Fellini

"There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the infinite passion of life." This beautifully designed volume taps into the sources of Federico Fellini's baroque imagination bringing the power of his work into the limelight, and providing new insights into the dazzling talent of the man behind La Strada, La Dolce Vita and 8‚ . Fellini's career spanned forty years and made him perhaps the most illustrious of all the Italian filmmakers. Twenty years after Fellini's death, the author tells the story of the director's themes and obsessions through movie stills, set photos, posters and his own drawings. The book is organised in four parts. Popular Culture concentrates on Fellini's engagement with the popular culture of the time. Fellini at Work shows the director on the set. The City of Women concerns Fellini's most important subject and obsession: Woman, in all her many guises. Finally, Biographical Imagination presents his various doppelgangers, each reflecting a different aspect of his personality, with particular focus on his 'Book of Dreams'. Packed with images and quotes, this visually stunning book offers a magical journey through Fellini's compelling universe. The career of Federico Fellini lasted for forty years and made him perhaps the most illustrious of all the filmmakers to have come out of Italy. Those forty years saw the appearance of titles that have carved out a permanent niche in the memory of generations of film lovers. Fellini, a richly illustrated book written and edited by Sam Stourdzé, Director of the Musée de l'Elysée in Lausanne (Switzerland), taps into the sources of his fertile imagination and brings the vital power of his work into the limelight providing insight into the obsessions and motivations of the man behind La Strada, La Dolce Vita and 8¿.This book and the exhibition aim to reveal the universe of the filmmaker and the sources of his rich imagination, and to highlight the essential power of his work. The story of Fellini's themes and obsessions is, twenty years after his death, told by movie stills, set photos and his drawings, as well as by archive material and posters.The fantasy world of Cinecittà, the studio where Fellini made so many of his films, is revealed through previously unseen behind-the-scenes pictures that were taken by photographers such as Gideon Bachmann, Deborah Beer, Pierluigi Praturlon and Paul Ronald.The publication includes four main chapters. Popular Culture concentrates on Fellini's many sources of inspiration within the day-to-day popular culture of the time. This includes not only the steadily more prevalent mass media, but also such manifestations as the circus, rock music, cartoons and Catholic or political parades. Fellini at Work shows us the director on the film set, instructing his actors, working together with costume designers, behind the camera, and so on. The City of Women concerns Fellini's most important subject and obsession: Woman, in all her many guises. Finally, Biographical Imagination presents Fellini in the guise of various doppelgangers, each reflecting a different aspect of his personality. Particular attention is given to his ‘Book of Dreams'in which he recorded his dreams in words and drawings. Over The Course Of His Illustrious Forty-year Career, The Italian Filmmaker Federico Fellini (1920-1993) Created A Cinematic Universe That Continues To Enthrall Film Aficionados And Influence Other Directors. From The Bellowing Strongman In La Strada (1954) To The Anguished Society Reporter In La Dolce Vita (1960) And The Tyrannical Whip-wielding Director In 81⁄2 (1963), The Inhabitants Of This Universe Have Risen To The Level Of Archetype. Their Creator, Though, Looms Even Larger In The Cinematic Imagination. This Lushly Illustrated Volume Harnesses The Power Of Images To Evoke The Physical And Imaginative Worlds That He Inhabited. Fellini Traces The Director's Sources, Themes, And Obsessions Through Movie Stills, Drawings, Posters, Photos, And Other Archival Material. Many Of The Images Show Him On Set, Working Behind The Camera Or Collaborating With Actors, Costume Designers, And Others. One Group Of Previously Unpublished Behind-the-scenes Photos Offers A New Perspective On The Fantasy World Of Cinecittà, The Studio Where Fellini Made Many Of His Films. Another Notable Set Of Images Presents The Director's ?book Of Dreams,” In Which He Recorded His Dreams In Words And Drawings. Illuminating Fellini's Unique Take On Twentieth-century Culture And Mass Media, These Striking Documents Combine To Reveal The Essential Power Of His Work. Twenty Years After Fellini's Death, Fellini Adds A New Dimension To Our Understanding Of A Visual And Thematic Universe That Had A Profound Impact On The Development Of Film As An Art Form?and On The Imaginations Of So Many Viewers. Title Contents Preface The Parade of Images Popular Culture Caricatures, juvenilia Caricatures, juvenilia The photo-novel Mandrake the Magician The voyage of Mastorna Parades Diners The circus Grotesques Casting sessions Paparazzi Look-alikes The Temptations of Doctor Antonio Mock advertisements Fellini at Work The scriptwriters The costumes Behind the camera Directing actors Studio 5 The helicopter The City of Women Fellini, Catholic filmmaker? Female obsessions Anita Ekberg Anna Magnani All about posters Prostitutes Casanova Fellini and his double The myth of the fountain Masina and Fellini Biographical Imagination Visions The Book of Dreams Fellini Superstar Notes Selected bibliography Chronology Filmography Illustration credits Acknowledgements Fellini unravels the universe of Federico Fellini, one of the most image-defining masters of post-war Italian cinema.