VAL GARDENA MAGAZINE
PINOCCHIO
A
tale that has captivated generations and remains popular throughout the world to this day, having been translated into numerous languages, has made its return to the silver screen. Yes, it’s Pinocchio, legendary wooden puppet and eternal miscreant, brought to life as a well-behaved, studious young boy. Every bit as astounding as the story itself is the fact that the star of Matteo Garrone’s modernised version of the film that is taking Italy by storm is… from Val Gardena! The puppet that Roberto Benigni’s Geppetto sculpts from wood is none other than the work of Gardenese artist Bruno Walpoth, whose hands can be seen in the film for a fleeting second while he is working. When interviewed by Francesca Gonzato for the daily newspaper
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“Alto Adige,” Walpoth confirmed that acting together with Benigni was a thrilling experience. Meticulously scrupulous director Matteo Garrone decided on Bruno Walpoth after an exhaustive search for a sculptor who specialised in creating the human form - and our fellow Gardena man is extremely proud of the fact. The wood selected to create Pinocchio was durmast oak, which grows in the pre-Alpine regions and, as you can see in the film, is a yellowish-brown. And so our Val Gardena has reached fame once again, breathing life into a new version of Pinocchio - modern but always true to the original tale, and with an oft-forgotten yet apposite truth: That of relinquishing the life of a puppet in order to become real men. Ludovica Pineider
