The iconic Italian movie star celebrates 70 years of career with a new movie and a biography
On September 20th, 2020, the Oscar-winning Italian movie star turned 86 and this year she celebrates 70 years of an extraordinary career. There couldn’t be a more appropriate way to do so than returning on the screen with a new movie after 10 years away from the screen, even better if it is directed by her son Edoardo Ponti. However, this is not the only tribute to her life and career. There is also a biography written by Paolo Lubrano that is about to arrive in bookstores.
“Bringing this magic inside – The seasons of Sophia Loren’s life”: the biography retraces the story of the actress from her childhood to the present day
In ‘The Life Ahead‘, distributed by Netflix, Sophia Loren plays the leading role of a Holocaust survivor who takes care of prostitutes’ children in a neighborhood of Bari. After he robs her, she takes in a 12-year-old Senegalese immigrant boy named Momo. The two loners become each other’s protectors, anchoring an unconventional family. The story is based on the 1975 novel by Roman Gray ‘La vie devant soi’. And the deep relationship between Loren and her son brings out her best skills.
At the same time, Cultura Nova Edizioni fills the bookshelves with “Portandomi dentro questa magia – Le stagioni della vita di Sophia Loren” (Bringing this magic inside – The seasons of Sophia Loren’s life). The biography retraces the story of the actress from her childhood to the present day. The journey of a little girl from a small and beautiful town near Naples – the volcanic Pozzuoli – who arrives to conquer Hollywood and the world of international cinema to become a legendary star. In support of the anecdotes recalled, Lubrano included original and unpublished documents and private photographs, school reports, and newspaper clippings. The book is further enriched with Neapolitan pills by publisher and Neapolitan language expert Amedeo Colella. These deepen the meaning and the stories behind some typically Neapolitan phrases used by Loren in movies and interviews.
Ilona Catani Scarlett