American filmmaker Steven Spielberg has joined several other names in the film industry in signing an appeal to save cultural sites in Rome, Italy, that are at risk of becoming "shopping malls."
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The request, addressed to Italian President Sergio Mattarella and the country's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, is led by other great directors of world cinema, such as Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Wes Anderson and Jane Campion, as well as Ari Aster.
To date, the initiative has the support of more than 50 representatives from the world of cinema, such as the Italian-American Isabella Rossellini, nominated for the 2025 Oscar in the category of best supporting actress for her performance in “Conclave”, and the American actor Willem Dafoe.
“As [Italian architect] Renzo Piano eloquently reflects on the current situation in Rome, it is clear that the attempt to convert spaces intended for a possible cultural renaissance of the Eternal City into hotels, shopping centers and supermarkets is completely unacceptable,” says the filmmakers’ appeal, which invites “colleagues from all over the world, festival directors and cultural operators to sign” the letter to save “one of the most important cultural and artistic cities in the world.”
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According to the text, “such a transformation would represent an irreparable loss: a profound sacrilege not only to the city’s rich history, but also to the cultural heritage to be left to future generations.”
In the petition, supporters claim to have a “duty to transform such ‘cathedrals in the desert’ into diverse temples of culture, places capable of nourishing the souls of both current and future generations.” (HANDLE)
