BOARDING GATE (2007)
Role: Sandra
Director: Olivier Assayas
Completed - On DVD in the USA Info -
IMDb -
Release Dates
UNE VIEILLE MAITRESSE (2007) Role: Vellini
Director: Catherine Breillat
Completed - On DVD in France - Showing in selected theaters in the USA Info -
IMDb -
Release Dates
THE THIRD MOTHER (2007)
Role: Sarah Mandy
Director: Dario Argento
Completed - On DVD in Italy - Showing in selected theaters in the USA Info -
IMDb -
Release Dates
GO GO TALES (2007)
Role: Monroe
Director: Abel Ferrara
Showing in selected theaters in Italy Info -
IMDb
- Official Site
- Release Dates
DE LA GUERRE (2008)
Role: Uma
Director: Bertrand Bonello
To be released in French theaters on October 1, 2008 Info -
IMDb
- Release Dates
Layout by Frederik. Other graphics and final touches were made by
Annie.
Special thanks goes out to my three special collaborators and contributors: Audrey (from France), Beatrice (from Italy) and Stef.
Currently Online:
odetoazia.com
Welcome
Welcome to Ode To Azia, an official website 100% dedicated to the multitalented Asia Argento!
Ode to Azia started as a small fansite in 2003, kept growing over the years, and has since then become the largest resource for Ms. Argento on the internet. It's been an authorized Asia Argento fansite from the beginning, but it recently become her second official online home.
Ode to Azia is a bit like Asia Argento herself: not everyone may like us, but we're here to stay!
I hope that new visitors will leave the site with a better knowledge and appreciation of Ms. Argento and her work. And I also hope that old time fans will keep coming back for their Az fix.
While we're at it, I'd like to remember you all that I'm always looking for contributions, so please consider donating scans, videos, anything.
This year the famous brand Converse is celebrating its 100th anniversary.
And for this special occasion, the brand is launching a campaign called “Connectivity”, in more than 75 countries.
The campaign is represented by emblematic faces of music, arts, sports and fashion, dead or alive. This way, actor James Dean, musician Sid Vicious and sportsman Dwayne Wade are some of the egeries of the brand’s centenary. In France, actress and singer Jane Birkin was the chosen one. The point in common between the ambassadors from the present and the past is their “optimistic vision of rebellion”. In Italy, Asia Argento is the country’s ambassador, while Ian Curtis, the late singer of Joy Division, is the British ambassador, and Nina Hagen is the German egery.
This Thursday (July 17th) Asia will present “Un bacio prima di morire” on Fox Crime at 9:55pm. I’ve added 3 photos from the TV show (thanks to Audrey). Asia wears a dress by Alberta Ferretti and is directed by Michele Civetta.
Grand Hotel seems to think that a photo of Asia at the Rome Film Festival last year was taken at Cannes this past May and shows the actress with a new found sweetness thanks to her then 5 months of pregnancy… Ok, then…
Adrien Brody tells the Repubblica today how was his experience on the set of “Giallo”. When asked if he knew Dario Argento before, Brody replied:”I had seen his films and I knew Dario indirectly, I’m a friend of Asia.” Since this isn’t a site devoted to Adrien or Dario, I’ll let you read the rest of the interview at the following link. (in Italian, of course)
Asia and Adrien are longtime friends: They attended the Cannes premiere of “The Pianist” together; Adrien interviewed Asia for Interview magazine in 2002; they attended a couple of events together (especially when she lived in the United States) and they posed for a beautiful black and white photoshoot for the lenses of Peter Lindbergh.
Screen Siren Actress Asia Argento Sounds Off
About Her Scandalous New Film
In the new film “The Last Mistress,” the Italian actress Asia Argento plays La Vellini, a Spanish courtesan who roils Paris society. The scandal: her long love affair with a young man who is engaged to a rich socialite. In this steamy French-language melodrama, set in 1835, love is tinged with malice. Vellini’s lover calls her an “ugly mutt” on first sight but is soon dueling with a pistol to win her. And Vellini swerves in and out of control of a relationship she can’t cut off.
Ms. Argento says she drew on personal experience for the part. “I’ve had similar relationships where it was hell, as if being possessed by a demon. You know it’s bad but you always go back because everything else seems so dull,” she says. Read the rest of this entry »
Thanks to my friend Luciana, we have a brand new gallery header and theme inspired in last year’s September issue of Jalouse! I hope you’ll like it as much as I do! Thank you again, Lu!
