The TV movieFolle d'amore - Alda Merini” represents an engaging work produced by Rai Fiction and the Public Service in collaboration with Jean Vigo Italia, with the support of Film Commission Torino Piemonte. This co-production, broadcast Thursday 14 March on Rai 1 in prime time, narrates the extraordinary life of Alda Merini. Masterfully played by Laura Morante and supported by a cast of talented actors such as Federico Cesari, Rosa Diletta Rossi, Giorgio Marchesi, Sofia D'Elia and Mariano Rigillo. The director is Roberto Faenza, who also wrote the screenplay together with Lea Tafuri, with the invaluable consultancy of Arnoldo Mosca Mondadori, Ambrogio Borsani and Professor Paolo Milone.
Folle d'amore, the plot of the TV film on Rai 1
The 2024 Italian television film, directed by Robert Faenza and freely inspired by the book “Why I Lost You” by Vincenza Alfano, narrates the life of the poet Alda Merini. In the beating heart of Milan, along the suggestive Navigli, there is a welcoming apartment, with the door always wide open, attractive to a varied array of personalities: intellectuals, artists, journalists and the simply curious.
This magical place is the home of Alda Merini. A journey into the past takes us to the post-World War II period: Alda is a young teenager with an acute sensitivity and a talent for poetic writing. Despite the lack of family support, Alda persists in hers passion for poetry, which led her to gain recognition in the literary world. Between overwhelming love and family conflicts, Alda finds the strength to recover even in the darkest moments.
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Her life takes a dramatic turn when, after a serious nervous breakdown, she is admitted to a mental hospital for a decade. Her recovery comes thanks to the support of Dr. Enzo Gabrici, who encourages her to resume her poetic activity. She alda, through the power of words, manages to transform pain into art, emerging as one iconic figure of Italian culture.
Widowed and facing new challenges, Alda returns to Milan, where she continues to leave an indelible mark on the contemporary literary panorama, cementing his status as one of the most influential and beloved voices of his time.
Some curiosities
Filming for the film took place over six weeks, from October to November 2022.
Although the events take place mainly in Milan, the city has been faithfully reproduced Torino. The Church of the Spirito Santo, for example, was used instead of the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie al Naviglio, where Alda Merini married Ettore Carniti in 1954.
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Particularly noteworthy was the reconstruction of the Paolo Pini psychiatric hospital in Milano, where Alda spent much of the period from 1961 to 1972, entirely reproduced at the Royal Charterhouse of Collegno.
While watching the film, it is important to pay attention to the nurses who interact with Alda during her period of confinement in the asylum. Among these, there is Vincenza Alfano. With this cameo, the author of “Why I Lost You” embraces Alda Merini in her two dimensions. Both as the woman who inspired her writing, and as her character. It is a significant gesture. A gesture through which you pass the baton to a film you intend to make rediscover Alda Merini in an authentic and stereotype-free way.
