Lucia Borgonzoni has been undersecretary of Italy’s Ministry of Culture since 2018, the same year in which she won a seat in the Italian Senate for the Northern League party becoming one of her country’s youngest senators.
Although Borgonzoni has been involved in politics since the age of 16 when she became the leader of Giovani Padani, the Northern League’s youth organization, she is a graduate of Bologna’s fine arts academy, Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna, and an interior designer.
Here she tells The Film Verdict about her trip to the United States, aimed at reviving and strengthening historic ties between the American and the Italian film industries, seeking what she calls “new collaboration opportunities,” and enticing American filmmakers and studios to use Italian locations while taking advantage of the country’s tax credits for international coproductions.
TFV: Let’s begin with Los Angeles. Is this your first visit to LA? What is your overall impression?
LB: I had already been to Los Angeles during my first assignment as Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Culture. That was in 2018. Once again, I have been very positively impressed on this trip. The air was buzzing with excitement for the big events dedicated to Italian and international cinema that were expected during those very days. And everyone I had the pleasure of meeting showed great passion and attention for the big screen and the film industry, but above all for Italy.
TFV: You had a very busy schedule over the last week in Los Angeles, meeting the Studios. What was the mission?
LB: I planned my visit to Los Angeles with the intention of achieving several goals. These included supporting the development of the Italian film system through new collaboration opportunities with the United States, a strategic partner for us. In order to pave the way for exchanges aimed at the economic and cultural growth of both countries, it was first of all necessary to strengthen the direct dialogue with the entertainment giants and present them with the Italian government’s plan of action for the coming years.
TFV: Are the Studios receptive to your message and mission? What was the outcome and results of your meetings?
LB: They were all very fruitful meetings: I had the opportunity to discuss the main issues of interest to both Italian and American companies in the sector. Common points of view and goals emerged. I am happy with these meetings, especially because they gave me the opportunity to explain how focused and committed the Italian government is to host international productions on its territory and the great effort it is making on this front and, more generally, to support the Italian film system with increasingly more efficient tools.
TFV: What were the topics most frequently addressed in the meetings?
LB: Among other things, we talked about existing studios in Italy and those to be built, locations throughout the country in which to shoot films and audiovisual products, Cinecittà and the 300 million euro invested in its studios. Then we talked about training courses to provide the market with new highly qualified professionals in cinema-related sectors. Through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, we have about nine million euro managed by Cinecittà and the Experimental Centre of Cinematography with the involvement of Italian local public entities. But we also talked about the fight against piracy, artificial intelligence, and tax credit for the production of international works. And with regard to this last point, I made it clear that it will be maintained at 40% and that the funds have never been questioned, despite the rumours that have been circulating lately in America.
TFV: When one thinks of Italy, one thinks of all things Cultural, from literature, art, design and of course cinema, making your position as Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Culture very important. At the same time some may say that Italy has not curated its culture and image as much as it did in the past, as a representative of the new government what do you say to this and what are the plans to once again globalize Italy?
LB: It is true, unfortunately we have often made mistakes in the way we represent ourselves to the world. Italy is an extraordinary country, with an inimitable and unlimited cultural heritage. We must all work harder to change the narrative about what we can do and what we know how to make, which is significant and is very much appreciated abroad.
Audiovisual products are an excellent tool to show the world all our excellence.
TFV: The newly elected government has much on its hands at the moment, how high of a priority is Culture to your government?
LB: The protection and promotion of Italian culture is rightfully among the government’s priorities. It is our duty to pass on our immense heritage unchanged to future generations. And the promotion of culture, which also represents an asset in economic terms, is also a priority. But there is more than just the heritage. It is also our duty to support young artists and cultural and creative industries, so that they can grow stronger and tackle new challenges. In fact we are investing part of the European funds of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan available to the Ministry of Culture in measures to support the digital and green development of cultural and creative enterprises.
TFV: Turning to “film”. The system of subsidizing film production and distribution does not exist in the United States, but yet it has a very strong independent film culture of entrepreneurs who make films, why does Italy and of course Europe continue to subsidize distribution and production? Does that lead to a mediocre film industry?
LB: It is precisely thanks to the tax credit that, in Europe and in Italy, it has been possible to support even films defined as ‘difficult’ and to attract so much capital from abroad. Certainly, seven years have gone by since the law was passed, so we are redrawing some parameters related to incentives for the sector as far as Italian productions are involved. However, I believe that the tax credit is a great tool to support both culture and the economy, given the multiplier effect for every euro that is invested by the public.
TFV: What is your plan for restarting cinemas and making Italian cinema even more competitive on a global level? Is “Italian Screens” part of the plan?
LB: We are working on a never-before-seen promotion campaign for summer 2023 to bring audiences back to the cinemas. We had one in place in 2019, which yielded exceptional results. Then there was the pandemic. We are counting on doing even better this year and I am sure we will hit the target, because we are working as a team and with a lot more resources and time. We have EUR 20 million at our disposal, funds from the Ministry of Culture. Audiences will return to the theatres and the whole movie chain – Italian, but not only – will benefit.
Italian cinema and its protagonists are increasingly winning over an international audience. We will continue to invest in measures and projects that will bring it more and more to the world’s spotlight. I am thinking of festivals such as those that have been staged in Los Angeles over the past few days.
And I would also like to mention “Italian Screens”, a remarkable initiative aimed at expanding the network of international partnerships between Italy and other countries. It was designed to promote to foreign filmmakers the most recent Italian cinema productions and the framework of public funding that the Italian government makes available, to deepen already existing links and create new ones.
TFV: Is there anything else that you would like to add that our readers around the world should better know about your priority and mission?
LB: We are working to ensure that there is stronger national coordination and to make it clear to Italian producers and foreign investors what each territory and each Film Commission can offer both in terms of services and financial resources (through the calls for tenders subsidised by other funds, which are not from the Ministry of Culture and which are becoming more and more important year after year). In this way, we will make our country more and more ‘audiovisual friendly’. With the investments that the goverment is currently making to renovate many Italian villages, we also will show other beautiful, but lesser-known, locations in which to film. –Publisher, Eric Mika
