To mark the recent thirtieth anniversary of Sergio Leone’s death, this documentary sets out to pay tribute to one of the great legends of world cinema. The singular artistic vision of Sergio Leone has transcended national borders, creating the Spaghetti Western genre and transforming the international cinematic panorama forever with his innovative stylistic and narrative solutions, which have now become part of the language of the movies. The film, which is enriched with precious archive footage from the Cineteca di Bologna, including rare audio recordings and film clips shot behind the scenes, sees for the first time the direct participation of the Leone family and has interviews both with Leone’s longtime collaborators and with icons of Hollywood who have been profoundly influenced by his work. This documentary paints an unprecedented picture of a visionary and deeply cultured man who had lived and breathed movies from his birth and whose idea of cinema continues to be central to its enjoyment and to contemporary debate over the medium.

DIRECTOR’S NOTES:
Sergio Leone is linked to one of my earliest and most precious memories as a viewer. I was at elementary school and one day my father put the cassette of Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo in the VCR. I was bowled over. That was the day on which cinema changed from being a means of entertainment for a child into a true passion for me. When Raffaella Leone suggested I make a documentary about her father, I had the impression that everything was falling into place. I launched myself into this venture with enthusiasm and respect, receiving the constant support of Raffaella, the whole of the Leone family and the team at Sky Italia and Sky Studios. I wanted to try not only to tell Sergio Leone’s story but also to show that his cinema and his creative genius are still central and indisputable sources of inspiration for the greatest filmmakers of the present day. All the great figures from the cinema who have agreed to take part are the clearest confirmation of this.