- Title: ITALY: SOPHIA LOREN POMOTES HER SON'S FIRST FILM "BETWEEN STRANGERS"
- Date: 30th August 2002
- Summary: LIDO, VENICE, ITALY (AUGUST 30, 2002) (REUTERS) MCU (English) LOREN SAYING: It's not something that happens every day but it has happened to me and I was really very proud to see Edoardo behind the camera and at that particular moment, I really considered him like the greatest friend in the whole world for me and this greatest friend was also my son and that was the young
- Embargoed: 14th September 2002 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LIDO, VENICE, ITALY
- Country: Italy
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA1F1P0YNAADKL0EXT73CVPS25K
- Story Text: Sophia Loren, who made a career as an on-screen temptress, played the good Italian mamma in Venice on Friday, proudly promoting her son's first film -- which also happened to be her 100th.
The 67-year-old star celebrated her century with "Between Strangers", written and directed by "my best friend and my son" Edoardo Ponti.
"It was very emotional when I saw him shooting behind the camera," Italy's most famous actress told reporters, who welcomed her with warm applause.
"I thought, 'I brought him to life and here is my best friend giving me beautiful ideas as to how I should be seen'.
I trust him completely," Loren mused while her 29-year-old son studied his nails and giggled to himself.
Despite Loren's enthusiasm for the project, "Between Strangers" received a poor reception at its first press screenings with whistles resounding around the huge hall.
But a star-studded cast including British actor Pete Postlethwaite, French hero Gerard Depardieu and Oscar-winning American actress Mira Sorvino should keep the publicity machine churning.
The film, which is showing out of competition at the 59th Venice Film Festival, is the story of three women battling with the effect their fathers have had on their lives.
Loren's character, Olivia, is haunted by having been forced to give up an illegitimate daughter, born before she met and married a now wheelchair-bound athlete.
Joining Loren in Venice was Pete Postlethwaite who praise the director's mother, Loren on her acting in the movie: "I don't think Sophia has acted in the theatre much -- she's the consummate cinema actress -- but the two of us could work together basically because she doesn't use the tricks a lot of people in film do," Postlethwaite said.
Leaving the movie star looks in the changing room, Loren's face was washed out and etched with wrinkles for the role.
"We had to show all her pains and sorrows in her face. It took three hours every morning," the auburn-haired actress said, adding that she did not want to be locked into an "older woman" typecast.
"You reach a certain age and it's difficult to find the right story for your personality and years so you have to be very selective," Loren said, hours before being presented with a lifetime achievement award by Italian film journalists.
"Edoardo's story was very close to my nature which is why I chose to do it," she added.
That's not to say the project was free of artistic tensions.
"We had discussions on set as to what we had to do but that is normal between actors and directors," Loren said, before being inundated with autograph seekers.
"He's only 29 so he has a long way to go," she added.
To which Ponti replied, "Always a mum, you see!" - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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