When things didn’t quite work out in the early ’70s and competition in the form of Sophia Loren was pushing harder into the spotlight, Gina Lollobrigida turned more and more to photography. The Italian quickly gained a foothold in this field and admired star images of Paul Newman, Fidel Castro, Salvador Dali and Henry Kissinger.
Scandal in the Berlinale
After a few successful picture books, the Italian film icon returned to the world of cinema as president of the “Berlinale” in 1986 – and with a concrete scandal. Instead of congratulating director (Reinhard Hof) for the controversial movie “Stamheim”, the actress backed down, calling the work “disgusting” and the result of the vote “a completely ridiculous vote.”
Gina Lollobrigida is now sporadically back on screen. Guest roles in the TV series “Falcon Crest” and “Love Boat” were recorded, as well as a collaboration with French star Gerard Depardieu at the end of the 1990s, before “Lollo” briefly entered politics in 1999 as a candidate for the Romano Prodi electoral alliance complained.
At about the same time, the dream of working as a sculptor began to materialize. In 2003, the second oldest daughter of the furniture maker Giovanni Mercuri Lollobrigida and his wife Giusepina presented a comprehensive exhibition of her sculptural work in Paris.
“I must be allowed to die in peace”
In the late fall of her life, the winner of a Golden Globe and several Bambi Awards made international headlines two more times. In 2018, Gina Lollobrigida was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Three years later, the actress fought for her dignity in a dispute over family guardianship. On the initiative of her son Melko, she was appointed a guardian without whom she was not allowed to make any financial decisions – a disgraceful end to a historical and impressive career: “At my age, I should have a little peace. But no Gina Lollobrigida complained in a TV interview two years ago.
