Monica Bellucci: “It’s very important to me that women are finally starting to talk.

Despite the fact that her age is over fifty, an acclaimed Italian beauty demanded by directors and the public as never before.

It seems that age has no power over her. In any case, in her 54 years Monica Bellucci is still beautiful and charming. It was not without reason that the Serbian film director invited her to star in the film, which tells the story of the romantic relationship between two elderly people who met during the Bosnian war. In her character, Mlada, at first sight falls in love with a strange man named Costa, played by Emir Kusturica. What about Costa, James Bond himself, who certainly does not have a lot of love experience, loses his lauded self-control as soon as he meets Monica Bellucci on his way. And yet this secret agent had never before been seen having an affair with beauties over the age of fifty. In addition, over the past few years, Monica has become a real star of the television series. She starred with David Lynch in the third season of his famous TV series “Twin Peaks”, created on-screen portrait of the famous feminist, Tina Modotti, and played the role of a passionate opera diva in the series “Mozart in the Jungle”. Obviously, beauty alone does not explain the magnetism that is undeniably inherent in this woman.

Monica Bellucci was born in a small town in the province of Umbria, in the heart of Italy. It is noteworthy that her father had Persian roots, and if you want you can find in the appearance of the beautiful Italian woman some oriental features. Although the girl did not think about the modeling business and started a career model to pay for his studies at the Faculty of Law, University of Perugia. And she very quickly managed to gain enormous popularity in the fashion world. Having never graduated, Monica moved to Milan and within a few years had dizzying success: her images graced the covers of fashion magazines in different countries, she became the face of the jewelry company Cartier, her image was immortalized by the most famous photographers. Sensual beauty almost immediately offered to shoot a movie, although, as you know, not everyone, even the most beautiful model is able to keep the audience’s attention on the screen. Having made her debut with Dino Risi in the TV movie “Life with Kids,” Monica Bellucci quickly enough proved that she is capable of acting transformation. The real breakthrough in her film career was the invitation from the most Francis Ford Coppola, to play the bride of Dracula in the eponymous film. Filming for directors on both sides of the Atlantic, Monica Bellucci has earned a reputation as an actress who can not only to adorn the picture, but also to perform in a variety of acting roles. Maybe Monica’s secret is that she interweaves a variety of traits inherent in her movie heroines: the pride and ability to seduce Malena, the graciousness and miraculous transformation of Mary Magdalene, femininity and the unsolved mystery of Mlada. It is interesting that the names of all these heroines, begin with the same letter as her own name. And it is the “mmm” sound that is considered in meditation to be the main sound of the universe, which has neither beginning nor end. It fits the name of the true star shining in the galaxy with the poetic name of the Milky Way perfectly.

Talking with Monica Bellucci is really like going into space. It seems to be known of its existence, but still it is incredible not only to realize, but also to feel its reality. The actress appreciates the art of aging beautifully and is in no hurry to resort to plastic surgery. Her beautiful face, with a minimum of makeup, is framed by her dark, chestnut-colored hair, which barely touches her shoulders. Black dress with laced corset and puffed skirt from Dolce&Gabbana advantageously emphasizes her luxurious figure. It reeks of calm and serenity. She is fluent in English as well as French, Italian and Spanish. In conversation, she is unhurried and does not deny herself the pleasure of stopping from time to time for a split second, selecting the most appropriate word to express her thought more precisely. As she does so, she coyly pinches her plump lips and stares thoughtfully away and upward, which gives her a charm that is really hard to resist.

You have had the opportunity to shoot for many directors in different countries. How was the shooting of Along the Milky Way different for Emir Kusturica?

The biggest difference was that the shooting lasted for three years. I started filming in 2013 and finished in 2016. Over the years, I spent a lot of time in Bosnia, in the picturesque town of Trebinje, which bore the marks of the recent war. But despite the action depicted in the film, it is above all a poetic story of a meeting between two not-young people, of the fact that love depends neither on age nor on time. It was interesting to work, but not easy either, because I had to learn to speak Serbian.

