Telling the story of Italian cinema in celluloid

A NEW exhibition of rare and never-before-seen images celebrating Italy's impact on the world of film and fashion - curated by renowned Scots photographer Rankin - is to be launched at a gallery in Edinburgh's New Town.

Images from the sets of films including Roman Holiday, La Dolce Vita, Once Upon a Time in the West and Cinema Paradiso, shots of celebrities visiting famous Italian cities and costumes created by leading designers will feature in the exhibition, which opens at the Dundas Street Gallery this week.

The exhibition, Italian Style on the Silverscreen, has been drawn from collections around the world, including those held by the British Film Institute, as well as the Ferragamo Museum in Florence, celebrated Rome costume-makers Tirelli and Italy's national cinema archives.

Sophia Loren, Ava Gardner, Ingrid Bergman, Brigitte Bardot and Audrey Hepburn are among the stars to feature in the exhibition. Rankin, who was born John Rankin Waddell in Paisley in 1966, has shot everyone from Kate Moss, Britney Spears, Madonna, Naomi Campbell and Kylie Minogue to the Queen and Tony Blair.

After dropping out of an accountancy course at Brighton Polytechnic, Rankin, who had left Scotland at the age of nine, studied photography at London College of Printing, and was the co-founder of Dazed & Confused magazine.

He has joined forces with Italian fashion writer and film expert Anna Battista to put together the exhibition, which will embark on a nine-city tour of the UK after its initial Edinburgh run, from tonight until 7 March.

Rankin said: "The influence that Italian film has had on me is significant. Cinema Paradiso is without question, my favourite film of all time and has had a profound impact on my life both personally and professionally.

"The themes and inherent style within the story never fail to move me just as much as they did the first time, and, as a piece of work, it has inspired me to move into film as well as photography.

"It is inspiring to be part of this exhibition and solidify my connection to a genre which is so important to me."

Ms Battista added: "In Italy, fashion and cinema have always had a huge influence on each other creatively: they feed each other. When the two are brought together with the artistry and skill that this exhibition showcases, they have the power to arouse real depth of emotion on the screen."More than 50 images in total feature in the exhibition, which is billed as telling "the story of Italian style in celluloid" from the past half-century of film-making. Among the highlights are photographs of Bardot on a shopping spree in Rome, Gardner during a costume fitting for the film The Sun Also Rises, actress Anita Ekberg and director Federico Fellini on the set of La Dolce Vita, and Spaghetti Western star Claudia Cardinale, on the set of Once Upon a Time in the West.

Jason Maling, spokesman for Peroni, the Italian brewer bankrolling the exhibition, said: "Through the selection of stunning images, this exhibition will give viewers a rich and colourful snapshot of Italian style and grace - as it has been captured on film".