Coinciding with the birthday of the Calabrian artist, who would have turned 75 today, the trailer of the documentary “RINO GAETANO semper blu”, directed by Giorgio Verdelli (who also wrote the screenplay together with Luca Rea), debuts online. The film will arrive in Italian cinemas exclusively from 24 to 26 November 2025, thanks to the distribution of Medusa Film and the production of SudOvest Produzioni and Indigo Film, with the support of Rai Documentari.
A tribute to fifty years of iconic success
Half a century after the song that consecrated him in the Italian collective imagination, “But the sky is always bluer”, the documentary – made with the contribution of the Calabria Film Commission Foundation – offers a profound look at the artist who was able to interpret the contradictions and hopes of his time through a language made of sharp irony and poetic sensitivity. The project makes use of precious archive materials: personal diaries, little-known period recordings, exclusive testimonies and an unreleased song entitled “Un Film a Colori – Jet Set”, available digitally via Sony Music Italy.
A chorus of voices to tell the story of the artist
The story is constructed through multiple perspectives: from sister Anna to nephew Alessandro, passing through historical colleagues such as Riccardo Cocciante, Danilo Rea, Giovanni Tommaso, Shel Shapiro, Edoardo De Angelis and Ernesto Bassignano, up to contemporary artists such as Brunori Sas, Lucio Corsi, Sergio Cammariere and Giordana Angi. This mix of testimonies offers a layered portrait that goes beyond the legendary dimension to restore the human essence of the artist.
The main narration is guided by the voice of Peppe Lanzetta, while Claudio Santamaria, Paolo Jannacci and Valeria Solarino lend their interpretations. The journalist Tommaso Labate accompanies the spectators on a journey through the Calabrian places linked to Gaetano, aboard a Fiat 128, mixing ironic, melancholy and visionary registers.
Contemporary reflections on an artistic legacy
The documentary also includes particularly significant moments, such as a dialogue with Enzo Siciliano (who later became president of Rai), as well as critical contributions from Carlo Massarini, Andrea Scanzi and Pietrangelo Buttafuoco, which help to frame Gaetano’s work beyond stereotypes and nostalgic rhetoric.
Special events in the main Italian cities
For the artist’s birthday, today 29 October, absolute preview screenings are planned in four locations:
New edition of the album “E I CI STO”
To complete the celebrations comes the record relaunch: the album “E IO CI STO”, originally published 45 years ago, returns on November 21st in a special version for Sony Music Italy. The edition will be available on CD and red colored vinyl, containing the original setlist remastered in high definition (192 kHz) and a never-before-released bonus track, revealed in these hours. The vinyl edition also includes an autograph document from the artist with the description of a video clip that was never made.
