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A Roman red carpet for Montegrappa Genio Creativo Modigliani, one of the most prestigious series of fountain pens by the Bassano del Grappa Maison. Montegrappa has in fact sponsored the first release of a book fresh off the press, which was presented in the prestigious headquarters of the Roman Gremese publisher. "Dictators in cinema", in Italian and French, which can also be purchased in French-speaking countries - in addition to France, also Switzerland, Belgium and Canada - had its vernissage in the central bookshop of via Belsiana 22, a few steps away from Piazza di Spagna, in the heart of the Capital.

An adverse meteorological climate however made the visitors’ flow more difficult, although they did not give up on this rendezvous amongst Gremese’s rows of shelves in order to attend this cultural event. Gianni Gremese, the owner of the publishing company, introduced the author Stefano Giani to the audience, explaining how this volume is the result of a long gestation and meditated work. "Dictators in cinema" has a very clear subtitle, "European totalitarianism on the big screen" which identifies the selection work carried out by the author in conjunction with the publisher. The observation point concerns the way in which cinema has portrayed dictatorships in the Old Continent through the short century. A dark moment in history which has still not finished disclosing its implications in the most recent film productions. A topical issue therefore that justifies the decision to publish this book.

Gremese emphasised the fact that a first draft of the volume also included non-European dictatorships, a chapter full of history, stories and movies which the publisher does not exclude giving voice to in the future, through a second volume that integrates and exhausts the topic. Stefano Giani, author of "Dictators in cinema", born from a proposal of his which was enthusiastically welcomed by Gremese, then explained the choice of films examined in this volume. It consists of recent titles of contemporary filmography, selected with the express purpose of carrying out an analysis that is unprecedented in this field.

For this reason, the author - who, in addition to being the author of a film blog titled "Thoughts and Words", is a teacher and researcher at the University of Milan with particular attention to cinema – decided to focus on works that have not yet been dignified by becoming the object of specialists’ studies. Such as "Pan's Labyrinth", "The Last Metro ", " Rosenstrasse ", "Operation Ogro", " Wild Blood”, "The Long Night of '43" and the list goes on and on. For this reason also, the volume represents an absolute novelty, by directing the gaze to titles very close to the reader - spectator who, in the publisher’s intentions should not only be the strict cinephile, but also the fan who simply loves spending his free time in a cinema.

Montegrappa was the star of the evening, even after the end of the interventions, because many of the copies purchased on the occasion were submitted to the author for a signature with dedication. Montegrappa’s Modigliani pen has indeed marked an indelible impression on the title-page of the books submitted to him for the traditional autograph, the symbol of an unforgettable combination of culture, film and publishing which Montegrappa was witness to and sponsor of at the same time.

As well as in major bookstores throughout Italy, the book is also available on various Internet sites. Of them all, we recommend the Gremese site where the volume can also be purchased in French:
http://www.libreriagremese.it/default/dittatori-al-cinema.html

Original language: English