Franco Califano – I won't hold you back is the title of the documentary film dedicated to the great singer-songwriter. The work, created 10 years after his death, will be premiered on October 25, 2024 at 6.30pm Olympic Theatre in the “Freestyle” section of XIX edition of the Rome Film Festival.
I won't hold you back celebrates the life and career of Franco Califanothrough the unpublished testimonies of numerous personalities from the world of entertainment. Among the artists involved are Lele Vannoli, Claudia Gerini, Noyz Narcos, Franco 126, Maurizio Mattiolo. And again, Francesco Rutelli, Barbara Palombelli, Antonello Mazzeo, Alberto Laurenti, Enrico Salvatori, Cinzia Baccini, Antonella D'Agostino, Enrico Giaretta.
Their stories, together with exclusive archive materials, aim to pay a sincere tribute to one of the most beloved and controversial artists on the Italian music scene. I won't hold you back it is proposed as an intimate journey between past and present, telling Franco Califano through his places, his music and the memories of those who knew him.
I won't hold you back, the true meaning of life according to Franco Califano
The film, made by Film line spacing in association with Illmatic Film Groupwas written and directed by Francesca Romana Massaro And Francesco Antonio Mondini. Their stylistic choice was to favor intense close-ups and atmospheres dominated by nocturnal colours. Thus, the environment is evoked Franco Califano he loved. His famous phrase was that he went to sleep five minutes after everyone else, to give himself a few more minutes of life to talk about. Here then is the narration of I won't hold you back develops on a Roman night, suspended between memories and iconic places of the Capital.
The film takes shape from a reflection written by the singer-songwriter in his book “The heart in sex. Book on eroticism, courtship and love written by a “practical” person: “Emotions, shortness of breath and racing heart are the true meaning of life”.
From this perspective, the documentary follows a non-linear narrative path, avoiding traditional chronology. The plot combines significant episodes and themes from the life of the “Caliph”, creating a dynamic and kaleidoscopic tale. The film wants to reveal the man Califanoas well as making his powerful and unmistakable voice heard again.
