Hello Monaco #11 Spring 2021 | Page 44

WORDS OF WISDOM IN MONACO
© WebStudio06
Ezio Greggio and actor Michael Madsen at the 16 th MCFF , 2019
We think that through humour you show the reality and life of a country .
© Ezio Greggio
Ezio Greggio and actress Monica Bellucci at the 14 th MCFF , 2017
There are countries with great traditions around comedies , like Italy , France and Spain . We show movies from Russia , Israel , China , Japan and Africa . Probably it is not so easy to see them here in Europe . It ’ s great to show the way how writers and directors , producers and actors from different countries imagine a story .
© Rosanna Calò
Ezio Greggio , producer Nick Vallelonga and Laurent Anselmi , Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Principality , at the 17 th MCFF , 2020
: What do you expect from the 2021 edition ?
EG : The Festival with the 18th edition will become a ‘ grown-up ’! Comedy will be again the revered Queen of the Festival . Drink a toast to that . And on Saturday the 5th of June I will run an unforgettable Gala of the Awards .
: Does it mean that the Monte-Carlo Comedy Film Festival has given comedies a chance to assert themselves internationally as a serious genre ?
EG : When we started , no festival opened their doors to comedies , now , from Venice to Cannes , they award comedies every year . In the last 2 – 3 years , movies from our festival won prestigious awards in Europe . As of last year we added the short category . There is a section which selects short movies and after we present it to the juries .
: How do you work on the program for the festival ? How do you select the movies ?
EG : It starts the day after we finish the previous edition . Our festival has a very broad concept in our approach to comedies : we have romantic comedies , and sometimes dramatic ones . Every year we have 100 – 200 movies from all around the world to see . We try to show different viewpoints from different countries . We think that through humour you show the reality and life of a country .
It ’ s absolutely much easier to make people cry , than to make people laugh .
: Was there a moment in your life that completely changed it ?
EG : I started to do this job because of Jean- Paul Belmondo . When I was 18 I was on a scholastic tour in Paris . I saw a film crew with a lot of people and Jean-Paul Belmondo . I spent all day there with some toast and Coca Cola in my hands ! My passion began there . So when I shared it after some years with him , Jean-Paul Belmondo ’ s answer was : ‘ Now I myself feel guilty !’
: You are famous not only because of comedies . You also took part in dramas , like the movie ‘ Il papà di Giovanna ’. Is it easier to play a dramatic role or a comedy role ?
EG : It ’ s absolutely much easier to make people cry , than to make people laugh . Cry is
42 / Hello Monaco Spring 2021 www . hellomonaco . com