Paolo Del Brocco has been CEO of Rai Cinema, the production arm of Italy’s public broadcaster Rai, since 2010. He joined Rai in 1991 and was managing director of Rai Cinema from 2007 to 2010. With investments in roughly half of Italy’s film output, Rai Cinema is the most powerful force in the world of Italian film production. Additionally, it is the parent company of 01 Distribuzione, which last year was fourth on the list of Italy’s largest film distributors in terms of revenue. All three Italian entries at Cannes this year (Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera, Nanni Moretti’s Il Sole dell’avvenire, and Marco Bellocchio’s Rapito) were co-produced by Rai Cinema. Here Del Brocco talks with The Film Verdict about Italian cinema and the public role that Rai Cinema plays in strengthening it.
The Film Verdict: Thank for taking the time to chat with The Film Verdict. Small producers have historically formed the basis of Italian film production and contributed enormously to its success both in Italy and worldwide. How many small producers are currently working with Rai Cinema each year?
Paolo Del Brocco: Small producers are the backbone of the Italian film industry and as such, they must be supported and appreciated, particularly now that many big international operators have acquired so many Italian independent production companies, creating very large entities. It is, foremost, a question of identity that touches the production of content for our citizens. As a public service, we are conscious of our responsibility to raise the level of quality of the content we produce for the public. It is our mission to support independent producers. In 2022, Rai Cinema contributed to the production of 76 feature films and 46 documentaries – an 86-million-euro investment – and partnered with over 100 producers.
TFV: In what ways does Rai Cinema help these Italian professionals and small producers?
PDB: After careful editorial and financial evaluation, which also considers the project’s target audience and potential for earnings, Rai Cinema chooses which independent producers’ projects to support. The investment in support of the producers is made with a view to closing the financial plan. In other words, we operate as true industry partners. Of course, the type of investment varies, depending on what kind of film is being offered. Through the years we have supported a great many independent producers – some 200 separate companies in the years 2020-2022 – because we are convinced that Rai Cinema plays an important role in the industry.
TFV: How does this cooperation help strengthen the Italian cinema industry?
PDB: The only way to keep Italian cinema alive is by supporting the independent producers, specially at a time when content is promoted and conveyed by global companies whose goal is the country’s market, not its culture. Supporting the producers means staying on their side during the production of the film, allowing them to grow, and giving them the opportunity to create increasingly more important projects that include not just talents, filmmakers, and screenwriters, but also many excellent but overlooked skilled workers that we have in Italy. As I have always said, every film brings with it a small economy that starts with the writing of the project and continues until even after the film has been released, through all the various channels, involving hundreds of professionals.
TFV: Who are Rai Cinema’s most important stars and film directors?
PDB: The great names of Italian cinema have worked with us, from Marco Bellocchio to Nanni Moretti, Gabriele Salvatores, Gianni Amelio, Matteo Garrone, Gabriele Muccino, Pupi Avati, Roberto Andò, and many others. And there are a great many who have established their credentials on the international scene over the past few years: Susanna Nicchiarelli, Alice Rohrwacher, Jonas Carpignano, Pietro Marcello, and Andrea Pallaoro, just to name a few. It’s impossible to make a list because many directors and actors work in the great many films that we help produce – 207 films, of which 105 were debuts or second works, and 103 documentaries in 2020-2022) But we can say this much: The greatest filmmakers and actors of Italian cinema have worked or are currently working in films that we help produce.
TFV: Which of the many films produced in recent years by Rai Cinema have participated in international festivals?
PDB: In 2022 alone, 62 films, documentaries, and shorts produced by Rai Cinema participated in major film festivals like Berlin, Cannes, Venice, and Rome. Of these, 11 were in the main categories. This confirms how much we are invested in promoting Italian cinema in the most important domestic and international contexts.
TFV: Besides Venice, which are the most important festivals for Rai Cinema productions?
PDB: I believe Venice has grown a lot in recent years and that, along with Cannes, it is qualitatively one of the most important events for international cinema. To us, it’s very important when it comes to the international markets. Berlin also is very prestigious, without forgetting other international events like Locarno, Turin, and Rome, whose last edition was a success and makes us hope for the next edition in terms of quality and public acknowledgment. There certainly are other festivals, too. Bifest, for instance, has expanded a lot and it has become an important event for our cinema. There are a great many festivals, and each can be important in its own way for the films it hosts.
TFV: In recent years there have been fewer international awards for Italian films. What do you think is the perception of Italian films in other countries?
PDB: In my experience, Italian cinema is held in high esteem outside the country. It’s loved and enjoys great prestige. We always have a significant presence at festivals. Regardless of the single award that can be won, which is often dictated by jury dynamics that go beyond the intrinsic qualities of a film, our films have always been in the most prestigious contests. Through the years, Italian cinema has reached a very high quality level.
TFV: How many films are currently being produced by Rai Cinema and which ones are they?
PDB: Among the films that are in production or are ready for release and which often tell the story of the different realities of our country, I can first and foremost mention those that are at Cannes: “Rapito” by Bellocchio, inspired by the story of Edgardo Mortara, “La Chimera” by Rohrwacher on the trafficking of archeological finds, and “Il sol dell’avvenire” by Moretti. Then we have a very beautiful film Garrone, “Io Capitano,” which tells the story of the journey of two young men from Dakar to Europe; “Il Comandante” by Edoardo De Angelis, which is the story of Salvatore Todaro, commander of an Italian submarine during World War II; “The Penitent” by Luca Barbareschi, based on a beautiful screenplay by David Mamet; The Palace by Roman Polanski, co-written with Jerzy Skolimowski; “Another End,” the second film directed by Piero Messina, starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Bérénice Bejo, which is about the theme of love and farewells; “Il Ritorno” by Uberto Pasolini; “Finalmente Alba” by Saverio Costanzo, which tells the story of a night of travel by a young Cinecittà extra in the 1950s; “Eterno Visionario” by Michele Placido, which is a look into the life of Luigi Pirandello, and then the films directed by Gianni Amelio, Paolo Virzì, Pietro Marcello, Gabriele Muccino, Andrea Segra, the Manetti brothers. In short, so many stories and so mauch cinema for all tastes.
TFV: There was a huge drop in theatrical ticket sales after the pandemic. Do you think that in the future it will be possible to go back to theatrical distribution, matching more or less the pre pandemic turnouts?
PDB: The pandemic exacerbated the trend towards the enjoyment of films in the privacy of home. At to this the fact that, at least in Italy, there is no window of time to protect theatrical releases. The most recent box office data are very encouraging, but we haven’t returned to pre pandemic levels. But it’s a mistake to think that the future of cinema is only on platforms. Some of the major American studios that have most invested in the platforms at the expense of the theaters are now revising their plans. The future is anything but obvious.
–Caren Davidkhanian
