Paolo Roversi

According to many, he is the greatest Italian fashion photographer. One who manages to create a real language through his works. Unmistakable and probably unrepeatable. Paolo Roversi is a reference for generations of photographers and a tutelary deity of the fashion image. A giant to whom Rai Documentari decided to dedicate the film entitled “Il sentimento della luce”, a very delicate project with a sweet aftertaste of homage. First presented at Fondazione Sozzani in Milan, the documentary will be broadcast on February 17 at 4 pm on Rai Tre. It will offer an intimate journey into the artist’s universe with a focus on the cities of Ravenna and Paris. In the midst of these two places, we are presented with wonderful portraits and, of course, light – which Roversi defines as a feeling. Born in 1947, he was the first photographer to use the 20×25 format Polaroid, thus paving the way for new photographic experiments involving the use of intense light. As a child, Roversi started shooting with a Ferrania Elioflex, a gift from his mother. It was not until 1973, when he moved to Paris, that Roversi made his breakthrough and became the illustrious figure he is today.

“A photo”, he says, “is always an autobiographical portrait, an intimate confession between the photographer and his subject”. Roversi has immortalized many subjects during his long career. He sublimated them all through his shots, which made them immortal. From Kate Moss to Naomi Campbell, from Monica Bellucci to John Galliano, from Princess Kate Middleton to all the models of the 2020 Pirelli Calendar (which Roversi entitled “Looking for Juliet” becoming the first Italian photographer to sign it). On the occasion of the documentary’s premiere, the artist granted us with an exclusive interview.