Bertolucci's 'Prima della rivoluzione' celebrated with exhibition in Parma

A multifaceted project in Parma marks the 60th anniversary of Bernardo Bertolucci's film 'Prima della rivoluzione' (1964). The initiative began at Teatro Regio with a discussion on the filmmaker and melodrama, followed by a film screening and the opening of an exhibition at Palazzo Pigorini, running through autumn 2024. The exhibition, curated by Marcello Garofalo and organized by Fondazione Bernardo Bertolucci and Fondazione Teatro Regio, includes behind-the-scenes photographs by Giovanni Lunardi and Carlo Bavagnoli, autograph notes, reviews, and posters. A key highlight is the unveiling of a painting by Gogliardo Padova from the film's 'scene 49', which was never shown on screen. The exhibition reconstructs the film's atmosphere through photos, quotes, and panels, contrasting Italian and international press reactions. Bertolucci, born in Parma in 1941 and died in Rome in 2018, maintained strong ties to the city and a deep connection to Verdi's music, which permeates his films. The film, shot in 1963 when Bertolucci was 23, explores the impossibility of bourgeois children breaking from their origins, with rational structure and meta-cinematic reflections. The event also features the publication of the screenplay by La Nave di Teseo.