Rome toasts Lily Gladstone and Martin Scorsese

The great Martin Scorsese returned to the Eternal City, accompanied by the star of the moment, Lily Gladstone, as guests of honor at a gala dinner at the Hassler Hotel next to the Spanish Steps on Wednesday night. The event, in honor of Scorsese Flower Moon Killers and organized by Apple TV+, was presented by the co-director of Leone Film Group, Raffaella Leone, daughter of the great Italian film director Sergio Leone, and Paolo Del Brocco, director of Rai Cinema, the Italian distributor of Assassins. After the film’s 10 Oscar nominations, including a record 10th best director nomination for Scorsese and the historic best actress nomination for Gladstone as the first Native American nominated in the category, the event was a must-attend for the film scene Italian.

The Hollywood Rome Reporter was the only media outlet admitted to the event, and we were a fly on the wall to the parade of A-list industry guests, which included Oscar-winning director Paolo Sorrentino (The Great Beauty, Hand of God), Angels and Demons the actor Pierfrancesco Favino and the legendary Italian filmmaker Marco Bellocchio Good morning, evening, the traitor)Gabriele Muccino (Seven Pounds, The Pursuit of Happiness) and Mario Martone (We believed, Leopardi).

The great beauty The star Toni Servillo was the first to arrive and the room filled up little by little. Other VIP spots included Gabriella Pescucci, Oscar-winning costume designer for The Age of Innocence; Oscar-nominated costume designer Massimo Cantini-Parrini (Pinocchio, cirano), Nicola Maccanico, CEO of the historic Roman studio Cinecittà; Indigo Film co-founder Francesca Cima; and Francesca Lo Schiavo, Scorsese’s Oscar-winning set designer The Aviator and Hugo. Everyone gathered, chatting and joking with each other, nibbling on their hors d’oeuvres and champagne while they waited for the guests of honor.

There was a brief moment of panic a few minutes later as the distinct smell of smoke hung in the air. “That’s not what I need tonight!” exclaimed a frantic event organizer. It appears that one of the placeholders had caught fire, but the emergency was quickly dissipated by a few discreet drops of perfume. And the evening could begin.

Scorsese walked in, dressed in a dark suit and cobalt blue tie, and immediately caused a stir in the room. A small circle formed around him as the master held court. The first to greet him, with a bear hug, was Dante Ferretti, his longtime, multi-Oscar-winning production designer (Hugo, The Aviator).

Bellocchio walked up to Scorsese to give him a manly pat on the back. “I’m very happy, I’m very happy” kidnaped the director said, over and over again.

After the presentations were over, we were all escorted to the dinner area. A room of soft lighting and round tables with a white-on-white design was highlighted by large paintings standing on the walls. Scorsese was sitting on one side of the room with Sorrentino, Bellocchio, Favino and producer and costume designer Raffaella Leone (Once upon a time in America, Fathers and daughters). Across the room, keeping Gladstone company, were Muccino, The great beauty producer Francesca Cima, Servillo and producer Paolo Del Brocco (dog, story telling), who, tapping his glass with a knife, drew the attention of the crowd to ask for a tribute to “one of the greatest filmmakers in the history of cinema” for his “greatest masterpiece.” Flower Moon Killers and Gladstone for his “extraordinary” performance. Everyone applauded as Scorsese listened in silence.

The Roman evening was part of a European tour of Flower Moon Killers which has seen Scorsese land in Paris and will continue through Madrid and London. Before attending the dinner, the director had an audience with the Pope. It was a meeting between “two men of genius and experience for whom the figure of Jesus has extraordinary fascination and value,” according to Father Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education of the Catholic Church, who published in after the event. Scorsese’s visit to the Vatican came on the heels of the announcement a few months ago that he had written a script for a film about Jesus, based on A life of Jesus by Shūsaku Endō, former author of Silence – and filming will begin later this year.

Notably absent on the night was fellow Oscar nominee Matteo Garrone. Del Brocco noted that he was double booked and that he attended his last public screening of Io Captainwhich is up for the Academy Award in the category of best international feature film.

“I’m sure you’ll understand,” Rai Cinema’s Paolo Del Brocco joked with Scorsese and Gladstone, noting their busy awards season schedule. At the latest, Scorsese and Garrone will meet on the Oscars red carpet on March 10.