The heads of the statues from Mt. Nemrut was a surprise at the event.
Italy-based Turkish filmmaker Ferzan Özpetek’s production of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Aida” played Thursday at the opening of the 74th annual Maggio Musicale Fiorentino music festival in Italy, winning the recognition of audiences.
This year’s Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festival is dedicated to the 150th anniversary of Italy’s political union.
The production of “Aida” marked the first time a Turk had directed an opera at the festival and tickets were sold out days before the performance, produced by Özpetek with Indian maestro Zubin Mehta.
Many guests from Turkey, including Turkish Ambassador to Rome Hakkı Akil and his wife, İnci Akil, attended the event. The couple viewed the opera with Italian Culture Minister Giancarlo Galan, Florence Gov. Paolo Padoin and the city’s mayor, Matteo Renzi.
“As a Turk, I am proud of witnessing Özpetek’s success,” Akil said following the event, adding that the director had saved “Aida” from its dark situation. “There was a very different direction. All people I talked after the opera said that Özpetek had brought a new and brighter interpretation to ‘Aida,’” he said.
The ambassador added that the use of the heads of statues from Mt. Nemrut in Adıyaman, Turkey, was also a nice surprise.
Famous Turkish graphic designer Emrah Yüzel, who also attended the event, said he was not an opera expert but enjoyed it very much. He said Özpetek was called Turkey’s gift to Italian cinema but Italy’s returning of this gift was more important.
“What is Italy doing? It is also opening doors for this person in other fields. This is very important,” he said. “But what Turkey is doing for him [Özpetek] should also be questioned.
Ferzan Özpetek, Aida Operası´nı yönetti
İtalya´nın Floransa kentinde düzenlenen 74´üncü Maggio Musicale Fiorentino Festivali´nin açılışı, Ferzan Özpetek´in yönettiği Aida operasıyla yapıldı. Özpetek´in kullandığı Nemrut Dağı´ndaki heykel başları teması çok beğenildi.
Festivalin açılış galası Floransa´daki Teatro Comunale´de yapıldı. Geceye, İtalya Kültür Bakanı Giancarlo Galan´ın yanı sıra moda, sinema ve müzik dünyasından da birçok kişi katıldı.
Dünyaca ünlü Hintli Zubin Mehta´nın orkestra şefliğini yaptığı operanın sanat yönetmenliğini Dante Ferretti yaptı.
Ferzan Özpetek´in, 3 perdelik Aida operasının birçok sahnesine, Mısır´daki Firavun heykellerinin yanında Adıyaman´ın Kahta ilçesindeki Nemrut Dağı´nda bulunan heykel başlarını da koyması beğeni topladı.
Cem Yılmaz´ın da rol alacağı yeni filminin çekimlerine yakın zamanda İtalya´da başlayacağını söyleyen Özpetek, filmin adının "Muhteşem Varlık" olduğunu filmde ayrıca biri İngiliz, diğeri de Fransız olmak üzere iki ünlü aktörün de oynayacağını belirtti.
