Valeria Golino Talks Adapting ‘The Art Of Joy’ & Starring In ‘Maria’ (Interview)

I sat down with Valeria Golino, the prominent actress and director behind the upcoming L’arte Della Gioia (The Art of Joy) miniseries. 

Valeria Golina, an Italian actress and filmmaker, is the creative genius behind Sky’s L’arte Della Gioia (The Art of Joy). The miniseries is adapted from the 1994 novel of the same name by Goliarda Sapienza—whom Golino is also playing in a biopic directed by Mario Martone.

The Art of Joy follows Modesta (Tecla Insolia) a young woman born on the 1st of January 2000 in rural Sicily. Modesta believes she is destined for a better life and moves from her childhood home to an imposing convent for wealthy young women and eventually to a decadent aristocratic estate. Modesta is willing to stand up to all systems of domination through her wit, assertiveness, and guile. Read the full synopsis below:  

Sicily, 1900. Modesta is born into a life of poverty, but, rebellious by nature, she believes that she is destined for a better life. Moving from her childhood home deep in the mountains to an imposing convent for wealthy young women and eventually to a decadent aristocratic estate, she rises up in the world. Using her wit, assertiveness, and guile, she emerges as a fearless and emancipated bisexual character, willing to stand up to all systems of domination. Through sumptuous photography, beautifully crafted costumes, and impressive direction, the art of joy assiduously builds Maristra’s world, interior and exterior, absorbing us wholly in perspective and life experience.

I sat down with Valeria Golino to talk about adapting the novel into a miniseries and what compelled her too. Golina tells me how the novel is “less inappropriate” today and that before it was “too early” to adapt it, “People were scandalized by it. It’s a very disobedient piece of work.” Watch the trailer for The Art of Joy:

Valeria Golino is also starring in Pablo Larraín’s Maria Callas biopic titled Maria. I talked with Golino about playing Maria’s sister Yakinthi Callas and working with Angelina Jolie who she describes as “A very good actor to work with because she hears you and she sees you.” Maria releases in select theatres on November 27th and will be streaming on Netflix December 11th.

Thanks to the Chicago International Film Festival for making this interview possible. The following conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Valeria Golino On Adapting ‘The Art Of Joy’ And A Possible Second Season

The novel, written by Goliarda Sapienza, was deemed inappropriate at the time. So what made you want to come back to the story in the present and make it into a miniseries?

VG: Well, because now it’s less inappropriate, definitely. Before it was too early, you know? People were scandalized by it. It’s a very disobedient piece of work. In Italy also, we’re very Catholic. There is the Vatican, you know I’m talking about a woman in those terms was not what people want to hear or read. Eventually, the book came out after the death of his author. A lot of people try to get the rights and make it into a movie and for 20 years; again, the book was out, but it was hard to make it into a movie because producers were scared of it, whatever. And then, five years ago, my producer got the rights for it, and we were able to make it. And in the beginning, I wanted to make it into a movie, two hour movie. But then, I couldn’t find a way to just condense all the great stuff of the book.  By the way, I’ve made it into six episodes, only the first part of the book. There is another four parts. So just the first part of the book was a series. So, and now there’s gonna be probably a second season.

Oh, beautiful, because it did say TV miniseries.

VG: Yeah, it’s a miniseries, but it could be a second season because there’s parts of the book-

When you win the Emmy?

VG: [laughs] Exactly, exactly. No, no, I mean, I don’t even know if I’m gonna direct it, but we’re probably gonna produce it or something. Because, you know, we went to the festival of Cannes, and it came out to the movie theaters, and people, it hasn’t even come out on TV yet, and people want the second season ready, so we’ll see, we’ll see.

That’s beautiful, congratulations. Talk to me about the cinematography and the, please yeah.

VG: The cinematography is sumptuous as you read before. He’s [Fabio Cianchetti] an amazing cinematographer. He’s an older gentleman who worked a lot with Bernardo Bertolucci, who is… an amazing Italian director. But if you don’t know him, you should. Because he’s, for example, he has won, I think, nine Oscar Academy Awards with The Last Emperor. He had done The Last Emperor, or he’s made one of the most controversial, this director, he’s made Last Tango in Paris. You have to, if you wanna be an actor, you have to see these movies. You have to go back to all these directors that now, you don’t know them, but this is the people who have made cinema great. 

He has made many, many extremely interesting movies, and this director of photography has worked with him a lot. He’s still working and he’s just amazing. He’s just amazing. And so I was able through him to have my desires of light happen because I had an idea of how I wanted the piece of this movie and he was able to give it back to me. I didn’t want it too naturalistic. I wanted it to be a little bit psychedelic. You know?

Yeah. I love it when directors just have a huge creative control over their vision and bring their vision to life.

VG: Well, that’s why they’re directors. If not, you know what I’m saying? A director has to have the point of view, a one specific point of view. You can like it or not like it, but it has to be his. 

I agree! Can you talk to us about the actors in this miniseries?

VG: The main actress is called Tecla Insolia, and she’s 18 years old, now she’s 20. But she was just 18 when we did the movie, and she’s just superb. She’s amazing, just an amazing young actor. And then there’s Jasmine Trinca, who is the actor I made all my movies with as a director, cause also she’s a big star in Italy, and she’s an amazing actor. And there’s Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, who is another genius actor. Just genius. So, when you have actors like I had, it’s easier to make this movie when you have actors like that.

Valeria Golino Comments On Working With Angelina Jolie On Pablo Larraín’s ‘Maria’

You’re also in Maria, with Angelina Jolie, so that’s a huge step up. I wanted to know your experience on set with that, working with Angelina Jolie. You play Yakinthi Callas.  

VG: Yakinthi Callas was the sister of Maria Callas, played by Angelina, and the director is Pablo Larraín, who is a very, very good director from Chile. Who was also, before he’s done, Jackie and Spencer. That’s his trilogy. One was on Jackie Kennedy, the second one was on Diana, and this one is on Maria Callas. I do a very little part, but very interesting part. I play the sister of Maria Callas. I worked with Angelina mostly. She’s so lovely. She’s beautiful, but mostly she’s a very good actor. A very good actor to work with because she hears you and she sees you. We had a way of communicating. There are some very good actors that not necessarily work with you. She’s a very generous actress and she gets her inspiration from the other person too. And so together we were able to play, to play, you know, because it has to be a play. You know, there has to be a joy. We had a lot of joy working together!

Valeria Golino Talks Apple TV+’s ‘The Morning Show’

You are also known for playing Paola in The Morning Show. I was wondering if you wanted to talk about that a little bit.

VG: Well, I-, it was a great occasion for me to go back to America, come back to America, after many years. I had not been here, I lived in Los Angeles for many years. And then it had been a long time since I had a role. I was in Europe, most of the time working, and I got this part in The Morning Show and for me it was a great occasion to go back to Los Angeles where I have many friends. And it’s a city that I love, and also to work with Steve Carell, who is a great actor. A great actor, I had the best time working with him. I mean also, with Jennifer. But the two ladies, I had less scenes. I had a couple of scenes with Billy Crudup, and one or two with Jennifer, but most of my work was with Steve Carell. It was just a great opportunity for me!

L’arte Della Gioia (The Art of Joy) will be streaming on Sky soon. The six-episode miniseries is directed by Valeria Golino, and stars Tecla Insolia, Jasmine Trinca, Alma Noce, and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. 

If you liked this interview with Valeria Golino on The Art of Joy be sure to check out more interviews here at Feature First.