Gucci has been working with Martin Scorcese’s Film Foundation on the restoration of classic cinematic films for nearly five years, and today they announced that they would extend that partnership. The cost? An additional donation of $900,000. The funds will go toward restoring two Italian classics: Il Gattopardo (1963) and La Dolce Vita (1960). With the addition of these two films, Gucci has donated a total of $1.5 million to The Film Foundation. The other films the fashion house has helped to restore include A Woman Under the Influence in 2006, Le Amiche in 2007, Wanda in 2008, and Senso in 2009.
Frida Giannini, Gucci’s creative director, said, “Gucci has a long history with film dating back to the late 1940’s, and we are proud to support the work of Martin Scorcese and The Film Foundation to keep these vibrant, timeless films alive. Through preservation, the legacy of visionary filmmakers like Luchino Visconti and Federico Fellini can continue to inspire us, as well as future generations.”
Il Gattopardo will debut its newly restored 4K digital restoration—which was executed at Sony’s Colorworks Digital Facility through partnerships with Cineteca di Bologna, L’Immagine Ritrovata, The Film Foundation, Pathé, Fondation Jérôme Seydoux-Pathé, Twentieth Century Fox, and Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia-Cineteca Nazionale—at the 63rd Cannes Film Festival on May 14. Founder and chair of The Film Foundation, Martin Scorcese, will introduce the film, which originally premiered at Cannes in 1963. “Gucci deserves our deepest gratitude for its ongoing commitment to the restoration of works like Il Gattopardo and La Dolce Vita. Visconti and Fellini are filmmakers whose impact on cinema has been enormous, and both these films are as powerful today as when they were first released,” said Martin Scorcese.
Following the world premiere of the film in its restored state, Frida Giannini, along with Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter, will host an exclusive dinner at the Hotel du Cap. The dinner will be followed by a party in honor of Mr. Scorcese and the 20th anniversary of The Film Foundation.
