After premieres at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios and New York’s Lincoln Center, Oscar winner Giuseppe Tornatore’s documentary drama “Brunello: The Elegant Seer,” about Italian fashion designer Brunello Cucinelli, known as the “King of Cashmere,” begins its world tour, with Shanghai International Airport as its next stop. Film festival.
Combining interviews, archival footage and re-enactments, the elegant film chronicles Cucinelli’s rise from a farmer’s son to creative director and executive chairman of a global luxury lifestyle brand with a market capitalization of more than $7.8 billion. Brunello: The Elegant Visionary will be released in theaters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland on July 24th, followed by more than 10 international territories.
“The Gracious Visionary” depicts key moments in Cucinelli’s career, showcasing his passion for Italian craftsmanship and his commitment to a concept he calls “humanitarian capitalism,” in which every stitch in the garments his company makes is made in Italy, mostly in his hometown. Now beloved by celebrities and tech CEOs, Cucinelli works to ensure factory workers are paid a fair wage and feel like family. He completely renovated the Italian village of Solomeo, where his headquarters are located.
Saul Nanni, who made his big break with “Love & Gelato,” plays a young Cucinelli in the documentary film produced by Brunello Cucinelli SpA and Macifilm in collaboration with RAI Cinema, featuring music by Oscar-winning composer Nicola Piovani (“Life is Beautiful”).
Earlier this year, Variety traveled to Solomeo to meet Mr. Cucinelli and visit the company’s headquarters, where employees are treated like family and overtime is prohibited.
Cucinelli replaced Tornatore in the documentary category for “Gracious Visionary” at Italy’s Taormina Film Festival on Friday at an awards ceremony in a large outdoor ancient Greek amphitheater in a Sicilian resort in the shadow of Sicily’s active volcano Mount Etna.
In Taormina, Variety spoke to Cucinelli about bringing the documentary to China, where he thought his mantra of “human capitalism” could resonate.
What do you think about this work soon being distributed all over the world?
Well, yesterday we decided to prepare prints in 16 languages (some with dubbing, others only with subtitles). But my voice will never be dubbed. Giuseppe said, “I’m going to dub everyone except Brunello with Cab. Otherwise, you’ll miss some of the narrative decisions I made. You’ll lose the nuance of the movie.”
After premiering “Brunello: The Elegant Seer” in Rome’s Cinecittà Studio and in New York, you are preparing for a screening at Shanghai International Airport. Film festival. What do you think about bringing the philosophy of humanistic capitalism to China in this film?
The first thing I have to point out is that I owe where I am today to that part of the world. I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without the cashmere I get from Mongolia (a fully independent country with a history of ties to China). Also, believe it or not, I study Chinese culture. Fra Giovanni da Pian del Carpine, a medieval Italian Franciscan friar and explorer, went to Mongolia (as a papal ambassador) in 1244. He was born 10 kilometers away from where I was born. So the idea is for Franciscans to go to Mongolia and build a bridge. I first went to China in 1989 and started doing business with China. I’ve always looked at them in that light because they’re very good businessmen.
Yes, but how does your philosophy of humanistic capitalism fit in with China?
I have to tell you that I received a very moving invitation from the Shanghai Film Festival. They praised the film’s beauty and deep commitment to cultural heritage. You can see how this movie reflects the Chinese way of thinking. Cultural values such as achieving harmony between cultures. and slow, gradual (economic) growth. I’m not going to go into their methodology. But the values are there. When it comes to young people in China, this film allows us to see the potential for young people to find their own path more freely. I think there are quite a few things that can be learned from that.
As you yourself have said, this work is not only about your personal heritage, but also part of your marketing efforts. Have you noticed that the image of the Brunello Cucinelli brand is starting to change?
Well, I think young people, new generations, before they buy something, they look into how it’s made. Did you cause damage to the environment? and so on. This is exactly the same as St. Francis’ view of creation (the idea that nature should not be exploited by humans). The other day, a big American executive came to my home in Solomeo for lunch and said: “Can I watch that movie?” So I sent it to him. The next day I received an email saying that he and his wife were very impressed with the piece. I think this brand represents Italian manufacturing. Our products represent Italian artisanal manufacturing, as 65% of them are handmade. However, we also take a different approach to the relationship between labor and corporate growth. I think a new world order is coming. I also believe that we are now in the Chinese century.
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