Introducing Riccardo Zanini...

Introducing Riccardo Zanini...



He organises a mini movie club called Cineforum: Officina Fotonica in this corner of Verona, San Pietro di Lavagno. (That's where Roby up in). We (me and Roby) started attending off and on since last year. He is an eighties' child and I wanted to quote from facebook entry since I don't understand it (even after roby tried explaining)"tute le te vol, nisuna te tole"

Juunta: Would you care to explain that?



Riccardo Zanini: I think it's a regional proverb, literally translated it sounds like "Everyone wants you, but no one takes you by her side". A co-worker of mine said that to me to make fun of me because I expressed  the disappointment for the lack of a girlfriend and I said that there isn't any more hope for me, but ironically it seems that a lots of my students like me.

J: 

This is for the benefit of the people who don't know you, your future audience. What is the first thing you want a complete stranger to know about you?

RZ: It's too tough question, I always try to don't speak about me because I'm quite self-critical.



J: The first time I met you was when we were at the toll booth at the autostrada / highway and you were manning the booth. We were on our way to Puglia. The next time we saw you we were on the way back for there at the end of our vacation. That was 2 years. Are you still working there?



RZ: No, it was a temporary job, now I'm doing something that I really like, I teach English in a secondary school. Actually I'd like to teach English Literature in High School, but where I'm teaching, in a vocational training  school for secretaries and mechanics, there's an educational aspect that it's challenging as well.

J:

I think it is a cool job. You might think otherwise, but having a full time job and then Cineforum as a side project, kind of makes it more interesting then if you doing just Cineforum. It offers much cinematic possibilities. Any thoughts of writing a script based on that?



RZ: Since some years there is a itch in my mind to write a story, most of it is already done, but I can't beginning...oops! This was a secret!... Last October I began to take singing lessons, another wish that was in my mind for ages, maybe I'll do the writing thing pretty soon.



Cineforum

J:That's your other job. Could you tell me briefly how you started it? Was there someone else when you started it or did someone started it?



RZ: The Cineforum isn't a job, it's just a passion. All it started thanks to Officina Fotonica, the cultural club of which I'm a member. Me and other members had the will to show film, to share them with our friends and everyone that wanted to watch them, and to talk freely about them. Me and Nedda have been the only two to propose sets of films, someone proposed just a film, but I hope someone else will propose other sets of films.

J:How many members are there? Can anyone join cineforum, or do they have to live in Verona.

RZ: The cineforum is a project of the club, so the members of the club are the members of the cine club. Everyone can join us, both the club and the screenings, everyone is welcome. We are planing to move in the screenings to a public room of the town with the aim that will come more people, especially from the town itself. The club was found to have a space for music at first, then for other interests like cinema, but also to spread our interest to the local population.



J:With films so easily downloaded off the internet, do you feel that cine club is redundant? What's in it for the members?



RZ: No, I don't think so. As I mentioned before all began from the wish to show film that I had impressed me (not always in a positive way), and share them with people. Furthermore in the club we can watch the films on a wide screen with a good sound quality contrary to the downloaded films on PC.



J: From website of Cineforum I see you curated all the programme with the exception of La natura estrema e i personaggi "fuori dal mondo" di Werner Herzog.... The extreme nature and the "out of the world" characters of Werner Herzog. (which was done by Nedda Taioli) 

I did enjoy all the screenings, although I did not attend all of them. I can't make it for the sunday's screening.  It's last of the series Nerd Love Too. I enjoyed the last one too, Stranger than fiction. Athough I wouldn't consider Will Ferrell a nerd. (I am a big fan of Maggie Gyllenhaal though). 

Why did you choose this theme Nerds Love Too? Do you consider yourself a nerd?

RZ: The theme came from me, I think that (500) Days of Summer and Eternal can speak for me. In the last year a started to consider myself as a nerd, but not in the classical American acceptation, I think I'm a nerd in the way Tom Hansen is: a true and insane passion for music, just wonder that I have vinyls without having a record player, some believes about love and the way to act with the other sex far away from the masochistic way.

About Stranger than fiction, rewatching it, I've realized that I had a different perception of it, especially about the love story. I think the character of the film is a nerd, not the actor.

J:From the films that I have seen of cineforum, I think it is pretty Pop, in that they are easily digestable and  quite entertaining. Actually they are perfect for cold sunday nights. Any ideas on what the next series will be like? When will that be?



RZ: I've decided to start the new season with pop films, as you properly said, to have a lighter beginning, even though I don't think they are easy form me, they are pure analysis! It's like to attend to an analysis of mind, they show my thoughts, fears, feelings,..

I'm thinking about different series, one about music, with different types of films about it; another about Mario Monicelli, another about Humphrey Bogart and as he characterized the male figure in some films and another serie about female characters. I'm quite productive at the moment and I'd like to show more films than in the past years.

Moreover I really hope that someone else, external to the club too, will show some series of films, like you, I've just heard that you worked in the film festival in Singapore, so I hope you'll give us the chance to watch some Asian films.

J: To tell you truth, I am retired. I have other commitments and am no longer passionate about films as I once was, but let me see what I can do...

Thank you for the time. Sorry I can't make it today for the screening. ;P

RZ:  It's ok. Thank you for the interview and see you soon.




...


For more information on Cineforum you can go to website : www.officinafotonica.it
Or you can contact Riccardo directly: zanini.riccardo@gmail.com


Will try to get the italian version out next.

ciao ciao