Mshortly before his return to TV Roberto Benigni. On 10 December the actor and director will be on Rai 1 with the monologue Peter, a man in the wind, dedicated to the first Apostle of the Church and presented at the Maxxi in Rome on 4 December.
Roberto Benigni: «I’m in love with Pietro»
Roberto Benigni couldn’t be more enthusiastic about this project.
The actor said he was “in love, completely” with the first Apostle, of whom he gives gifts an unprecedented portrait, that of the man before the saint. «A man of flesh and blood, the fishermanthe apostle to whom Jesus said: “To you I entrust my community, my followers, we would say today”. A person, in short, who «He gets angry, acts on impulse, makes mistakes, misunderstands, crieslaughs, falls asleep, suffers, rejoices and is moved.”
Peter and Jesus, «a story of boys»
Roberto Benigni’s Pietro is far from the collective imagination even in terms of appearance. «We imagine him bald with wrinkles, but when he meets Jesus he is more or less his age, This is a story about kids», underlined the actor, who also highlights the fragilities of his new character. «Peter is like us, he lets himself be overwhelmed by fear. Faith is full of fears, doubts. Indeed, he who does not doubt does not have faith. You don’t doubt the Pythagorean theorem, but you can, or rather you must, doubt God.”
Roberto Benigni and Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican. (Photograph by Vatican Media/Catholic Press Photo via IPA).
Benigni and the meeting with Leo XIV
Roberto Benigni’s monologue-show was also appreciated by Pope Leo XIVwho together with the Tuscan comedian saw some excerpts. The meeting, at the Apostolic Palace. «How beautiful, it’s about love», the comment of the Pontiff, who a few weeks ago spoke about Benigni, citing the Life is beautiful among his favorite films. Among others, there are also Life is wonderful by Frank Capra, All together passionately And Common People.
Pope Leo XIV and Roberto Benigni in the Vatican. (VATICAN MEDIA / Catholic Press Photo, via IPA).
And Benigni also spoke about love in the press conference, underlining the importance of demonstrating feelings. «I thought about when, as children, my sisters and I wondered why dad never said to mom “I love you”, but for that generation love wasn’t talked about, it was almost a weakness, especially for men.
And instead it takes courage to talk about love: I love you is an unconditional feeling, he wants everything.” His Peter, a man in the wind, it is also the story of a love, the one that Jesus testifies to the Apostle, reciprocated, who on the cross, upside down, reaffirms it until the end.