"Fantastico!", in Italian and with an exclamation, is the term that concludes the comment in English by Androulla Vassiliou, the Cypriot lady who holds the position of European Commissioner for Education and Culture, expressed in Brussels on the news of the Oscar to “The Great Beauty” by Paolo Sorrentino. With the addition of a warm "I felt a thrill of joy as soon as I heard." And at the same time from Strasbourg came the echo of the words, with a more formal tone, of another lady, this one Italian, Gabriella Battaini Dragoni, deputy secretary general of the Council of Europe. You who you defined the Oscar for Sorrentino's film “a recognition that rewards the strength and pertinence of international cooperation for the European cinematographic sector”.
The reason, perhaps little known to most, for such full appreciation by two people who hold positions of great international importance lies in the fact that both the European Commission and the Council of Europe (which has nothing to do with the European Union that see, dealing with this support and defense of human rights, the rule of law and democracy) have participated in the financing of "The Great Beauty"; a film which, like many more successful cinematographic works and specifically regardless of the evaluations of critics and the public, has turned out to be, even if not above all, "A Big Business".
In this regard, according to data published by the Internet Movie Database (defined by many as the online bible of cinema), the film directed by Sorrentino, apart from the awards - before the Oscar won the Golden Globe in the United States and the Bafta in the UK, both for Best Foreign Film; four European film awards (the European Oscars) for best film, direction, protagonist to Toni Servillo, editing; and five Silver Ribbons – in less than a year it achieved worldwide collections of almost 20 million dollars (approximately 14,6 million euros) against an estimated cost of 9,2 million euros. And now, after the awarding of the Oscar, a further explosion in receipts is to be expected.
The EU Commission also contributed to this excellent result of the investment, which intervened financially, having accepted the request of the producers (Indigo Film with Medusa, and then Berlusconi, in association with Banca Popolare di Vicenza for Italy, Babe Films , Pathé and France 2 Cinéma for France), by activating MEDIA. Namely the European support program for the audiovisual sector, defined by the EU as “an essential tool for the transmission and development of European cultural values”. A means, it is added, which "helps to strengthen intercultural dialogue and to improve mutual understanding and knowledge of European cultures".
In addition to "The Great Beauty", which was awarded 314.000 euros as a contribution for the development phase of the production project and for the distribution, through the MEDIA program the European Commission has financed another eight films included in the five nominations . These include “Philomena” (co-production UK, France, USA), nominated for the award for best film, which was awarded €402.000, and the Danish “Jagten” (Suspicion), financed with €662.000, surpassed by “The Great Beauty” at the end of the race for the best foreign film.
From the Council of Europe, Sorrentino's film had received a contribution of 650.000 euros through Eurimages, the cultural fund through which this organization (to which 47 European countries belong) participates in the promotion of the audiovisual industry of our continent and encourages cooperation between professionals of different European nationalities. Since its establishment in 1988, Eurimages has contributed financially to 1.560 European cinematographic co-productions, distributing a total of 474 million euros.
Also last year, Michael Haneke's Oscar-winning work for Best Foreign Film, “Amour,” starring Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, received financial support from Eurimages. This film, before "The Great Beauty", was the seventh to receive an Oscar among those financed by Eurimages over the previous 25 years. And this year two other films which, in addition to this one by Sorrentino, had obtained a contribution from the cultural fund of the Council of Europe, ended up in the five nominations: the Swedish-Danish co-production "The Hunt" and “The Broken Circle breakdown”, co-produced by Belgium and the Netherlands.
