Barilli, Francesco

Born into a family of artists (the grandson of the artist Cecrope Barilli, 1839–1911). He was greatly influenced by the bohemian environment in his childhood. In his youth he traveled a lot, lived in London, cities of Turkey. He started his career as an actor. At twenty years old, in 1963 , Francesco Barilli played a small role in Antonio Pietrangeli’s film “La Parmigiana”. The following year, Bernardo Bertolucci chose him as the leading actor in his first film , Before the Revolution . The young hero, under the influence of his friend who believed in the need for revolution, breaks with the bride, imposed on him by the bourgeois family, and enters into contact with the rebellious-minded sister of the mother. Gradually, he realizes the futility of his rebellion and decides to return to the bosom of a bourgeois family. Subsequently, Barilli recalled that Bertolucci, so that he got into the role and felt the moods and experiences of his hero, made him read the poems of Pier Paolo Pasolini ^[1] . In 1966, played a major role in the short film "L'urlo" directed by Camillo Bazzoni, nominated in the nomination "Best Short Film" at the Golden Palm branch of the Cannes Film Festival . In 1992, Francesco Barilli played a major role in the film “Sabato italiano”, and in 1993 in the film Mauro Bologoni “La famiglia Ricordi”. In 2012, he played a major role in the crime film “La casa nel vento dei morti” directed by Francesco Campanini. In 2013, this film won the Gold Remi Award at the Houston Independent Film Festival .

In 1968, Francesco Barilli acted as an assistant director on the films Camillo Bazzoni "Vivo per la tua morte" and "Commando suicida". In 1968, the director shot his debut short film Nardino sul Po.

In 1974, Francesco Barilli shot a full-length film in the giallo genre “The Flavor of the Ladies in Black” (“Il profumo della signora in nero” ^[2] ) with starring Mimzie Farmer , inspired by Roman Polyansky 's “Baby Rosemary” ^[3] . The young heroine of the film grows cold to her fiancé; strange hallucinations associated with forgotten images of the past begin to visit her. An integral attribute of these hallucinations is a woman in a black dress, her mother (for whose death she is guilty), and a little girl who is like her in childhood. None of her neighbors and friends notice her visions (or pretends not to notice), which leads to tragic events ... Initially, the film caused a sharply negative assessment (the Freudian setting of the authors and the scene of cannibalism in the final film) caused a special reproach recognized as one of the masterpieces of the genre.

In 1977, Francesco Barilli made a film giallo “Pension Fear” (“Pensione paura”) with Leonora Fani and Francisco Rabal in the lead roles. The film was shot on Lake Bracciano in exquisite landscapes . The film takes place at the end of World War II in a decayed hotel. After the unexpected death of the mother, the young heroine of the film tries to take over the management of the hotel, but is at the mercy of the guests who are distraught by impunity.

In 1991, starring, with the participation of Sergio Bini, the introduction of “Il Casanova del Marecchio” (“Casanova of the River Marecchio”) and the final apocalyptic episode “The Wooden Churches” (“Le chiese di legno”) of the anthology “Especially on Sundays” (“La domenica specialmente ”). He continued to shoot short films (he made more than 10 of them). From 1994 to 1996, Francesco Barilli directed documentary films for Geo & Geo and Raitre. In 2014, his documentary on the image of Parma in cinema was presented at the Venice Film Festival ^[4] .

“The Red Chairs” is a story about Francesco Barilli’s past. He goes to the mansion, where they filmed "Before the Revolution", and tells about the work on the "Flavor of the Lady in Black". In his words there is a bit of sad humility with an unfolding career, he says that today he loves to make documentary films most of all ... Barilli is trying to finish the film on an optimistic note, because in Parma there are still many directors, but the shots from their work match the huge one built in the city multiplex " ^[5] .

In 2002, he shot a comedic miniseries for TV "Giorni da Leone", and in 2006-2008 its continuation - "Giorni da Leone 2" (4 episodes).

The son of the director - a failed musician (played rap ), works as a cook.

The best films of the director are not classic giallo, to a greater extent they resemble a gothic film, which is transferred to the 20th century , or a thriller ^[6] . Films are like a nightmare and amaze with their gloomy beauty. Blue and violet colors prevail, it helps the director to create a hypnotic atmosphere. Action, murder and erotica in the director's films almost none.

Close to the movies and his paintings. They are characterized by visions arising from the relationship of a person with the surrounding landscape, incomprehensible, animated by secret fantasies; any objects are transformed into magical amulets - tools for transforming the ordinary into an extraordinary reality in a dream.

Since 1963, Barilli has alternated film work with painting, which has become one of his main occupations. He presented his work at numerous exhibitions in Italy. Among them:

• Cinematografo , 1994
• Animalia , 1995
• Acqua 1996
• Antologica (Parma, 2004)
• Parma, "la Galleria Sant'Andrea" ^[7] , 2010

• Barrilli is disappointed in modern Italian cinema. The only noteworthy director of modern Italy is Paolo Sorrentino .

• Helga Marsala. Dal cinema alla pittura, collezionando visioni. Francesco Barilli, a tutta vista: una personale a Collecchio, inseguendo nuove immagini mentali. Tra ironia, inquetudine e spirito naïf. Artribune.

• Paintings by Francesco Barilli. Artribune.
• Francesco Barilli on the Internet Movie Database