The celebrated filmmaker, known for his work on We All Loved Each Other So Much (1974) and Sophia Loren’s A Special Day (1977), reveals that he recently axed plans to work on a new project with French actor Gerard Depardieu and is instead calling time on his lengthy career.
In an interview with Italy’s Il Tempo newspaper, he says, “I was about to shoot a film with Depardieu. Everything was ready but in the end I didn’t feel like doing it anymore.
“I didn’t want to become one of those old ladies who wear high heels and lipstick just to keep youthful company.”
And Scola admits the limitations placed on directors by movie studio bosses nowadays had a lot to do with his decision to quit.
He adds, “My experience in the filmmaking world is not what it used to be: easy and happy. There are production and distribution requirements that I can no longer identify with.
“To me it is crucial to retain that freedom of choice, that freedom to give up. I was beginning to play by rules that no longer allowed me to feel free.
“Nowadays, it’s the market that chooses for you. It was always an important factor but there was more space for autonomy. Producers were more willing to experiment and take risks.”
