Imperial Forums to shine in Oscar winner's light

Vittorio Storaro working with Rome mayor on ambitious project

(ANSA) - Rome, September 16 - The Imperial Forums will shine under a new nocturnal lighting project designed by three-time Oscar winner Vittorio Storaro and his daughter, Francesca Storaro, in a scheme presented on Tuesday by Rome Mayor Ignazio Marino.

Marino had said in January 2014 said that a lighting project in the area was "absolutely urgent" and the lighting needed to demonstrate creativity and impart "feeling" to visitors. "The area of the Imperial Forums is the only one of its kind in the world, and it's unbelievable that it's not illuminated at night in order to make it more visible," Marino said at Tuesday's presentation. Marino said the project was scheduled for completion by April 21, 2015, Rome's birthday.

The lights will be LED and will illuminate three of the forums, those of Augustus, Trajan, and Nerva. Vittorio Storaro, named the project's "light creator" and artistic supervisor, is an Italian cinematographer and author of the book "Writing with Light", and took home Oscars for his work on the films Apocalypse Now, Reds, and The Last Emperor. In describing the lighting, Storaro said, "The permanent departure point is in the relationship between light and shadow with many points in-between, gifted with great expressive ability".

Storaro's daughter Francesca, an architect, is the lighting designer and artistic director of the project. In addition to the creative and artistic aspect of the lighting, the illumination will also serve as added security in an area whose safety has been criticized in the past due to poor nocturnal lighting. Initial funding for the project, 100,000 euros, was donated by multinational consumer goods company Unilever, headed in Italy by company president Angelo Trocchia.

Marino said the city is still securing the final funding needed for the project, a sum between 1 and 1.5 million euros, which he said he expects to conclude by the end of September. As well as his three Oscar winners, Storaro boasts a longtime collaboration with Bernardo Bertolucci, working on The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, Novecento, La Luna and The Sheltering Sky.