Feb. 4 – The Yugoslav Film Archive in Belgrade has planned for the month of February a special screening event at the Museum of the Film Library, giving space to Italian cinema, offering the public a series of films that left a mark in the history of entertainment. The exhibition – organized with the support of the Italian Cultural Institute in Belgrade – will kick off February 17 and will run until the end of the month. It will pay tribute to four great artists who recently passed: the composer Manuel De Sica, the actresses Anita Ekberg and Virna Lisi, and the Australian actor Rod Taylor, star of Michelangelo Antonioni’s “Zabriskie Point.” Virna Lisi, a great actress who passed last December 18 at the age of 78, brought Italy abroad thanks to her talent and charm. She also starred in manyt series produced by RAI and Mediaset, and to truly honor her, six famous films will be screened over the course of three days. On Monday, February 23, “How To Murder Your Wife” (USA, 1965) by Richard Quine and “The Birds, the Bees and the Italians” (Italy, 1965) by Pietro Germi. On Tuesday 24 with “L’arbre de Noel” (France 1969) by Terence Young and “A Maiden for a Prince” (Italy, 1966) by Pasquale Festa Campanile. And on Wednesday, February 25 “The Cricket” (Italy, 1979) by Alberto Lattuada, and “La Reine Margot” (France, 1994) by Patrice Chereau. Virna Lisi, who was born in Ancona on November 8, 1936, is considered one of the most fascinating women of Italian cinema. She received many awards in her long career, including six Nastri d’Argento, an award for Best Actress at Cannes, and four David di Donatello, including two for her career. She was also Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic. Virna Pieralisi, her real name, was discovered at age 14, and despite her family’s opposition, she began acting. Her first success that puts her on the map is a 1957 commercial for the toothpaste Chlorodont, which aired during the traditional show Carosello, with the slogan “Con quella bocca può dire ciò che vuole.” She married in 1960 Roman architect Franco Pesci, with whom she remained for 53 years, until his death in 2013. They only had one son, Corrado. Beyond her national success, Virna Lisi in the second half of the 1960s made her Hollywood debut, moving with her husband and son to Los Angeles. Her first feature film in Hollywood is “How to Murder Your Wife” opposite Jack Lemmon and Therry Thomas.
