27 September 2024
In Faenza, Friday September 20th, as part of the live events organized by Il Post.
Actor Stefano Fresi and director and screenwriter GJ Squarcia will take the stage at the Sixth Edition of "Talk" to share the story of who Ayrton Senna really was, through the pages of the monologue "Io & Ayrton". The conversation will be moderated by journalist Valerio Clari.
Io & Ayrton is a "monologue-event" about the life of Ayrton Senna, performed by Stefano Fresi at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari and the Teatro Ebe Stignani in Imola, to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the driver's death on May 1st, 2024.
For the occasion, and for the first time in thirty years, Ayrton's Williams F16 was returned to the exact spot where it stood on the day he set off on the last lap of his life: pole position, grid slot number one at Imola. On the circuit's tower, the footage of Senna's final minutes before the start was projected in full, alongside photographs by Angelo Orsi, one of Ayrton's closest friends.
The monologue is a story of redemption and motivation spanning the decade from 1984 to 1994, from the Brazilian driver's first to his last Formula 1 race. It runs as a parallel journey between Senna and a young Italian boy, the narrator. One navigating the obstacles of racing, the other the hardships of a difficult life. At the time of Ayrton's first race, the narrator is just 13 years old, his future already looking bleak. Watching Senna, he finds the strength to face his struggles and the courage to never give up. The monologue captures the greatness of the driver, but above all of the man, not just through his legendary victories but through his defeats as well. Defeats he always came back from. Stronger than before.
The text of the monologue, written by director and writer Giorgio J. Squarcia, has been published as a book titled Io & Ayrton, released in bookstores on May 21st by publisher PaperFirst, launching their new "Pop" imprint.
On Tuesday, November 5th 2024, at the opening ceremony of the Sport Movies Festival, the monologue Io & Ayrton will receive the Guirlande d'Honneur 2024, the highest honor of the International Federation of Sports Cinema.
An actor, voice artist, singer and musician, Fresi is widely regarded as one of the greatest talents in Italian cinema today. His roles in iconic films such as Romanzo Criminale, Smetto Quando Voglio, Ogni Maledetto Natale, Il Nome della Rosa, The Lion King, and C'è Tempo have earned him numerous awards, including a Nastro d'Argento (Best Actor for C'è Tempo), a David di Donatello nomination (Best Supporting Actor for Smetto Quando Voglio), the International Vincenzo Crocitti Award (Best Actor), the City of Turin Award (Best Actor for Il Grande Passo), the Premio Berenice (Best Actor for Il Nome della Rosa), the Premio Nino Manfredi, and many others.
Fresi is not only a remarkable actor but also an extraordinary musician and singer, making him the perfect interpreter of a story that doubles as a journey through the songs of the decade in which Senna raced in Formula 1.
GJ Squarcia was born in Rochester, Minnesota, to Italian parents. After graduating in Philosophy in Italy, he began working as an investigative journalist at CBS in New York, while simultaneously completing a master's in screenwriting and directing at New York University. Back in Italy, drawing on his journalistic instincts and filmmaking background, he went on to write and direct TV series, documentaries, and investigative films. His work includes the film I Giorni dell'Odio, about the Erba massacre, the TV series Le Strade di Max, On the Road Again, Italiani Fantastici e Dove Trovarli, and Crown Revolution, the docu-series Tutto in un Giorno, Cash, and 24/7, and the documentaries Lo Stato Social, Missing, L'Ultimo Esorcista, Zona Rossa Sempre, and La Sottile Zona Rossa. Prior to Io & Ayrton, he published the novel Wasteland, la terra dei sogni perduti (Fanucci).
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