28 March 2024

Thursday, 14:30

ORNELLA MUTI: "I AM PROUD TO HAVE BEEN INVITED TO AZERBAIJAN"

The star of world cinema is delighted with her visit to Baku

Author:

01.06.2012

I don't think there can be anyone around who doesn't know her. She is incredibly beautiful and charming. Her eyes draw you to her like a magnet and she has a dazzling figure. It is hard to believe that this world-famous woman is standing right there next to you. She is a symbol of the Italian cinema. You want to keep staring at her. This is her - Ornella Muti. It is hard to imagine that she is here in Baku, but she is. She chats, smiles, is happy to talk and is even a little embarrassed.

Yes, it is hard to imagine stars of this scale being shy, but Ornella Muti lowers her head coyly each time she answers an embarrassing question. That's greatness for you. You had to admire the fact that the star would not allow herself to answer journalists' questions sitting down, because the room in which the meeting with the representatives of the press was held was not big enough to seat all those who were there. Ornella chatted with the journalists standing up. She talked about Azerbaijan and "Eurovision" and about her fantastic welcome in Baku, a city where she was "too thrilled for words" to be in.

It was at the end of the 1970s when Ornella Muti was overcome by staggering success. It was not just her inimitable Mediterranean beauty and individuality that placed her on a pedestal of the world film industry, but also her outstanding skill as an actress. She is popular not just in her own country, but also in France, Germany, Spain, Brazil and even China. In the CIS countries she is better known for her films with Adriano Celentano. Her "CV" includes about 100 films and dozens of series. Among her many awards are the Nastro d'Argento, which she received in 1988 and 1989, and also her last award - the Grolla d'Oro or "Oscar" which crowned her career in 1998.

In the capital people could hardly wait to meet this diva of the cinema. And although world stars are no longer a rarity in Azerbaijan, meeting a legend of the world cinema like Ornella Muti was worth its weight in gold. The news that the Italian guest was coming to Baku was kept a secret, but news leaked out and many of her fans came to meet Ornella Muti face-to-face and get her treasured autograph. Region Plus was also able to ask the diva a few questions.

- Is it true that one jeweller's shop in Italy devoted one of its collections to the colour of your eyes?

- (smiling) The colour of my eyes is aquamarine and the aquamarine stone suits me according to my sign of the Zodiac. I really love this stone. The jeweller you are talking about often uses this stone in his collections.

- You are a symbol of beauty for many women all over the world. What does it mean to be a beautiful woman, in other words, an icon of charm and style, a symbol of feminine beauty?

- (lowering her head, she looks to one side and sighs) Well, you know, beauty does not last for ever! Of course, I love to hear compliments towards me, but this doesn't mean that my appearance is perfect. I am always looking for faults in myself and I always strive for perfection…I think all women are the same. Beauty is relative: every woman has it to one degree or another. All the things you have mentioned are very subjective. I believe that each person's inner life gives out a light and it is this light that we call beauty. Today my face is altering not for the better. And when I see around me changes which are not for the best I try to console myself by thinking that this is life, that's the way it is. I try to find a kind of balance and this gives me confidence and calm. At the same time, I don't smoke, I try to sleep as much as I can and I work out every day on a special programme designed for me. I think each one of us knows what's good for us and what's bad.

- You have taken part in all kinds of films, including American. Is there a difference between the Italian and American cinema?

- Yes, of course. The American cinema is an industry. The Italian cinema is a combination of intellect, spirituality, culture and art. Anyway, I believe that an actor must always be an actor, and a good actress must always perform well what ever cinema she is working for.

- Who do you get along with better socially - men or women?

- In my relationships I value, first and foremost, naturalness, whether it is a man or a woman. I have many friends, men and women. But you have to be wary with many women.

- Your mother comes from Estonia originally, and your father from Naples. What does it mean to grow up in a family where the parents belong to quite different cultures?

- Yes, you're right, they are quite different cultures. With us, with two sisters, our father was strict in the true Neapolitan way, whereas mother taught us inner freedom. On the whole our family was a liberal one. I believe this synthesis has helped us a great deal in life.

- You are not only a well-known actress, but also the happy mother of three children and even a grandmother. A busy schedule of films and travelling obviously doesn't enable you to spend as much time with your folks as you would like…

- Nevertheless they are a huge part of my life. My relationship with my children comes first. These are the most beautiful words - "a happy mother". And I am happy to be able to say that about myself. But I should point out that being a mother is hard and being the mother of three children is very hard. But it doesn't matter who you are - an actress, a businesswoman or a housewife. To see your children suffer when something is wrong is awful. I'm fine when everything is fine with my children. I want to be a good mother or even a better one.

- You also have your own jewellery collection. One of the jewels is an interlocking bracelet with the inscription "Free me if you love me". What do you mean by that?

- I wanted to use this expression to sing a hymn to love and freedom which is acquired through give and take, strength of feelings and freedom through love. "Free me if you love me", or how to discover freedom and strength through love. The strength to overcome yourself, to love, but not belong, to create my own collection of jewels having turned into a reality a dream which has lived within me for many years. But I have only produced one collection of jewels and I no longer pursue this.

- What are your impressions of Baku and "Eurovision" and who did you support in the contest?

- Baku is just a fantastic city and I am very grateful to have been invited here. I was absolutely delighted by the fantastic hospitality of the people of Baku. I am very grateful for the terrific welcome I got when I arrived in Azerbaijan. Baku is an incredibly beautiful city, and judging by the photographs of old Baku which I was shown, as well as the guides' stories, it has changed a great deal. It has become a modern, industrial city in a very short period of time, and that's amazing. I would like to thank everyone for their incredible welcome, and I am proud to have been invited to Azerbaijan. As far as "Eurovision" is concerned, the competition was beautifully organized and like a fairy tale. I was particularly impressed by the Crystal Hall. Oh, of course, I voted for Italy. 



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