::: A Tribute to Sergio Leone :::

Sergio Leone. Cinema, Cinema

Direction
Carles Prats

Director:
Manel Mayol

Script:
Joan Ferrer

Producers:
Sara Gibbings
Mamen Boué

Spain 2002
105' / BETA SP

It goes without saying that Sergio Leone is one of the greatest names in the history of cinema. However for years, perhaps even today, his work has been misunderstood. Fortunately books such as Noel Simsolo´s conversations or Sir Christopher Frayling´s biography, offer invaluable insights into the films of the Roman director, facilitating a deeper appreciation of his work. Documentaries by Luca Verdone and Gianni Minà also enhance the range of information available.
In 1999 when we decided to produce a new documentary about Sergio Leone, this time a Spanish production, we had two main aims. Firstly, we wanted to pay homage to the director who converted Almería into the focus of the European Western. Secondly and perhaps most importantly, we wanted to examine in depth the incredible talent of the man who was able to successfully combine the most diverse cinematographic traditions, whilst at the same time knowing how get the very best out of all the essential elements of a production: actors, music, script, artistic direction, editing...
Clear proof of this are the sensational careers of Clint Eastwood and Ennio Morricone as a result of their work with Leone.
The title Sergio Leone. Cinema, Cinema makes reference to Leone´s very own concept of cinema: cinema built upon cinema. Leone imposed his own cinematic vision on films that he had already seen but wanted to remake in his own style. For that reason the documentary begins with a quote from the director himself, "When I was a little boy I honestly believed that my father had invented cinema" in conjunction with the opening sequence of "For a Few Dollars More" in which we hear, but cannot see, Leone pretending to be a gunfighter.

The documentary can be divided into three parts:

1. Sergio Leone´s initial projects through to the unexpected success of "For a Fistful of Dollars"
2. The "Dollar trilogy". Leone´s films become progressively more complicated as shown in his later film, "Once Upon a Time in the West".
3. Leone as an unstoppable perfectionist, needing an age to complete the extraordinary "Once Upon a Time in America", and the arduous preparation of the film he never shot, "Leningrad".

During two years of production, interviews carried out in Italy, Spain, Great Britain and Germany illustrate both the public and private sides of Sergio Leone. As the documentary does not attempt to offer a chronological analysis of each of his films but rather aims to paint a portrait of Sergio Leone, the person, the creator, a lot of fascinating material has been left out. Perhaps next time...

This project would not have been made possible without the kind and generous collaboration of Carla Leone.

The documentary includes interviews with Carla Leone, Tonino Delli Colli, Sir Christopher Frayling, Sergio Donati, Luca Verdone, Conrado San Martin, Alessandro Alessandroni, Fernando Di Leo, Gianni Garko, Julio Sempere, Marianne Kock, Carlo Leva, Florestano Vanzini, Ennio Morricone, Carlo Sebastiani, Carlos Aguilar, Carlo Lizzani, Luis Beltrán, Aldo Sambrell, Juan Fernández, Marisa Sebastiani, Dario Argento, Luca Morsella y Gabriella Pescucci.