Jan. 13 - "I was looking for the great beauty but I have not found it," says Jep Gambardella, the journalist who moves between culture and social life in Rome portrayed by Toni Servillo. The film directed and written by Paolo Sorrentino sees actors Servillo, Carlo Verdone, Sabrina Ferilli, Isabella Ferrrari, Iaia Forte and Carlo Buccirosso join forces for an unusual masterpiece that is able to bewitch, captivate and enchant audiences worldwide. Released in Italian cinemas on May 21 and presented at the 66^th Cannes Film Festival, the film won over the European public before arriving at the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills yesterday. Here, Paolo Sorrentino has once again received a big round of applause as his movie received the award for Best Foreign Language Film at the 71^st Annual Golden Globe Awards. The award is handed out by the critics of the foreign press accredited in Hollywood; the last Italian to receive the prestigious award was Cinema Paradico by Giuseppe Tornatore in 1989. Sorrentino thanked the actors, the producers, and his wife, before thanking Italy, “a very strange but beautiful country.” The Golden Globes have always been considered an important indicator for the following Academy Awards. The quintet of official candidates for Best Foreign Film will be released on January 16, but in the meantime Italy can still dream. "Italian cinema is still a protagonist on the international scene. I had the honor to see and appreciate this wonderful film in Cannes, along with the director and the cast. I am convinced that it is necessary to bet on our cultural industry, on the quality and professionalism that have always distinguished us in this area," comments the Minister of Culture, Massimo Bray, as he compliments the director and cast on their win. "I would like address my warmest congratulations to Paolo Sorrentino. The triumph of 'The Great Beauty' at the Golden Globes is a source of deep pride for our country, and in particular Rome, portrayed in all its extraordinary charm and contradictions," added the Mayor of Rome, Ignazio Marino. The film was produced by Indigo Film in collaboration with Medusa Film. In Los Angeles, it ran in the same category as “Blue is the Warmest Color” by Abdellatif Kechiche, "The Hunt" by Thomas Vinterberg, "The past" by Asghar Farhadi and "The wind rises" by Hayao Miyazaki. The film - created and written by Sorrentino and Umberto Contarello - was entirely filmed in Rome. The main character is the city itself as seen through the eyes of journalist Jap Gambardella, a man disappointed by the present who lives in the memories of his youth. The character says in the movie: "the most surprising discovery I had after turning sixty-five is that I can no longer waste time doing things that I don’t want to do."

PAOLO SORRENTINO

Paolo Sorrentino was born in Naples on March 31, 1970. His career in the film industry began as a writer for TV, with the series "La Squadra." His silver screen director’s debut came in 2001 with "L’Uomo in Più," which he also wrote, starring Toni Servillo. The film screened at the 58^th Venice Film Festival and was nominated for 4 Nastri d'Argento, earning Sorrentino the Rai International Award for best screenplay. His second production was "Le Conseguenze dell’Amore," which also starred Servillo, and competed at the Cannes Film Festival in 2004, and later won 5 David di Donatello and 4 Nastri d'Argento. Cannes showcased his "L’Amico di Famiglia" in 2006 (Nastro d'Argento for best subject) and "Il Divo" in 2008, which won the Jury Prize. His first English language film, "This must be the place" stars Sean Penn in the title role and was presented in competition at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival.