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Pierfrancesco Favino stars in the short Riva in the Movie, a tribute to cinema

and its wonderful power. The film, which premiered on 4 September at the
Venice Film Festival, features Favino cruising through the world’s most famous

canals aboard a legendary Aquariva.

In the first scene of the movie, Piefrancesco Favino
crosses St. Mark’s Square holding a precious box

A stellar career of popular films and complex roles. A Is this an adult passion or have you always felt it?
unique talent for transforming his appearance. A solid Always, but in recent years I’ve been turning into
background as a stage actor and a successful turn as a Labrador: as soon as the warm season hits and I see
the host of the Sanremo Music Festival. Not to mention a wave, I dive in. I’ve developed a physical need for
several important recognitions: in the last year alone,
the sea, like those who are born in a seaside town and
made of mahogany he received a David di Donatello Award for Il traditore often long for it.
(The Traitor) and a Volpi Cup for Padrenostro, which
premiered at the latest Venice Film Festival. Then
You were born in Rome. Where was your sea-
there’s his membership in the exclusive clique of those
It changed every year. We visited pretty much all
allowed to vote for the Academy Awards, his position side when you were a kid?
as head of an acting school, and his work as a film pro- the Italian coastal areas until settling in Argentario,
ducer. At 51, Pierfrancesco Favino is a workaholic: he where my parents spent twenty years.
never stops, and above all, he’s a born explorer and an
avid discoverer of worlds, whether through the charac- Any sailing experiences?
ters he plays or through new life experiences. And the I have a license that’s valid out to twelve miles from
sea is among them. shore. I started sailing as a kid. Years ago, I traveled with
Not surprisingly, the actor was chosen to star in a friend among the Italian islands between Ponza and
the short Riva in the Movie, a tribute to cinema and its
Sicily for two months; we were on a pilot boat from the
A close up of Pierfrancesco Favino in the beautiful Piazza San Marco, Venice, carrying the mahogany box no cruising through the world’s most famous canals King’s Musketeers, my colleagues and I took a sailboat The magnificent Rivamare piloted by Piefrancesco Favino ploughs the waters of Venice
wonderful power. The film, which was presented on 4
‘70s that constantly took on water. It was an unforgetta-
September at the Venice Film Festival, features Favi-
ble vacation. Two years ago, when we were shooting The
and explored Liguria, which we didn’t know very well.
aboard a legendary Aquariva.

Generally speaking, do you consider your-
What does is feel like to be at sea?
self adventurous?
A boat is an ideal dimension, I leave all my neu-
roses behind. But aside from that feeling of extraordi-
I might not seem to be from the outside, but I
back in my place, where I’m supposed to be.
unknown things, I’ve traveled a lot without planning

Protagonist
24 Portrait Protagonist nary tranquility, it’s like just looking at the sea puts me definitely think so. I’m always searching for new and Portrait 25