Civitavecchia Celebrates Ettore Scola and His Masterpiece CHE ORA È with a Conference and a Photo Exhibition of the Film

On Thursday, February 13, 2025, the city of Civitavecchia will host a special event to pay tribute to the great director Ettore Scola and his film "What Time Is It", which was entirely filmed in the city back in 1989. This event will commemorate the first take of a film starring Marcello Mastroianni and Massimo Troisi, which brought Civitavecchia into the spotlight of the cinematic world for several weeks.

The day of celebrations will include a conference for students, starting at 10:00 AM at the IIS Stendhal in Civitavecchia, with opening remarks from the principal Maria Federici and city authorities, including Deputy Mayor and Cultural Affairs Councillor Stefania Tinti. Following the introductions, the conference titled:

"Civitavecchia, City of Cinema - What Time Is It - Civitavecchia Pays Tribute to Ettore Scola"

will begin, moderated by Piero Pacchiarotti, president of Civitafilm and organizer of the event with the support of the Municipality of Civitavecchia.

Noteworthy speakers include Fabrizio Barbaranelli, mayor of Civitavecchia from 1983 to 1990, who will discuss the relationship that developed between the film and the city at the time. Graziano Marraffa, President of the Italian Historical Film Archive, will analyze Ettore Scola's exceptional contributions to cinema.

A particularly moving moment will be the screening of the presentation video titled "Civitavecchia, City of Cinema - What Time Is It: A Tribute to Ettore Scola Onstage and On Set", which honors the director through images and interviews, highlighting his choice to set the film in the city.

During the conference, Silvia Scola—director, screenwriter, and daughter of Ettore Scola—will share insights on writing the screenplay for "What Time Is It?". Pino Quartullo, producer, actor, and director of the theatrical adaptation of the film, will discuss the transition of the work from screen to stage. The conference will conclude with remarks from Piero Alessi, Civitavecchia’s Tourism Councillor, and Valentina Di Giovanni, delegate to the Cinema Museum, who will reflect on the film’s legacy and emphasize the importance of film tourism as a driver of economic and cultural development for the city.

The celebrations in honor of Ettore Scola and his film "What Time Is It?" will not end with the conference. At 5:00 PM, a photo exhibition dedicated to the film will be inaugurated at the former Church of San Giovanni di Dio in Piazza Calamatta, in the presence of guests. The exhibition, created in 2011 with support from the Cariciv Foundation and featuring photos graciously provided by the Tursi Archive, will transport the public back to the Civitavecchia of almost 40 years ago through behind-the-scenes images.

The exhibition will also be open on Friday and Saturday until 8:00 PM with free admission, offering an opportunity to rediscover the bond between Civitavecchia and cinema. This relationship dates back to the 1930s, when the city became the set for major film productions. Today, it can be further enhanced through initiatives like this, which celebrate high-quality cinema and promote film tourism as a tool for cultural and economic growth.