"Cinema is an old whore, like circus and variety, who knows how to give many kinds of pleasure. Besides, you can't teach old fleas new dogs." This was how the great Italian film director Federico Fellini explained his art form. Reading this quote again carefully, the important keywords in many of Fellini's films can be found within: circus, sex, dogs, variety and pleasure.
"Watching Fellini's films unleashes your imagination and shows you that life can be so wonderful and not a repetitive bore," Wu Jueren, curatorial director at the Shanghai Film Museum, told the Global Times. "That is what made him great."
To mark the 20th anniversary of Fellini's death, a film retrospective titled "Sweet Cinema" is being held, co-organized by the Shanghai Film Museum, the Cultural Office Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai, and the Shanghai Film Archive.
During the event, which began last weekend and runs until Sunday, 13 of Fellini's films are being screened at the Shanghai Film Museum (595 Caoxi Road North, 6426-8666), including I Vitelloni (1953), La Dolce Vita (1960), 8½ (1963), Giulietta degli spiriti (1965), Casanova (1976), La Citta delle donne (1980) Roma (1972) I Clowns (1971), Ginger and Fred (1986) and his last picture, The Voice of the Moon (1990).
Early works like La Strada (1954) and Le Notti di Cabiria (1957) were not included because of issues with visual quality.
"But La Dolce Vita and Roma are the latest 2K restored versions with 4K scans," Wu added.
The two films are being screened at the museum's No.5 Film Studio, which was formerly Shanghai's "dream factory" and produced many outstanding Chinese films. It was reconstructed as part of the museum in 2012 as a multifunctional hall for film screenings and holding ceremonies.
Wu told us that the hall echoes Fellini's own "dream factory," Teatro 5 Cinecittà, a cinema studio in Rome. On one occasion, when Fellini went to the US to attend an awards ceremony, fans asked him for his autograph and his address in Italy. He joked that the address was too long to write and told them to go to Teatro 5 to find him.
"He was such an interesting person and very approachable," Wu said. "I heard that when Fellini was filming at that studio, even the electricians would say to him, "Federico, Federico, let's eat, let's eat."
Wu pointed out that many people like to discuss Fellini together with Swedish director Ingmar Bergman and Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky, and regard the three of them as "the Holy Trinity" of cinema history because of their exploration of philosophical and theological themes.
"But I don't really agree," Wu said. "Of course, Fellini's films have their own philosophical thoughts and reflections, but I don't think they contain as many theological aspects as the films by Bergman and Tarkovsky. I prefer to experience the details of Fellini's films sensorially, like those carnival scenes, the clowns, delicious food and women with big chests, rather than thinking about them intellectually."
Wu believes that because Fellini had a background as a cartoonist, he was able to capture the details of everyday life and dramatize them with great appeal. "Watching his films is just like dreaming a sweet dream, which brings you back to your childhood, a time that is full of curiosity and simple, pure imagination," Wu said.