film festival
“Ferrari” in Venice – selfies and a racing car
Adam Driver plays legendary auto mogul Enzo Ferrari. photo
© Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP/dpa
Sleek racing cars are the protagonists in Michael Mann’s new film “Ferrari” – alongside Adam Driver and Patrick Dempsey, who came to the Venice Film Festival for the premiere.
For the premiere of “Ferrari” at the Venice Film Festival, the US actors Adam Driver (39) and Patrick Dempsey (57) gave autographs to numerous fans on the red carpet and took selfies with many people. A historic racing car also stood to the side of the entrance to the Palazzo del Cinema.
According to director Michael Mann, it is the Ferrari 315S with which racing driver Piero Taruffi won the legendary “Mille Miglia” car race in 1957. Enzo Ferrari’s son Piero Ferrari (78), who appears in the film as a child, also appeared on the red carpet.
Enzo Ferrari in trouble
Car racing plays a major role in Mann’s film. “Ferrari” tells the story of the life of the legendary car mogul Enzo Ferrari (1898-1988). In the film he is played by Adam Driver. “Ferrari” takes place in 1957. At this point, the company is in big trouble. In addition, Enzo’s marriage to Laura (played by Penélope Cruz, who did not travel to Venice) is about to end. Last but not least, Ferrari struggles to recognize his illegitimate son.
In order to save his company, Ferrari wants to win the “Mille Miglia” with its racing cars. But then it comes – the story is well known – to a serious accident. In the end, a Ferrari driver (Taruffi played by Dempsey) wins. But at the same time several people die.
Men, cars and roaring engines
“Ferrari” is on the one hand a film about the inner conflicts of a man who cannot cope with the grief over his dead son and who also tries to juggle business and private matters. Above all, however, it is a film about cars that are staged in many races. Audiences watch sleek red Ferraris speed down Italian country lanes and follow men who find happiness in roaring engines.
Incidentally, Driver was not allowed to drive any of the historic racing cars. “They didn’t let me drive the cars for insurance reasons,” he said in Venice. “They didn’t want me to touch the most expensive thing in the movie.”
Dempsey (known from the series “Grey’s Anatomy”) is a racing driver himself in his spare time. He stressed the exhilaration he felt. When racing, you should be careful and “in the moment”. “That’s the beauty of it, that’s addictive, that’s what’s hard to give up. It’s a calm, exhilarating feeling. It’s the way we should live,” he said.