Tonino Delli Colli, a man of cinema, was undoubtedly one of the greatest interpreters of the art of light and of cinematography produced by Italy in the 20th century. Through his technical but above all human eyes, he gave us the images of some of the most talented master filmmakers: from Pier Paolo Pasolini to Federico Fellini, by way of Sergio Leone, Jean-Jacques Annaud, Roman Polanski and Louis Malle. A film dedicated to Tonino Delli Colli, who represented the spirit and grandeur of cinema like few others, was both highly deserved and necessary, not only to celebrate his professional and artistic path, but also a life and career that indelibly marked the history of Italian cinema. Through images, which we imagine would have pleased Delli Colli, the film recounts the journey, existential and professional, private and public, of a man and a character who transformed a skilled craft into a unique form of artistic expression. Much of the footage is previously unseen, even by professionals in the field, as it was sourced from foreign and private archives. From the years of his apprenticeship in Cinecitta, to his rise to the summit of the seventh art and the Academy Award that crowned his career, the film takes us in front of and behind Delli Colli’s camera, using excerpts from his films, revealing behind-the-scenes footage, interviews with greats who knew him and worked alongside him, and his own words. The film sets out to narrate, using not only the analytical and somewhat cold tools of the documentary but also the compelling and poignant ones of the motion picture: it commits to film, which he so loved and moulded, like a sculptor with marble or clay, a sincere and fitting portrait of Tonino Delli Colli and his work. 

Claver Salizzato