Thanks to Bea, we have a scan from this month’s XL.
PS: I’d also like to remind you of our April 19th update: http://www.odetoazia.com/news/?p=608
Expect Asia and Rupert Everett in some of the biggest Italian theatres this year.
The Teatro Bellini of Naples has already confirmed the play for its 2008-09 season.
I’ll leave this post in Italian because it concerns basically those who live in Italy.
Asia Argento presenta “Crime and Passion”
Dal 3 luglio su FoxCrime
Con “Crime and Passion”, in onda ogni giovedì alle 21:55 a partire dal 3 luglio, FoxCrime (canale 112 di SKY) propone un ciclo interamente dedicato alle donne “cattive” del grande schermo.
Alcune delle più significative pellicole dei nostri tempi, introdotte da una grande artista del cinema nazionale e internazionale: Asia Argento (“La terza madre”, “XXX”, “Maria Antonietta”, “Palombella Rossa”, “Perdiamoci di vista”, “Boarding Gate”).
Da Angelina Jolie (in “Hell’s Kitchen” di Tony Cinciripini) a Rachel Weisz (in “I Want You” di Michael Winterbottom) e da Sharon Stone e Isabelle Adjani (entrambe in “Diabolique” di Jeremiah S.Chechick) a Glenn Close (in “Il mistero Von Bulow” di Barbet Schroeder ) passando per Laura Dern (in “Cuore selvaggio” di David Lynch), Michelle Forbes (in “Kalifornia” di Dominic Sena) e Sean Young (in “Un bacio prima di morire” di James Dearden).
Si comincia il 3 luglio alle 21:55 con “Cuore Selvaggio” il film di David Lynch (“Velluto Blu”, “I segreti di Twin Peaks”) vincitore della Palma d’oro nel 1990. Sailor (Nicolas Cage), carcerato in liberta’ provvisoria, cerca di raggiungere il Texas assieme alla giovanissima Lula (Laura Dern). Ma è inseguito da alcuni killer, sguinzagliati dalla madre di Lula.
Seguiranno a luglio, “Diabolique” (giovedì 10), “Un bacio prima di morire” (giovedì 17), “Il Mistero Von Bulow” (giovedì 24) e “I Want You” (giovedì 31).
“Mother of Tears” will be released on dvd and bd in France on September 16th according to www.alapage.com. It will only have French and Italian Dolby 5.1 soundtracks.
Asia interviewed at Goodymusic: Non e’soltanto attrice Asia Argento, sempre piu’ versatile e’ diventata regista sceneggiatrice scrittrice ed ora conduttrice di un programma di Radio Due il bello e la bestia.
Click here to view it.
Thanks to the Asia Argento Community for the link.
Last but not least, the July Calendar is now in the gallery. Credit and thanks go out to mata as usual.
“King Shot” is the metaphysical gangster movie that Alejandro Jodorowsky intents to film in the Spanish deserts that inspired Sergio Leone. In the cast, there’s Asia and also Marilyn Manson in the role of a 300 year old dark Pope. The fim is supposed to be in the same style as “Sin City”. Producer Eric Bassett assures that it’ll contain enough sex and violence to obtain a NC 17 rating. The storyboard was made by artist Sylvain Despretz (The Fountain, Panic Room, The City of Lost Children and many others). You can view some of his drawings here in Galleria Fotografica.
Sometimes a film is as good as its cast. While a group of bad actors will never bring success, an exceptional performer can make a solid film into a standout. This is the case with “The Last Mistress,” an adaptation of a 19th-century novel in which the French well-to-do amuses itself by gossiping about the latest scandal. The milieu is ripe for social commentary, while the scandal in this film is ready-made for melodrama. Yet director Catherine Breillat, who has fixed a critical eye upon the politics of female sexuality in many films, is too interested in her characters to deliver just a series of thrills. Here Breillat directs one of the most thrilling actresses working today, and the latter makes this calculated study into a tale brimming with passion and sorrow.
