Article courtesy of the Italian Embassy
Photo credit: Courtesy of the Italian Embassy
What connects a photo of Sharon Stone baking pizza at a restaurant in Piazza Navona, a gown made by Gattinoni inspired by the color of olive oil, the renown Antonio de Curtis – also known as Totò – in Poverty and Nobility, the famous timbal dish prepared for The Leopard, portrayed by Burt Lancaster, and the locally grown creations of the great chef Pietro Parisi? Movie’n’Food – Sapore di Cinema (Savoring Cinema) at the Embassy of Italy in Washington DC to celebrate EXPO Milano 2015.
A fascinating virtual trip through Made in Italy high fashion, cinema and gastronomy, this is the underlying theme of Movie’n’Food a unique event conceptualized and curated by Elisabetta Cantone and Francesca Silvestri of Dress in Dreams and developed with the collaboration of the Embassy of Italy in Washington DC, the Italian Ministry for Economic Development, the Italian Cultural Institute and the ITA – Italian Trade Agency. Many events in one, on September 30th, to mark in the US capital, EXPO Milano 2015 celebrating Italian style, elegance and creativity.
The program will include concurrently two exhibits, a movie and a conference. First, the Couture a la Carte exhibit of gowns inspired by food by the historic Maison Gattinoni fashion house. This exhibit will stay open in the Embassy until October 6. The event continues with photos of the “King of the Paparazzi,” the legendary photographer Rino Barillari, who from the period of the “Dolce Vita” captures the stars of Hollywood.
On this occasion, he will exhibit photos of celebrities “caught in the act” such as director Ron Howard selecting his fish for dinner, Cameron Diaz juggling a huge “gelato,” Bo Derek cooking pasta, and other shots of Richard Gere, Mel Gibson, Jean Paul Belmondo, Antonio Banderas and Liza Minmelli all in the act of interacting with Italian delicacies.
The exhibit will be on view until October 23rd in the Auditorium of the Embassy. Third stop, an inspiring eight minute video that mixes epicurean sequences of cult movies such as: Ratatouille; Les saveurs du Palais (Haute Cuisine); The Hundred-Foot Journey; Eat, Pray Love; Pretty Woman; L’Oro di Napoli (The Gold of Naples); Lady and the Tramp; Il Gattopardo (The Leopard) and Big Night. To conclude, a conference by Pietro Parisi, the 35 year old wizard at the stove trained in the stellar kitchens of Alain Ducasse and Gualtiero Marchesi. His requirements, locally produced “zero mileage” products and no wastage – because in the kitchen everything can be reutilized, from stems to peels to leaves. Parisi will recount his experience of fulfilling the dream of his very own restaurant: Era Ora, in Palma Campania in the province of Naples also revealing a series of recipes that have made him famous worldwide.
“The convergence of various forms of art has often been an inspirational theme in our various cultural initiatives,” commented the Ambassador to Italy in Washington Claudio Bisogniero. “This is because every Italian creation is the fruit of a special human journey which, for millennia, has been generating talent, imagination, ideas and inspiration. On this point, Movie’n’Food, hits the mark and will allow us to enjoy a complete experience. Italian genius in served.”
