Dante Ferretti, one of the greatest production designers in international cinema, is a three-time Academy Award winner who has collaborated with directors such as Federico Fellini, Pier Paolo Pasolini and Martin Scorsese. He designed each film in Pasolini's Trilogy of Life as well as his final film, Sàlo, and a host of Scorsese's films, including The Age of Innocence, Casino, Gangs of New York, The Aviator, Shutter Island and Hugo.
On a steamy Saturday in Rome, PDC members and Italian production designers gathered for a special guided tour coordinated by Jordana Maurer of Con i miei occhi, an exhibition celebrating the extraordinary career of Academy Award-winning production designer Dante Ferretti.
Led by art historian Dr. Monica Toccaceli, the visit came to life through personal anecdotes and insights into the defining moments of Ferretti's artistic journey, offering a unique perspective on the imagination and craftsmanship behind some of cinema's most iconic worlds.
Dr. Toccaceli has collaborated for many years with Il Cigno in the management of the exhibition spaces and visitor services at the Museums of San Salvatore in Lauro. Read our interview with Dr. Toccaceli to learn more about the exhibition of Ferretti's works.
PDC: How did the idea for the exhibition come about?
Dr. Toccaceli: The idea for the exhibition was born during a dinner attended by Maestro Dante Ferretti, Francesca Lo Schiavo, Raffaele Curi and Lorenzo Zichichi. During the evening, Ferretti showed Lorenzo some of his preparatory sketches for film productions. Lorenzo was deeply impressed by their expressive power, technical mastery and their ability to tell a story far beyond the practical purpose for which they had originally been created.
That encounter sparked the idea of developing a collaboration to bring Dante Ferretti's work into the museum setting, presenting his production sketches as genuine works of art—worthy of being appreciated alongside the creations of a great painter.
PDC: How did you approach the selection of the works?
Dr. Toccaceli: The selection process began with an extensive study of the entire collection of sketches preserved in Ferretti's studio—more than 150 works in total. Our goal was to reconstruct the Maestro's artistic and cinematic journey, highlighting the key milestones of his remarkable career through the films that have defined it.
At the same time, together with Navona Films, led by Alessandro Marzullo, we produced an original documentary in which Dante Ferretti himself guides visitors through the exhibition, sharing the stories, inspirations and creative process behind his production designs and sketches.
Throughout his extraordinary career, Ferretti collaborated with renowned directors including Pasolini, Fellini, Scorsese and many others. He has received three Academy Awards and more than 100 international awards.
PDC: What was the greatest challenge in curating the exhibition?
Dr. Toccaceli: The greatest challenge was creating an exhibition that could bring together the different artistic languages that define Dante Ferretti's work.
His sketches are not isolated artworks; they represent the starting point of a creative process that ultimately comes to life through cinema. For this reason, the exhibition goes beyond simply displaying the drawings. They are presented alongside film excerpts, the documentary and original props, allowing visitors to understand how an idea conceived by a production designer evolves—through the work of hundreds of professionals—into the worlds, landscapes and atmospheres that eventually appear on the big screen.
PDC: What message does the exhibition hope to convey?
Dr. Toccaceli: Above all, the exhibition celebrates the power of dreams.
From an early age, Dante Ferretti imagined extraordinary worlds and dreamed of building them. Through talent, dedication and years of study, he transformed those childhood dreams into a lifelong profession, creating some of the most iconic production designs in the history of cinema.
The exhibition is an invitation to believe in the power of imagination and to recognize that dreams, when nurtured with passion, perseverance and determination, can become reality.
Following the tour, the group continued the conversation over an aperitivo, exchanging reflections on the exhibition, discussing the creative process of production design and enjoying an evening of shared inspiration and professional connection.