Asia Argento is the mistress in question, and imagining the film without her is like picturing a non-Bardem “No Country,” or “There Will Be Blood” with Day-Lewis still on leave. For these two performers, method acting is not an aim; it’s as standard to the job as are the words “Action” and “Cut.” Argento, who should be nominated by the Academy this year if justice is to be served, brings the same level of focus and verity to her challenging role. The French-language film “The Last Mistress,” which will be in limited release and available On Demand on Friday, June 27, seems made for Argento, yet she singlehandedly achieves the film’s ambitions. Read the rest of this entry »
Look, I won’t be posting anything about the several gossipy news concerning Asia, the rottweiler, Go Go Tales and Abel Ferrara. If you want to read about it, just Google them. Why I’m not posting them? Because Ode to Azia is all about respecting Asia as a professional (and a human being) and I don’t wish to support gossipy journalism or paparazzi photography (the only exception being when Asia is photographed at work on film sets, attending public events, and photos that come with an article, etc.), or anything else that might be harmful to Ms. Argento and her family. I understand that people are curious and there is nothing wrong with that but let’s remember that we also should draw lines.
All I can say is that Asia doesn’t deny the movie. She regrets it only because she thinks the kiss was taken out of context and took proportions that she didn’t expect. She didn’t say that Abel forced her to do it. She said it came up spontaneously while filming. She didn’t premeditate. But the kiss ended up being such a scandal, and it made her very fragile because she didn’t mean it like that. The reason why she made this film was because Abel directed it. And every single thing she says or doesn’t say is getting misquoted. If she replies, she’s an exhibionist, perverted, God knows what. If she doesn’t reply, she’s arrogant, rude, and still perverted. Anyway, it doesn’t matter what she says. Some people already have an image and a perception of Asia that won’t change with new declarations. Or at least not in a near future. So why say something? She may be a public person, but she’s also entitled to choose when or what she wants to share with her audience. Anyway, her problem isn’t with Abel or the film, it’s with the scandal that originated from it.
I still recommend you go and see Go Go Tales for yourself if you’re a fan of Ferrara’s work. Don’t go see it for the wrong reasons or you won’t appreciate it. The film isn’t for everyone’s tastes. Asia has a very small role. She doesn’t kiss the dog the entire film. If you go to the toilet, you’ll probably miss the scene. And, yes, it’s a minor work by Ferrara (I had the chance to see it last year and I have to admit that it’s not among my faves by him — Ms 45 being my fave in case you wondered –), but at least he tried to do something different and didn’t stick to a formula that was proved successful in the past. And I like artists who take chances. So, that’s it. Go Go Tales premieres tomorrow in Italian cinemas.
“Music has always been my fixation, more than cinema. I was shaped by the things that my sister who used to be a DJ listened to. She put on from heavy metal to rap”. Asia Argento tells her passion for music, a love that pushed her to release a 3 CD compilation.
How was the idea born?
From my obsession for music of a certain kind, difficult to find. A single CD wasn’t enough for me to put in all the things that I wanted, so we did three. In the first one there’s techno from the early 90s to today’s electronica, in the second there’s primitive rock, in the third the things that I listen to the most these days.
What music represents contemporaneity the best?
It’s difficult to tell: today everything’s very fragmented, things are created and come to an end quickly. It’s difficult to hear something really new. What surely excites me the most are the outsiders, those who do their albums on their own, maybe even recording them with imperfections.
In the three CDs there’s few room for Italian music…
I don’t listen to Italian music, there aren’t really things that attract me.
Do our institutions do enough for music and culture?
No. That sentence by Goebbels comes to my mind: ‘Whenever I hear the word culture, I reach for my gun.’ In Italy there isn’t much that’s done, I fear that even less will be done now.
Immediate projects?
I’ll work on the new film by Alejandro Jodorowsky. And the new album by Munk is out: there are three songs composed by myself in it.
Asia was supposed to perform once again this Thursday at the Fnac of the Centro Commerciale Porta di Roma in order to promote her self-titled 3 CD compilation. But I’d like to inform you that she won’t be able to make it this time.
Thanks once again to Beatrice for sending in scans from Vanity Fair Italy. The photos were taken at Ischia, just like the Gente ones, but they show Asia in a cute pink bathing suit instead of the red bikini. The article also reveals that Asia is expecting a baby boy and that the rumours say he could be named after his grandpa Dario.
I also have a new link to share with you, Italian fans of Ms Argento. That’s a forum created by Viviana and dedicated to discuss everything that concerns our beloved Asia. I’ve often thought about starting a forum here, but ended up never doing so. I know that many of you wanted a place to talk about Asia, so this is the right place. Join the Asia Argento Community now!
