He revealed the secret of his masterpiece: 'I thought about it for 11 years'

The 69-year-old director, who said that the foundations of Cennet Sinema were laid in his mind even while he was making his first film Il Camorrista, said, “I just thought about this story for 11 years.” He stated that when he started writing the script that he had been shaping in his mind for many years, he felt that everything was almost complete. He stated that as a result, a script that was completed in just 2.5 months emerged.

Tornatore also shared candid anecdotes about his childhood memories and his first contact with cinema during a special screening at the festival. Growing up in a small town in Sicily, Tornatore said that when he was 6 or 7 years old, he was fascinated by the giant faces on the movie screen and asked, “Where do these people come from?”

This curiosity led him to become friends with the projectionist of the local movie theater and to explore the cinema industry. Tornatore, who stated that he learned photography along with technical knowledge during this period, started to go to school and work as a projectionist when he was 14.

'FICTION IS A VERY IMPORTANT JOB'

“Editing is a very important job,” said the master director, emphasizing that young filmmakers should not focus on a single area: “Learn editing in particular. Because editing is very, very important in cinema.” Tornatore stated that even today, he continues to edit most of his films himself, and that he sees this process as an inseparable part of his creativity.

Tornatore is known to moviegoers not only for his Paradise Cinema, but also for his unforgettable films such as The Suspect (Una pura formalità), The Best Offer (La migliore offerta) and Malena.