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Giuseppe Bonifati, interview with the actor who took part in the cast of the film "Ferrari" by Michael Mann

Giuseppe Bonifati is now increasingly Hollywood-like, but firmly rooted in his Calabrian origins. The actor was chosen by Michael Mann to play a very important role; Bonifati will step into the shoes of Giacomo Cuoghi, lawyer and advisor to Enzo Ferrari. The film will have its world premiere at the eightieth Venice Film Festival, and will be released in Italian cinemas in December 2023.

Giuseppe Bonifati, interview with the actor who took part in the cast of the film "Ferrari" by Michael Mann in competition at Venezia80.

Giuseppe Bonifati born in 1985 Castrovillari the actor, playwright, poet and director, becomes more and more Hollywood, but without ever forgetting his roots. Previously he has already taken part in exceptional casts, such as in the film “All the Money in the World” by Ridley Scott, director of “Gladiator”; and once again, he was chosen by another master of international cinema, Michael Mann, who allowed him to take part in the biopic about Enzo Ferrari, played by Adam Driver. The Italian actor will step into the role of Giacomo Cuoghi, lawyer and advisor to the little horse's father. The film Ferrari will be presented as a world premiere at the eightieth Venice Film Festival, and will be released in Italian cinemas in December 2023.

With this interview we at La Milano we wanted to dig deeply into the human side, as well as the artistic one, of the actor.

The interview:

– When and where did your passion for acting and your work begin?

– It was born very early, I started this work at a very young age, exactly with dance. Then I met Maestro Giuseppe Maradei who directed me professionally towards this profession, exactly as a comedian. For me, being born in Castrovillari, Calabria, it was practically like being born into art straight away. Castrovillari is a city that has always shown itself as the capital of artistic culture, it has hosted, and still hosts, many theater festivals.

– In the past he worked for the director Ridley Scott, now he worked for Michael Mann taking part in the cast in the film “Ferrari”; What was it like working for this immense director?

– It was a new challenge, a new opportunity. Michael Mann is a scrupulous, meticulous, meticulous director, who focuses on unique details, almost like a sculptor behind the camera; a sort of "artistic exhaustion" and I say this by returning the positive meaning of the term. He is a director who manages to get from you what he wants, he manages to get the unexpected. Being a director myself, seeing these sacred "monsters" like Mann work was a lesson.
– In the film “Ferrari”, which will be presented in a world premiere at Venezia80, he played Giacomo Cuoghi, Enzo Ferrari's lawyer, who prepared for him the defense brief that allowed him to overcome the entire judicial ordeal; What was the character trait that he wanted to make prevail in the character?
– More than a character trait, the character required a detail, a physical, almost organic peculiarity, which had to be preponderant in its reconstruction and interpretation.
– Did you use a particular source of inspiration to partially and completely step into the lawyer Cuoghi's shoes? An opera? A song? A character?
– Not particularly, let's say that I always look for a unique path, all my own. Although at the same time, Michael Mann gave me some materials, interviews, to study, which concerned the figure of Giacomo Cuoghi. With these writings I better understood the relationship between Enzo Ferrari and his lawyer. Cuoghi, rather than defender of the little horse's father, was first and foremost an advisor, almost a friend, despite it being said that the two never addressed each other as "you", but only as "she".
– For the second time she is asked to play a lawyer. First, Giovanni Iacovoni in “All the Money in the World” for Scott and now Giacomo Cuoghi for Mann: what, in your opinion, was the trait, the reason why the two directors chose her to give a face to her characters ?
– Most likely for the charisma, the charm and the exclusively, typically Italian interior depth, which has a great impact on foreigners.
– Among his various projects there is also the direction of “The flying theater: a stage in the clouds”, the new base appears to be the international airport of Billund (Denmark). A project in which performances and theatrical shows are held at the terminals, at the gates, and at baggage claim; the airport, a place full of emotion where farewells, greetings and reunions emerge, why the choice of this place? And where did the idea for this ambitious project come from?
– The choice of place was determined by the fact that together with my company we have flown at least a thousand times, and to infinite places. Traveling so much, and passing through Billund airport so many times, we felt it was necessary for it to become, for us, also our artistic and working place, and not just a transit dimension. The project “The flying theater: a stage in the clouds” has been going on for many years, three exactly, and with it we have achieved even more safety, mastery and trust among ourselves and with the passengers.
– Plans for the future?
– At the beginning of the year I started writing a screenplay, which I had already had in mind for a long time. It could be my debut as a feature director. The narrative is set between Italy, particularly in Calabria, and Denmark and is inspired by the tragedy of Hamlet; although Hamlet does not mention Italy, I wanted to set my screenplay in my homeland; this choice allows me to be able to get closer to my country again also from a work and artistic point of view.

Giuseppe Bonifati nel film Ferrari

Giuseppe Bonifati:

Bonifati attended the Paolo Grassi School of Dramatic Arts and furthered his studies at the Silvio D'Amico National Academy of Dramatic Arts, also participating in the International Theater Workshops of the Venice Biennale.
Among the various recognitions in the artistic field he received the “Umberto Benedetto” Crystal Microphone from RAI in 2006, the “Alessandro Fersen” Prize for Dramaturgy and was chosen in 2011 among the Young National Talents by the Ministry of Youth. He received the DE.MO./ MOVIN'UP award in 2015 and 2020 from the Ministry of Culture MIBACT / GAI.
Since 2010 he has been the artistic director of DOO performing arts group. Founded in 2021 together with Linda Sugataghy “Det Flyvende Teater” / Il Teatro Volante, based at Billund International Airport (Denmark). In the last fifteen years he has written and directed over 30 works, performed in over 20 countries.
He has held workshops on theater and performance collaborating with the artistic faculties of the University of Turin, Kaposvar University (Hungary), UDESC – Florianopolis (Brazil), Aarhus University, CISPA – Copenhagen Int. School of Performing Arts and Copenhagen University (Denmark) .
He published Ritratto all'Ombra (2004) and 21:31 (I feel like dying), 2014 for Lietocolle Editore. The text “Pepé El Bastardo Impaziente e Innamorato” appeared in the theatrical series Percorsi di Publishing & Entertainment.
For cinema, he participated in Ridley Scott's film ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD (2017), alongside Kevin Spacey, Christopher Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Timothy Hutton. You starred in the BBC TV series US (2020), with Tom Hollander and Sofie Gråbøl. You recently took part in Michael Mann's new film FERRARI (2023), with Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz.
Giuseppe Bonifati, intervista all'attore che ha preso parte al cast del film Ferrari di Michael Mann in concorso a Venezia80

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