"Lino d'Italia - Story of an Italian": Filming begins on Lino Banfi's documentary.

A film that chronicles the life of a native of Puglia who became Italy's grandfather. A documentary that recounts the struggles of those who believed in it, becoming an icon of Made in Puglia. Titled "Lino d'Italia - Storia di un itALIENO," the documentary film directed by Marco Spagnoli and co-written with Lino Banfi begins filming today. Produced by Minerva Pictures with the support of the Apulia Film Fund, the Apulia Film Commission, and the Puglia Region, using resources from the Puglia Regional Operational Programme (ROP) ERDF-ESF 2014/2020, the documentary will be set at the Petruzzelli Theater in Bari, where Lino Banfi and Pasquale Zagaria (Banfi's real name) will gaze into each other's eyes. It will also take place in Canosa di Puglia, the town where Banfi grew up and to which he feels strong ties, and in Andria, where he attended seminary.

The film aims to tell the story of "the man behind the character, intertwining private life and public career, family anecdotes and popular successes, youthful memories and reflections on the present," explains the production. It will feature previously unseen testimonies and a theatrical and surreal staging to highlight the "extraordinary artistic and human journey of one of the Italian public's most beloved comedians, a symbol of a popular, generous, and self-deprecating Italy."