Many thanks to Audrey for sending in scans from Spread Artculture. I had almost given up hope of receving scans from it. Sadly the quality isn’t that good and the scans are in black and white only. But the interview can be read perfectly without problems. I think that having bad quality scans is better than having nothing at all so I’m thankful and I hope that you’ll enjoy them as much as I do.
What kind of music do you make you daughter listen to?
“When I was pregnant with my first child, I read that after 6 months, babies can feel the music in the womb so I listened to a lot of Beatles and Beach Boys and I even put the boxes close to the belly. And I have to say that the effect is true, because when she was born and had colics I put ‘Yellow Submarine’ on and she calmed down. Even to this day she asks me to listen to it.”
And now that you’re pregnant again?
“The Beatles again, because it’s an universal music.”
About your private life: did you read the declarations by Morgan who says he still suffers because of you?
“Yes, but I don’t want to feed these ugly things that are published in the newspapers, they’re really vulgar. One day I know that I’ll regret it, especially because of my daughter. One needs a little more discretion and dignity in life. These declarations degenerate later so I prefer to let it pass.”
What have you been up to?
“Music, yet again. An album by the German Munk was released not so long ago, I wrote 3 songs and also shot a video with them, a very strong piece of music. I’m proud of the first single because that’s my text and I’ve also sung it. And there’s another work of mine with the French Archigram, Antipop, that’s out these days. But I don’t have ambitions as a singer. That’s all about people I knew who asked me to collaborate with them and I agreed. In the next days I’ll record some rock songs with that artist that I like who’s called The Legendary Tigerman. He comes from Portugal, and he’s a one man band. But from June 2nd to August 2nd I’m on Radio 2 every morning from 9:30 am to 11 am alongside Gianfranco Monti.”
And you talk about…?
“Anything. I’m very interested in exchanging opinions with the listeners.”
Was cinema left aside?
“Next fall I’ll have a role in the new film by Jodorowsky, and I’m very happy about it. And then I’ll work on a long feature film entirely mine which will be produced in France and that I’ll film in 2009.”
How do you work so well in France?
“Gomorra gave me an incredible hope, with an universal breath that was more than international. I consider it an absolute masterpiece. I haven’t seen a film like that in the past 30 years. Maybe in France they have a taste that’s more inclined towards experimental cinema, vanguard.”
Many thanks to the lovely Beatrice for the Gente scans.
The photos were taken at Ischia and the most relevant parts from the interview were translated in the previous post. But if you understand Italian, it’s better to read the whole thing.
You probably noticed that I’m not uploading episodes from “Il Bello E La Bestia” anymore. Well, not only because it saves Aisha and I some work, but also because you can find them on mp3 over here. Thanks to Audrey for the heads-up.
Asia is five months pregnant and wishes to get married with her new companion, Michele Civetta. She also tells how their relationship was born: “We met five years ago in the United States, but we were both in other relationships. We remained friends and we met again, when we were both single, last year. It’s the first time that it happens to me that a simple friendship blossoms into love. I want to get married, but he’s Italian American and the burocracy here in Italy is very complicated.”
About Go Go Tales: “I wish I had never made it. My scene was exploited and people only talked about it.”
In the meantime Argento reinvents herself as a DJ, releases a 3 CD compilation, and presents a radio show every morning on Radiodue with her friend Gianfranco Monti called Il Bello E La Bestia. A show for the family, in which, she gives advices to inexperienced mothers, offering a never seen before and more mature image of herself: “Babies in the womb feel the music. My daughter Anna Lou, who is seven, loves the Beatles just like me. ‘Yellow Submarine’ was very good in calming her crying and colics.”
There’s a video on YouTube about Asia’s presentation at Goodymusic. She’s interviewed and everything goes smooth but at the end, she’s asked a controversial question about the rottweiler kiss in “Go Go Tales” (that she’s answered a million times) and storms out. Some journalists just need to be more professional and ask more original, suitable questions. But I’ve to say that even in that moment, Asia is simply graceful and elegant.
“Asia Argento si arrabbia con una giornalista!” says the Italian press… Oh really?!
By the way, Asia won’t be doing any promotion for “Go Go Tales” that will premiere in Italian cinemas on June 20th.
Many thanks to Marta, a fan from Sicily who went especially to Rome to see Asia! I’ve been planing a Fan Photo section along with my many gallery-wise updates. But, of course, doing so takes a lot more time than thinking about it. But, when my updates will finally be online, I’m sure that you’ll all be very pleasantely surprised! Anyway, Marta seems like she was very well positioned, doesn’t she?
