Backstage at Cinecittà

On the occasion of the 67th Cannes Film Festival Chopard revives the magic of the legendary Italian studios through a photographic exhibition entitled Backstage at Cinecittà. Whether stolen moments or duly posed-for portraits, captured off the set or in the midst of filming, the images chosen immerse observers in the intimacy of the Roman studios in their heyday during the 1950’s and 60’s.
On show at the Chopard Rooftop throughout the Festival, this gallery of memories reveals the light-hearted spirit and the creative genius of the era, along with the incomparably chic, glamorous aura of its stars.
The Cinecittà legend was formed by masterful works such as La Dolce Vita, Ben Hur, War and Peace, Cleopatra or The Leopard, and by incredibly charismatic stars such as Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Alain Delon, Sophia Loren, Charlton Heston and Audrey Hepburn.
The great names of Italian film-making are shown in a state of deep concentration, snapped in the exercise of their art: Ingrid Bergman and Roberto Rossellini comment on the script of Journey to Italy (1953), while Luchino Visconti, perched on a wooden stool and with an earnest gaze, directs a sequence from Rocco and his brothers.
Some light-spirited and unusual shots reveal the relaxed atmosphere and joie de vivre pervading these historical moments. Fernandel, in his Don Camillo costume, continues to clown around off-camera (1952). Charlton Heston, dressed as Ben Hur, straddles a Vespa or plays rugby (1959), while Henry Fonda takes a quick nap between two scenes of War and Peace (1955). The stunning Ava Garner adjusts her outfit with the help of a costume designer for the filming of The Barefoot Contessa
(1954), while Brigitte Bardot daydreams as she sips a cup of tea (1955).
In a few carefully selected images, the dream factory, The city of divas as Fellini used to call it, comes to life to the delight of film-lovers and all those who feel a sense of nostalgia for that era.