaldi, the Italian Baroque composer and violinist who penned “The Four Seasons,” will be portrayed in “Primavera,” the feature debut of Damiano Michieletto, a leading opera director. Memento International has boarded the film which begins shooting this month in Rome and Venice.
“Primavera” was penned by Ludovica Rampoldi, the award-winning screenwriter of movies such as “The Traitor” and “Gomorrah – the series,” among others. The script is loosely adapted from Tiziano Scarpa’s critically acclaimed novel “Stabat Mater.”
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Set in 18th century Venice, “Primavera” follows Cecilia, a 20-year-old violin virtuoso who lives at the Pièta orphanage. Despite her talent, Cecilia remains confined within the orphanage, knowing that marriage is the only way out. Yet, her life takes a turn after she meets Antonio Vivaldi, a brilliant and ambitious composer who becomes the new violin teacher. Guided by Vivaldi and his music, Cecilia “finds the strength to challenge the destiny that once seemed inevitable,” reads the synopsis. “Primavera” stars Tecla Insolia (“The Art of Joy”) as Cecilia and Michele Riondino (“Palazzina Laf,” “Worldly Girl”) as Vivaldi.
As an opera director, Michieletto has collaborated with major Italian and international opera houses, from Teatro alla Scala in Milan to the Royal Opera House in London, and from Teatro La Fenice in Venice to the Staatsoper in Berlin, as well as the Opéra Bastille in Paris.
“I feel the adrenaline rush, having long wanted to make a feature film: at the age of nearly 50 I am discovering new languages in which to test myself,” said Michieletto, who praised his cast, especially Insolia for her “freshness, her hidden fragility and her unpredictability.”
“Cecilia feels unwanted (…) but she has a feisty character (…) and she is the only person to stand up to Vivaldi who, in turn, is the only person who recognizes her talent. It’s a meeting of souls in search of love,” added Michieletto.
“Primavera” is produced by Indigo Film production, the outfit behind “La Grande Belleza” and “Youth” by Paolo Sorrentino, and co-produced by Warner Bros. Entertainment Italia which will release the movie in Italy, and France’s Moana Films. Diaphana Distribution will release the movie in France.
The movie received the backing of the Venice regional fund PR FESR and the Fondazione Veneto Film Commission.
The stellar key crew includes cinematographer Daria D’Antonio (“The Hand of God,” “Parthenope”), editor Walter Fasano (“Call me by your name,” “Suspiria”), composer Fabio Massimo Capogrosso (“Kidnapped”), production designer Gaspare De Pascali (“Sicilian Letters”) and costume designer Maria Rita Barbera (“The Son’s room”).
Memento International described the script as a “true page-turner, drawing us into the vibrant world of 18th-century Venice.”
“Through the extraordinary artistic relationship between young violin virtuoso Cecilia and the legendary Antonio Vivaldi, ‘Primavera’ tells a timeless story of musical passion and personal liberation, something that will resonate with audiences worldwide,” said the Paris-based sales company.
“Primavera” joins Memento International’s 2024 summer roster, which also includes Venice’s Horizons award-winning film “Familiar Touch;” Will Seefried‘s gay romance drama “Lilies Not for Me” which premiered this summer at Edinburgh; romance-biopic “The Divine Sarah Bernhardt” by Guillaume Nicloux; Jonas Trueba’s Directors’ Fortnight sentimental comedy “The Other Way Around” and Ryan J Sloan’s Directors’ Fortnight paranoia thriller “Gazer.” The company’s slate of movies in post include the crime feature “Unidentified” by Haifaa Al-Mansour; the genre Norwegian film “The Ugly Stepsister” based on Cinderella; and thriller “Arenas” by Camille Perton.
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