By the way, Italian fans, “Go Go Tales” will finally premiere in Italian cinemas on June 20th 2008!!! I saw it last year, and even though Asia only has a tiny part, it’s worth seeing because of Abel Ferrara’s direction and the spontaneous way he lets his actors work. “De La Guerre” isn’t showing in French cinemas yet, but it was shown as an avant-premiere in Paris during the “reprise de la Quinzaine” (Cannes Festival). Its French premiere date is October 15th!!! So we have plenty of time ahead of us.
I’ve added 15 HQs of Asia at Goodymusic last Friday for the release of her CD compilation. I’ll be adding a few more photos from this same event tomorrow. But they’ll be photos taken by a fan, Marta. I’ll be updating in separate days to let you take the time to appreciate all photos with calm.
Last but not least, here’s a link to a great French blog to keep in touch with all things Dario Argento run by Guillaume, a big Dario Argento and Michael Mann fan.
Thanks to Audrey for sending me a link to a video directed by Asia for a jewelry collection. Delfina is Silvia Fendi’s daughter. Roman born Delfina followed her father steps, the French jewelry master Bertrand Delettrez. And in September 2007, Delfina Delettrez Fendi presented her first collection of jewels. That was an instant success. Asia, who is a friend of Delfina and an admiror of her work, directed “Delfinasia” for the launch of Delfina’s collection. The film was shown at Colette (a Parisian fashion store) on October 1st 2007. Go to YouTube to watch it now!
A big thank you to my wonderful friend Stef for the Film Comment scans. And another one to Aisha and Claudio for the third episode of “Il Bello E La Bestia”. As usual, the songs were edited out. We left all the Asia and Gianfranco talking. But this time we missed the first 10 minutes.
It’s very interesting and also different that Film Comment commented so lenghtly on Asia/Vellini’s orgasms. In an interview last year, Asia said that she gave her best on-screen orgasm in this film. Film Comment definitely agrees with her: “Vellini’s orgasms punctuate the narrative the way big arias punctuate a grand opera. They arrest the narrative completely and yet they are the reason for the narrative’s existence. Argento is the Maria Callas of orgasms — her formal control over the expression of passion is peerless. While each of the scenes differs from the others in emotional tonality (ranging from deliciously tender to grotesquely primal), in each of them the focus at the moment of climax is Vellini’s avidly desirous face.” I think that many didn’t notice the subtlety while viewing the movie. And “Maria Callas of orgasms” is definitely an original and cool quote! Don’t you think?
Do you remember the 3 disc compilation, with songs chosen by Asia and artwork made by herself, that I mentioned a while ago?
Well, the CD, produced by Antibe Music, was released in stores on May 23rd.
And Asia will be promoting it at two different occasions.
On June 6th (this Friday!), she’ll be at GOODYMUSIC, in Rome, a store that Asia has been frequenting since she was little. She’ll also perform a DJ gig that day.
On June 19th, Asia will be at the FNAC di Porta di Roma to talk about this work that includes a “gem”: a booklet with writings, drawings and comments from Asia’s secret journal.
Venerdì 6 giugno – ore 18,30
GOODYMUSIC, Roma
Giovedì 19 giugno – ore 18,30
FNAC (Centro Commerciale Porta di Roma)
If you attend any of those events, contact me to share the experience and photos (if you’re ok with having your face online).
I usually don’t post paparazzi or “private” pictures but this one was posed and appeared in a serious newspaper — not a tabloid — so I’ll make an exception. Asia and Michele Civetta spent five days of relaxation and thermal treatments at the Regina Isabella. That was right before returning to Rome in order to start her brand new radio show. Since we’re talking about it, I’ll probably have an mp3 later in the day. I won’t be providing mp3s every single day during those two months, but I’ll give you an idea of how it is. By the way, contributions and feedback are appreciated, so don’t hesitate to contact me. They’re usually the sames who email. And it’d be great if more fans participated! After all, this is a site made as a tribute to Asia but also to share our mutual passion between us, fans from all over the world!
Many many thanks to Aisha without who this update wouldn’t be possible. I have now uploaded to the gallery a zipped MP3 file containing the first episode of Asia’s new radio show. This is an edited version. The songs were left out due to time and size. But you get to hear Asia talk about life, family, etc Enjoy!
Thank you again, Lu! 