Emir Kusturica not only filmed you as a director, but also played with you on the screen. And which of the many actors with whom you had a chance to shoot, you remembered most?

To tell you the truth, I can’t complain about any of my partners on the set(smiles). Although I must confess that I particularly enjoyed working with Danielle Craig. He really is a great actor, and not just as James Bond. He has so much masculinity and gallantry… At the same time he is incredibly modest, which I find very appealing. In one interview, he said that he would like to continue in the next Bond film with my character. I can’t hide it, I like that idea too(smiles playfully).

Over your long career, you have created many different images on the movie screen. How do you usually prepare for a role?

Isabelle Huppert once said very beautifully that there are several different princesses sleeping inside each of us. And when an actress prepares for a role, she wakes up one of them every time. And I agree with that statement. These princesses are akin to our dreams. Ever since I was a little girl, I dreamed of being an actress and I was always playing someone. I was a very shy girl, and it’s possible that by pretending to be someone else I was expressing something that was hidden deep inside of me.

What was your childhood like? Do you remember the moment you first realized your own beauty?

I think that the feeling of beauty comes not when you look at yourself in the mirror, but when you feel love for yourself. You can be the most beautiful child in the world, but if your parents don’t love you and tell you that you’re beautiful, then you won’t understand it. I was lucky, my parents treated me with a lot of love. They were very young. When I was born, my mother was only 20 years old. We are still very close, and I can talk to her about anything.

You have two daughters, and their childhood is probably different from yours. What are you trying to instill in them?

I grew up in a pretty simple environment and I always tell my kids that money is not the most important thing in life. You can live in a luxurious castle and be a very unhappy person. What really matters is the human relationship. I sometimes get a little scared when I see how much time my kids spend in front of their phone screens or iPads. After all, constantly communicating through a computer you can never learn how to live communication. It’s important to be able to talk to each other, and it’s better to do it by looking into each other’s eyes.

How do your daughters feel about your profession, do they also want to become actresses?

I try to do no more than two films a year in order to spend as much time with my children as possible. But I love my work and I think my example tells them much better than any words about how important it is to do what you love. One of my daughters loves to sing, but she worries that there are many singers in the world who are much better than she is. To which I answer her: you are you. When you sing, you give people a part of your soul that is unique.

After the scandal involving the actions of Harvey Weinstein, a heated debate broke out in Hollywood over attitudes toward sexual violence. What do you think about it?

It’s very important to me that women finally start talking. Usually if we women talk, we try to choose such words and expressions so as not to offend anyone. Besides, we’re used to not being listened to. Times change – and that’s wonderful. Some of the changes are already visible, if only because many of the men are not out of place. But I think that the process of rethinking their own situation for most women has just begun. It’s like with a bird that’s been in a cage for a long time. Even if you open the door of this cage, it will not fly out at once. It takes time to realize freedom. This is exactly what is happening to women today. And not just in Hollywood. I came to the movies when I was 25 years old, and thanks to my work in modeling, I was already prepared in many ways for that attitude toward women. This is a very difficult topic. And it’s not about sex at all, it’s more about power. Men feel important to the women who depend on them. By the way, the same thing happens in a situation where absolute power comes to women. The trials of power are a universal problem.

Still: How do you explain the feminist movement to your daughters?  

I’m just telling them that the situation of women was very different not long ago. For example, back in the 1960s, women in some European countries did not have the right to vote. Just 60 years ago in Italy, a man could kill a woman and not go to jail. The world changed because women fought for their rights. And the position they have today is largely the result of just this struggle. Maybe that’s why we should all be feminists, too.

What does success mean to you?

I never talk about success. I prefer to talk about a good light, which puts a lot of responsibility on a person. When you are in that light, you can do a lot of good with it. At the same time, it can completely destroy you and others. It all depends on how you use it.

And how do you use it?

I try to use good light for good things. After all, light is good.

Lena Busse