With L’ora a cavallo, shown at Il Cinema Ritrovato in 2016, we began a lengthy project of research amongst the thousands of photographs in Blasetti’s archives. These images reveal the innovative and technically daring soul of this director, who was capable of taking on any challenge, from realistic historical films to costume dramas, and from epics to comedies. Ritratto di Mara Blasetti continues this journey – from Nessuno torna indietro (1943) to what Blasetti himself defined as his last engaged film, Io, io, io… e gli altri (1966) – and, unexpectedly, becomes a lesson in cinema as duet. Gradually, alongside the monumental director who had a talent for selecting and directing actors, shooting scenes in long takes and avoiding easy close-ups or reverse shots, Mara emerges out of his shadow. She appears more frequently in the photos shot on the sets from Altri tempi (1952) to Io amo tu ami (1962). She recounts stories of her father at work with great love, but cannot help also talking of herself and her own professional growth: from runner to script supervisor, then assistant director and, finally, with Europa di notte (1959), production supervisor. In the 50s and 60s, Italian society could not imagine that a woman could direct a film (the exceptions prove the rule), and much less that she would be able to manage the economics and logistics of a large film production. Mara Blasetti became one of the first Italian women to take on the role of production supervisor. In 2012, almost by chance, evidence of her exceptional career begin to emerge. It began on her father’s sets and, from 1961, continued for another 20 years on international productions with 20th Century Fox, Paramount, United Artists and Carlo Ponti. Mara died on July 5 last year; she was 96. She taught us much, perhaps everything: the passion, discipline, humility, perseverance and optimism of someone who lived a full life. The next chapter will be dedicated entirely to the story of her extraordinary professional career.

Michela Zegna