TO exactly one year from death by Oliviero Toscanithe world of culture celebrates an author who was able to transform the photographic shot into civil responsibility, provocation, art. January 13th on Sky Arte the documentary arrives Whoever loves me follow mean intense work that explores the life and thoughts of one of the most influential photographers of the twentieth century. The project will be presented today with a special screening at the Maxxi auditorium in Romemarking a moment of reflection on the legacy of an artist who shook the collective imagination.
“Whoever loves me follow me”: the manifesto by Oliviero Toscani
The title chosen for the work takes up the famous e controversial slogan launched by Toscani in 1973 for the campaign of Jesus Jeans. That phrase, «Whoever loves me should follow me»accompanied by the image of the famous shorts, immediately became a national case, attracting criticism and complaints, but definitively establishing the role of photographer as cultural agitator. Today, that warning becomes the leitmotif of a story that seeks to explore not only the public career and great advertising successes, but also the philosophical thought and artistic legacy left by the photographer.
Self-portrait by Oliviero Toscani (© oliviero_toscani)
The treasure of the private archive
The documentary film, directed by Fabrizio Spuccheswas born from a collaboration lasting over ten years between the director and the photographer. Spucches ordered and gave life to an immense private archive made up of images, videos and materials never seen beforetransforming them into a close dialogue between teacher and student. This is not a simple celebratory biography, but an intimate journey that restores the complexity of a man capable of impacting the collective imagination, bringing to light the lesser-known side of a professional who has never stopped observing the world with a critical and non-conformist eye.
Exceptional testimonies and glances
The story is enriched by the voices of those who shared creative battles and visions of the world with him. International icons of the caliber of Patti Smith and Luciano Benettontogether with Fran Lebowitz, Nicolas Ballario and Jean-Charles de Castelbajacoffer exceptional points of view on a figure who considered art an instrument of absolute freedom. Whoever loves me follow me it not only celebrates the past, but invites the viewer to question itself about power of images in contemporary societyconfirming that Oliviero Toscani’s teaching remains a living and necessary source for interpreting our time.
Patti Smith portrayed by Oliviero Toscani (© oliviero_toscani)
Oliviero Toscani: where and when to see the documentary
The main appointment with the film Whoever loves me follow me is scheduled for the first evening of January 13th on Sky Arteat 9.15 pm. The film, a Sky Original production, will be available exclusively on the satellite channel, but for those who prefer viewing on the move it will also be possible to follow it streaming only on NOW or retrieve it at any time in the on demand section. This distribution allows us to rediscover, one year after his death, the complexity of an author who challenged every visual convention of the twentieth century.
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