Hacking the Afterlife with Fellini, Giulietta, Marcello & Fiammetta

 I had the impression that the great director Federico Fellini stopped by my place a few days ago - so I invited him to come by our class.

Fred and Giulietta

I had studied his films in college, and later when living in Rome there were sightings of him all over the city. Later, I met a number of people who worked with him, including the Roman actress Fiammetta Baralla, the aunt of a fellow film school student Luca Bentivoglio.  I got to know Fiammetta well, and her dog Romeo who was famous in her home town of Roma.

Me and Luana near Via Veneto

As a result, I felt fairly confident that we could chat with Fellini, because Fiammetta knew him, worked with him - and I am a fan of his work, his wife's work - Giulietta Masina - and her work with Anthony Quinn. Some years later I worked with one of his sons Francesco. Once Francesco told me that his dad loved our film "Cannes Man." (For the record, Anthony Quinn was Mexican American as he mentions)

Francesco's dad

So this is a Italian celebrity filled session - Marcello Mastroianni stops by as well... which would be incredible to any fan of Italian cinema, but for many - like Jennifer, they are only vaguely familiar with these icons.  

Ma che fai?

The discussion is fun and lively - given on March 11th, the day before my birthday.  My birthday gift to myself was to have the amazing Jennifer Shaffer access people that I knew about and wished I might one day meet - and they report things that only those on the flipside could know. 

Fiammetta Baralla

La vita e sempre bella with Fiammetta

For example - I asked Fiammetta if she was "met by Romeo" on the flipside - and no one on the planet but me knows that Romeo was a poodle - (and the denizens of Rome and Fiammetta's family) and the most famous poodle in Trastevere at one point. That fact alone - that she said "Is Romeo a dog?" demonstrates her abilities in this field.  Having done this with her for six years, I can't believe how fortunate I am to be able to do so.

Boh!