18/07/2002 - My name is Tanino by Paolo Virzì won't be shown at Locarno because of the producer's debts

Paolo Virzi´s new film, My name is Tanino is being held hostage. It was certain to be shown at the Locarno Festival: the event´s director, Irene Bignardi wanted it to be screened in the Piazza Grande. But in the end she had to give up the idea, the film isn´t ready. «In fact it doesn´t even exist» says the film´s director. We caught up with him at the seaside with his daughter. And he didn´t hide his upset: «I´m depressed, but there´s very little I can do. We have to pay the film lab, to finish the copy as they say. But the producer, Cecchi Gori, won´t do it. Everything has stopped and I haven´t spoken to him again, I don´t talk to anyone about the production.". In the meantime the negotiations, which had already started with Medusa, are also blocked. The company had intended to take the film to be distributed and it was even ready to pay off the debts which are stopping the film´s release. But it appears that the Florentine tycoon has already failed to turn up to two scheduled meetings regarding the price and he´s asked for a percentage of box office returns as well as money to cover expenditure.
The upshot of all this is that the film is being held up, crushed under the collapse of a cinematographic empire, which naturally also involves other Italian authors. In the meantime, Virzì is writing a new film.