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Lorenza Mazzetti: una gemma del cinema italiano



Il mese scorso sono andata all’Istituto Italiano di Cultura per assistere alla proiezione di un film di Lorenza Mazzetti. Il film si intitolava “Together” ed è una di quelle rare gemme del cinema italiano, una vera gioia per gli occhi e per la mente. 

 Le scene del film sono di una bellezza che fa quasi male, quella bellezza che hanno solo le cose vere. Girato e ambientato a Londra nel 1956 racconta la storia di due giovani manuali che lavorano nei Docks (i bacini portuali del porto di Londra, una volta il più grande del mondo). I due amici sono sordomuti e a causa di questo andicap fanno fatica ad inserirsi, e rimangono spesso isolati tra la folla ostile nel grigio e rumoroso East End di Londra, inseguiti da schiere di bambini che li prendono in giro in maniera crudele, sino a causare la morte di uno di loro spingendolo nel Tamigi.


Il film mostra spezzoni di vita quotidiana a cui uno dei due giovani sordomuti cerca di partecipare: mercati, luna park, pub rumorosi e affollati di gente che si diverte, si innamora, e che cerca di dimenticare il pesante lavoro che li attende nella settimana che verrà.

La pellicola in bianco e nero dà un tono spettrale al paesaggio grigio e fumoso dei cantieri, alla povertà degli abitanti con le loro facce smunte che si accendono solo durante le serate di baldoria. “Together”  fu premiato al Festival di Cannes come miglior film di avanguardia nel lontano 1956.

La regista scappa dall’Italia a diciassette anni in seguito ai tragici eventi di cui era stata testimone −lo zio Robert Einstein, cugino di Albert, si nasconde nei boschi per sfuggire alle persecuzioni razziste. I nazisti, per vendicarsi, uccidono la moglie e le figlie risparmiando Lorenza che assiste alla strage− e si rifugia a Londra dove studia e lavora.

Nonostante i suoi 90 anni Lorenza Mazzetti ha ancora lo sguardo di una bambina birichina. Gli occhi vivaci di Lorenza brillavano mentre raccontava alcuni episodi della sua vita e gli anni trascorsi a Londra. Qui Lorenza si applicò con grande determinazione agli studi, iscrivendosi ad una scuola d’arte. Quando il rettore le chiese perché avrebbe dovuto ammetterla visto che non aveva i soldi per pagare la retta, Lorenza rispose ‘Perché sono un genio’.

Il resto della serata ha mantenuto i toni alti dell’inizio. La capacità di Lorenza Mazzetti di raccontare con umorismo e semplicità la storia della sua vita è rara quanto la sua abilità a fare un film che rimarrà un documento storico per i posteri.




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