Fellini: I'm a Born Liar (2002)
"Fellini: Je suis un grand menteur" (original title)

A look at Fellini's creative process. In extensive interviews, Fellini talks a bit about his background and then discusses how he works and how he creates. Several actors, a producer, a ... See full summary »

Director:

Damian Pettigrew

Writers:

Damian Pettigrew (scenario), Olivier Gal (scenario)

Stars:

Roberto Benigni, Luigi 'Titta' Benzi, Italo Calvino

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview:
Roberto Benigni	...	Himself / La Voce della Luna
Luigi 'Titta' Benzi	...	Himself / Ami d'enfance
Italo Calvino	...	Himself / Ecrivain
Dante Ferretti	...	Himself / Chef décorateur
Rinaldo Geleng	...	Himself / Peintre
Tullio Pinelli	...	Himself / Scénariste
Giuseppe Rotunno	...	Himself / Directeur de la photographie
Terence Stamp	...	Himself / Toby Dammit
Donald Sutherland	...	Himself / Casanova
Daniel Toscan du Plantier	...	Himself / Producteur
Federico Fellini	...	Himself

Storyline

A look at Fellini's creative process. In extensive interviews, Fellini talks a bit about his background and then discusses how he works and how he creates. Several actors, a producer, a writer, and a production manager talk about working with Fellini. Archive footage of Fellini and others on the set plus clips from his films provide commentary and illustration for the points interviewees make. Fellini is fully in charge; actors call themselves puppets. He dismisses improvisation and calls for "availability." His sets and his films create images that look like reality but are not; we see the differences and the results.

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Plot Keywords:

puppet | improvisation | archive footage | interview | reality | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Biography

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for some language and sexual content

Details

Country:

France Italy UK

Language:

English Italian French

Release Date:

2 April 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Federico Fellini: I'm a Big Liar

Filming Locations:

Bagnoregio, Viterbo, Lazio, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$8,981 (USA) (4 April 2003)

Gross:

$106,080 (USA) (30 May 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Portrait & Cie, Arte, Tele+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White (archive footage)

Did You Know?

Quotes

Federico Fellini: Spontaneity is the secret of life.

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Connections

Edited from And the Ship Sails On (1983)

User Reviews

A Lobsided Homage

The tyrant at work, masterfully. The poet, the idiosyncratic storyteller. The selfish humanitarian. Yes all of that and more or more or less. Orson Welles said once that Fellini was a monumental artist with very little to say. I think that this portrait of the man confirms it. I loved the anecdotes by Donald Sutherland and in particular by Terence Stamp. I can imagine the shock for English not to mention American actors who need motivations for every tiny little move, having to do with a puppeteer that demands total obedience. That's why, I imagine, Fellini never made an American film. No, Cinecitta was his world, the only world he could really manipulate in his own, dream like, kind of magic. Personally I love his movies before he was Fellini, before "8 1/2". I revisit "La Dolce Vita" and "The Nights Of Cabiria" very often and they are always reinvigorating and extraordinary. Long live Fellini, wherever he is.