Cinema, art, motorcycles and myth. And friendship. In the name of Federico Fellini and Leo Catozzo. At the Costa Smeralda airport in Olbia, on the occasion of the inauguration of the retrospective “La dolce vita di Fellini e Catozzo: tra sogno, magia e realtà”, this and more was celebrated.

The photographic-documentary exhibition, open until December 31st in the Arrivals Hall and at the ArtPort Gallery (free admission), is an extraordinary tribute to the cinematic genius of Federico Fellini and the innovative talent of Leo Catozzo , editor of masterpieces such as “La Strada”, “Nights of Cabiria”, “La Dolce Vita” and “8½”: on display are some original prototypes of the famous Catozzo press, a revolutionary invention that changed film editing forever.

The movies

"The exhibition bears witness to a great friendship between my father and Fellini and stimulates a series of memories from my childhood, linked to both the emotional and professional spheres. The success of the Catozzo press was in fact significant in the creation of two of Fellini's absolute masterpieces, "La Dolce Vita" and "Otto e Mezzo", but when other work challenges subsequently arose for my father, and he and Fellini had to separate, the relationship inevitably deteriorated ", reveals Leo's son, Alberto Catozzo, who participated in the ribbon cutting together with the artistic directors Fabio Alescio and Tiziana Biscu, the CEO of Geasar Silvio Pippobello, the managers of the Regional Department of Tourism Alessia Pillai and Valentina Pisano and the president of the Sidecar Museum of Cingoli Costantino Frontalini.

The motorcycles

Great attention is given to motorcycles in the exhibition conceived and organized by the cultural association Il Leone e le Cornucopie , with nine original motorcycles carefully restored by the Sidecar Museum of Cingoli: two wheels play a fundamental symbolic role in Fellini's films, representing freedom, rebellion and modernity.

It is no coincidence that Frontalini, director of the museum in the Marche region where many vehicles from the main films of the Italian film industry featuring motorcycles are preserved, emphasizes the presence in the exhibition of the symbolic vehicle of “La Dolce Vita”, the Vespa on which the paparazzi escaped after having immortalized stolen shots: «Theirs was a fast profession to earn a living, and thanks to a vehicle like this, which made it easier for them because of the two wheels and the basket positioned on the front handlebars to store their camera and flash, they managed to collect surprising results. Not just a means of transport, therefore, but a real work tool».

Among the iconic pieces, the Zampanò three-wheeler stands out, protagonist of the masterpiece “La Strada” , which represents the harsh and poetic wandering of the character played by Anthony Quinn, the Harley-Davidson WL 750 from “Amarcord” and the Ducati Indiana 650 from “La Voce della Luna”, the director's latest work.

Side events

As part of the inauguration, copies of the volume “Leo Catozzo. La dolce vita di Fellini e Catozzo”, edited by Silvia Nonnato, were distributed, and the organizers announced the calendar of cultural events planned within the exhibition : the screenings of “La dolce Vita” and “Amarcord” in the version restored by the Cineteca di Bologna, respectively on December 11 and 14 at 8 pm, and the double musical event scheduled for December 16 starting at 9 pm, with the performance of maestro Gian Domenico Anellino, who will perform the most famous film soundtracks, and the performance of the Olbia Gospel Group Movin'on Up Gospel Choir, who will conclude the evening with Christmas carols.

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