In Memoriam – Massimo Sani

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Photographs: Massimo at FERA 2013 GA in London © Klemen Dvornik  / Massimo at FERA 2012 GA in Copenhagen © Birgitte Staermose

Remembering Massimo Sani

Massimo Sani, who died July 21st, enjoyed a reputation as director of historical documentary films. For a long time he also was a committed, fiery, adamant and brimming representative for ANAC, the Italian directors’ guild, in FERA together with Francesco „Citto“ Maselli.

When I got involved with FERA as the rep of the German Directors Guild BVR in 1996,  FERA’s political aim was to advance the Cultural Diversity in the European cultural landscape and hence promote European films d’auteur. The big  enemy was the American film industry and the copyright system.  Whenever the word „copyright“ was mentioned, Massimo would jump up like a Jack in the box, throwing his hands up frantically into all directions into the air, and in his inimitable italinglish he would shout: „NO! NO! No copyrighte! We wante the authors’ righte systeme! Copyrighte is the deathe of the cinema!!!”

Unforgettable as well is the bus ride full of FERA and worldwide delegates during a conference in Bastia to a dinner in a remote stable in the Corsican mountains in the late nineties. On the winding narrow roads Massimo and Citto to everybody’s delight started singing songs in duet from Italian operas and operettes. Every song was rewarded with enthusiastic applause – and the long journey through their unique singing performance became a celebration of togetherness of people from around the globe.

Massimo held his farewell speech at the FERA 2015 General Assembly in London.

If there is a realm beyond life, I am confident that it is enlightened by Massimo’s warm and generous soul – and his inspiring singing.

Fare thee well, amice.

Peter Carpentier