by Micol Sarfatti
Francesca Fagnani is preparing the third season of Belve, on Rai2, also going viral on TikTok. “I dream of having guests Francesca Pascale and the nar terrorist Francesca Mambro”
Francesca Fagnani, what beast do you feel?
‘A Jack Russel because he’s a nice animal who knows how to attract attention. Excited, restless, naughty but funny ».
Not exactly a beast…
«But I feel more like a dog and know this breed well. My father has one, it was my mother’s, it stayed with him when she died. ‘
“MY MOTHER’S DEATH BROKE ME. I regret not having fully experienced that kind of love. WE ARE NOTHING BUT MOTHER MATERIAL ”
Laughing Francesca Fagnani, 45, from Rome, journalist and presenter, while answering the question with which the interviews of Belve usually begin, a successful program, also social, born on Nove and now in its third season on Rai2. In the fall, it will continue with a late-evening appointment three times a week. With an angelic smile – and a devilish expression – Fagnani questions protagonists from entertainment, culture and politics. From Pamela Prati to Virginia Raggi, past Monica Guerritore and Ilary Blasi, with some blue stocks like Morgan or Matteo Renzi.
Why is your program so popular?
“Maybe because I ask the questions that everyone would like to ask. No Salamelecchi, clear rules of the game”
Who are the beasts?
“For me, it’s a broad definition. With 80% it has a positive connotation. It is women, and even some men, who managed to take their place without waiting for the kind concessions of others. They got what they wanted, they are protagonists and never sociable, they succeed or fail thanks to them. Then there are also those who have made really cruel life choices ».
Like Brigadier Adriana Faranda, Anna Carrino, companion of the super boss of the Casalesi Francesco Bidognetti, or Cristina Pinto, an unrepentant former Camorra fan. All his guests, not without controversy. Is it right to give space to those who have done evil?
“Yes, if you always ask a second question. I’ve been involved in organized crime for a long time. You can’t know the dark side of life from TV series. It is important to tell it with the voice of those who live it, but with the right method ».
Means what?
«I have worked on myself to approach these people without prejudice, because the judgment on the facts of which they are the protagonists is already there and inevitable. They are very important witnesses of a part of society that exists and that we cannot ignore, even if it is difficult to face and explain. Viewers are intelligent, they don’t need someone to suggest it with a moralistic attitude. Just ask any questions ».
He had previously hinted at his mother’s death. Has it recently happened?
“Almost seven years ago but it’s a pain that can’t go away. It was the great turning point of my life. When you lose your mother you stop being a son, you enter another dimension where you know you are alone. No one will take care of you like a mother. We are nothing but maternal matter ».
were you very close
“We didn’t have a morbid relationship, but when it was over I felt a devastating emptiness. Unfortunately, I found that I didn’t take every opportunity to fully experience this kind of love. I have often preferred a confrontational stance to a more inviting one. I regretted it ».
Did having a twin sister help you?
“We are heterozygous twins. We are different, physically and in life paths. We have a relationship more like sisters than twins. That’s okay, the idea of being identical to someone has always bothered me a bit.
Which kid was that?
“They called me ‘Angel Face’ but the reference was to the head of the Mala del Brenta Felice Maniero. I was very smart, lively. Behind the cute face and the blue eyes was a criminal (laughs). The beast DNA was already there ».
“IN JOURNALISM WE FEEL SO MUCH PROGRESSIVE BUT WOMEN EARN LESS, THEY ARE INVITED TO TALKSHOWS LIKE PANDA AND THE DIRECTORS ARE FEW”
Did you dream of becoming a journalist?
“It’s a profession that has always fascinated me, but I found it by accident. I have a degree in Literature, then I was admitted to a doctorate in Dante Philology, which led me to NYU University in New York. It was 2001. On September 11th I saw the Twin Towers fall before my eyes, I couldn’t go home to Brooklyn for a whole day. Realizing I was in the story, I went to the RAI Correspondence Office on 56th Street to see if I could be of any use. They told me some tapes needed repairs and I rearranged them all.
And then?
“Many journalists arrived, including a young Giovanni Floris, to report what was happening. They took me to services, I watched them, I learned. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity. When I returned to Italy, I knew I wanted to be a journalist, I did dozens of internships and finally ended up in the editorial offices of Giovanni Minoli and Michele Santoro. They were two great teachers to whom I owe a lot. Working with them has been a privilege, if not always a walk in the park ».
Has she taken any care?
«Avoya! Working in the flagship networks’ information programs in the early 2000s was a responsibility: we did shares of national team games. There was something titanic about Santoro’s opposition to Berlusconi, each episode an event. But Michele also found time for me, the newcomer. One day I was recording the voiceover of a church service, he was sitting next to me and started correcting the punctuation of the text I was reading with a pencil to help me have a more natural cadence ».
Today you also have a teacher at home. For ten years, his partner has been the news director of La 7 Enrico Mentana.
“Yes, but we didn’t meet at work.”
Is there competition?
“There can be no competition who always wins. I speak of him, of course, but it is shared. Let’s check out Beasts together. We are each other’s first fans.”
Someone compares her to Daria Bignardi. Agree?
«The Barbarian Invasions was one of the most innovative programs of the last decades. I did not miss an episode, but the interviews that I have studied the most are those of Giovanni Minoli ».
He conducted a series of Le Iene and delivered a monologue in which he pointed the finger at the chauvinism pervasive in journalism. We believe that we belong to a progressive environment, but is there still a lot to do for us?
“We believe we can teach others equality, we blame politicians for doing nothing to close the pay gap, but publishing isn’t doing any better. Journalists earn less than their male colleagues, and editors are in the minority. In the talk shows, the woman is invited as a woman, as if she were a panda. Men, on the other hand, are there because they bring certain content with them. Not even we are hard and pure ».
At Le Iene, too, he accused a colleague, whose name he did not name, of not liking her presence on a show because “he only wanted to have men around him”.
«I won’t even mention the name now and I don’t think there is a priori a sorority. If you guys are nice and support each other, so be it. Complicity is nice, but not by command. The competition is also good from time to time».
The hashtag “Belve” has 55 million views on TikTok. Do you enjoy this accompanying social success?
“Very, very much. At Rai I work with an exceptional team of professionals, but I am surprised to see how many unconscious authors there are on these platforms, they are a real treasure trove of creativity ». What is the dream animal? «I want Invite Francesca Pascale. I interviewed her for the press years ago. She is a strong and very kind woman. I also hope for a “yes” from the nar terrorist Francesca Mambro. I told you I’m not afraid to do that to tell evil.”
08/17/2022 (change 08/17/2022 | 11:03 am)
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