"We need to give Lina Wertmüller a Lifetime Achievement Oscar!", Peremptory to the Board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, in 2017 the then very powerful Harvey Weinstein, unaware that the female world would soon destroyed forever.
Pascal Vicedomini, the diligent and well versed in Hollywood knits, immediately accepts the appeal and organizes propaganda for Lina Wertmüller worthy of an American presidential campaign (the award-winning company Vicedomini&Renis has created several highly successful film festivals where the director is one of the founders: CapriHollywood; Ischia GlobalFest; Los AngelesItalia and, in 2017, the Capri in the World Institute where the Wertmüller is also Honorary Chair).
THEHonorary Academy Award, not to be confused with the Oscar, is the award that Hollywood recognizes to those who make an "outstanding contribution to the film industry and beyond". The exceptional contribution of Greta Garbo and Mary Pickford, to name but a few, is undisputed, that of Lina Wertmüller it lends itself to a debate on the merits on which I prefer to gloss over. More than an extraordinary career, it seems that this honor is paid to her for other reasons, americanly cloaked in a politically correct who wants to make the "world" believe that women\directors have won the battle of the sexes.
That Amy Baer, president of Women in Film, you state in summary “Lina Wertmüller is an icon for all women who make cinema” has something grotesque but at least this is in line with the director's genre. I agree that women also in Cinematography must have the right recognition and effective importance; I agree that Wertmüller has demonstrated, thanks to a strong and individualistic character, that she has established herself in a predominantly male environment, but be careful not to make blunders in assuming the role of champion of the female cause, women who are not champions, if not themselves, unfortunately.
"These women who want the vote, and demand the same rights as men, I don't understand." wrote Virginia Woolf; “What does woman-director mean? I'm a director and that's it, I'm not interested in feminism” declared Lina Wertmüller. Ironically, the former is the literary champion of feminists; the second risks becoming a model of the redemption of female cinematography.
I find this reverse nemesis curious: in 1977 (year of birth of the feminist wave) Lina receives the appointments to the Oscar and wins the primacy of "first director to have had a nomination". In 2019, between regurgitations of Metoo, and jolts of women pride, takes home a Honorary Academy Award and forever enters the Olympus of Hollywood whether the various Nanni Morettis and the “committed female artists” of our house like it or not who, from now on, can go to Los Angeles and feel satisfaction in stepping on Lina Wertmüller's star on the Walk of Fame.
Effect passed bandwagon for Santa Lina from Los Angeles (in the 70s she was a saint but in New York) after giving interviews, perhaps some hosted on TV, re-presenting a monotonous and affectedly self-celebratory biographical documentary, promoting some cinematic-theatrical work, something concrete will bring the his HonoraryAward to the so abused female cause used more and more to promote books, organize festivals, launch films, and create false myths? If anyone thinks that this award can give Italian cinema a boost, they are deluding themselves, behind the less and less blinding spotlights, the system is gangrenous, and the merit is a faded special effect.
I'm willing to bet that Lina doesn't care about any of this. He didn't ask her to be defined as an "icon"; she did not ask to receive such prestigious and coveted honors; she has never thought of winking at a "cultural" system that has always snubbed her, but she has continued in her own way and in her way.
A few years ago, a polite and deferential interviewer tried to uncover the secret of her success: "Maestro, so can you tell us what you call this conjunction of synergies that converge into a single situational stimulus aimed at the implementation of your commendable film work?"
"Ass!" Lina answered with disarming objectivity.
