The First Voice
Sight & Sound | We invite you beneath Rome’s ancient streets to witness behind-the-scenes glimpses of the filmmakers at work with an Oscar cinema legend. Plus, an exclusive interview with Giannini.
When it came to giving The Juventus Story a voice, the search was long and exhaustive. First, we needed a script - a laborious process that took years, given the century-long timeline and endless pieces to sift through. What’s real? What’s conjecture? How do we tell one story that says it all?
Then came narration. We’d settled on a storybook style that required a lot of it. A lot, a lot. Luckily, we began with the Italian version, knowing that any Italian performer would at least be able to pronounce the sea of Italian words correctly!
Filmed Interview Part One : Giannini on Finding the Voice
Here, the legendary actor speaks about finding the soul of The Juventus Story — how one family, one club, and one voice can echo across generations.
Many names were mentioned, but only one rose to the top - one everyone unanimously agreed we’d be lucky to secure: the super talent with a golden voice, Academy Award® nominee Giancarlo Giannini (nominated for his flawless performance in Lina Wertmüller’s’ Swept Away). At the time we made our approach, Giannini was still relatively fresh off the Daniel Craig Bond installment, Casino Royale, so he wasn’t exactly sweatin’ it.
Fortunately, The Juventus Story directors, Marco and Mauro La Villa, had recently worked with Giannini on an animated film, where he’d come in to record a handful of lines. He was in and out in fifteen minutes - barely enough time to say, “Buongiorno, Signore Giannini, è un gran’ piacer—” and he was gone. Now, the filmmakers had to convince him to take on a whopping fifty pages of narration.
Surprisingly, after a five-minute phone call with his legendary agent, Mario Sconcerti, the deal was done! A few months later, the filmmakers and Giannini would meet beneath Rome’s beautiful Parrocchia-Basilica del Sacro Cuore Immacolato di Maria ai Parioli where the mythical Forum Recording Studios are stealthily located (a magical facility founded by the La Villa brothers’ heroes Ennio Morricone and Luis Bacalov).
A few months later, joined by their Roman secret weapon, Sofia Marmorstein, the filmmakers arrived at the storied recording studio. The sun was shining and there he was - Giancarlo Giannini, waiting on the ancient steps with his agent. Quick greetings were exchanged before Giannini asks to see the script (which had been sent a month or two earlier).
Sofia whipped out copies for everyone. Giannini’s eyes grew very wide as he flipped through the pages and looked dramatically at the filmmakers declaring (in Italian), “This is a book! This is a novel!”. The filmmakers laughed: “Well, it isn’t exactly a book, but it was sent to you a few months ago - before you agreed to come on board. Is this the first time you see it?” Mario Sconcerti blushed and assured everyone there would be no problem.
Giannini then mumbled to himself and announced he’d go back home, study the text for a few hours and return when he was ready. Not the start everyone was expecting - but roll with it they did.
While Giannini worked on internalizing the script, the filmmakers got a tour of the studio where Morricone and Bacalov had recorded some of the most iconic soundtracks in film history. The list of artists who’d been there was endless: Sergio Leone (of course), The Beach Boys, Bruce Springsteen, Chet Baker, Brian De Palma, Cher, Morrissey, Leonard Bernstein, Oliver Stone, Vangellis and even the maestro of all maestros, Nino Rota.
When Giannini finally returned, he was all smiles and ready to go! Not only did Giancarlo masterfully infuse the narration with an incredibly emotional performance - surpassing all expectations - he cared deeply about every word, questioning the material to make sure it stood up. He even debated his heart out over a few bits to make sure we all ended up with the best possible rendition of The Juventus Story.
The Filmmakers and the Vocal Maestro at Work
Get an intimate glimpse at the painstaking process of getting every word just right.
Film Excerpt Featuring the Fine Tuned Narrator
Watch the glorious ‘Cinque Maggio’ scene unfold and listen to Giannini’s flawless delivery.
Filmed Interview Part Two
In the quiet of Forum Studios, Rome, Giannini imagined an entire century without ever seeing a frame.
The filmmakers describe it as a once-in-a-lifetime experience - working with a world-class artist who was equal parts brilliant and, at times, entertainingly feisty. On the final day, after the interview, Giannini turned to the brothers and asked if they knew the title of the Coen Brothers’ first film. Mauro cut him off instantly: “Blood Simple!” Giannini nodded approvingly - he was just testing.
Photos : Sofia Marmorstein