Ischia Global Fest 2026: ORESTE and RINO GAETANO

Villa Arbusto

Free admission while seats are available.

9:30 PM – ORESTE by Alessandro Cedola – 20 min – Q&A with the director and producer Irene Pochini
Followed by RINO GAETANO – SEMPRE PIÙ BLU by Giorgio Verdelli – 90 min

Synopsis
Rino Gaetano – Sempre Più Blu, the documentary directed by Giorgio Verdelli, is a passionate journey through the life, music, and enduring legacy of Rino Gaetano, an artist who, more than almost anyone else, captured the contradictions of a country undergoing profound change.
Through previously unseen archival footage, private notebooks, intimate interviews, and testimonies from friends, family members, and fellow artists, the film reconstructs the authentic portrait of a one-of-a-kind musician who always defied convention. From his early performances in Roman clubs to his breakthrough at the 1978 Sanremo Festival, where he appeared in a tuxedo and bow tie performing Gianna, to his rise as a cult singer-songwriter capable of blending rock, pop, satire, and poetry, creating generational anthems such as Ma il cielo è sempre più blu.
Behind his sharp irony and provocative genius, however, lay a profound fragility—a sensitive soul that fame could never truly protect. His sudden death at the age of just thirty left a void that remains deeply felt, while his voice continues to resonate.
From his sister Anna Gaetano and nephew Alessandro, to longtime friends such as Riccardo Cocciante, Danilo Rea, Shel Shapiro, and Edoardo De Angelis, as well as spiritual heirs including Brunori Sas, Lucio Corsi, and Giordana Angi, the documentary reveals the man behind the myth, the poet beneath the hat.
Moving between satire and melancholy, from the iconic interview with Enzo Siciliano to his razor-sharp lyrics, the film captures the visionary power of an artist who could laugh in the face of tragedy and sing the truth with effortless lightness. A tribute to a genius whose voice continues to speak to the present.