Taormina Film Festival Kicks Off With Super-Tenors Placido Domingo, Vittorio Grigolo; Amber Heard Makes Her First Film Fest Appearance Since Johnny Depp Trial

The newly rebooted Taormina Film Festival kicked off on Friday night in the Sicilian city’s landmark Teatro Antico amphitheatre in an unusual but magnificent style with benefit event “Pavarotti Forever”.

Placido Domingo, who was part of the famed The Three Tenors trio with Pavarotti and José Carreras, was among those celebrating the memory of the super-tenor in an event mixing filmed archive material and live performances.

The 82-year-old Spanish star was joined on stage by Italian opera singer Vittorio Grigolo, long tipped as Pavarotti’s successor, and a host of other top classical music stars including Marcelo Àlvarez, Aida Garifullina and Andrea Griminelli.

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Talking to Deadline after the concert, Domingo admitted it was emotional singing and then looking up at the big screen to see interviews and performances from the former maestro. 

“We have so many amazing memories of our friend and it’s very sad that he can’t be here now but life is life and so we remember these days with a great friend, a great artist and we have had so much fun singing and then to be able to look up at him on the screen is just beautiful,” he said.  

Beatrice Venezi, who is co-artistic director of the film fest along with Barrett Wissman, conducted the orchestra on the balmy summer evening as the artists paid tribute to some of Pavarotti’s most famed arias from operas such as La Bohème and Rigoletto.

Domingo and Grigolo praised Venezi’s conducting skills and said it was refreshing to see a female conductor on the podium for such an important evening.

“Luciano loved female talents in this business, and I think he would have loved seeing a strong woman conduct this event,” said Grigolo.

Friday’s night concert also featured a number of young talents who have been supported by the Luciano Pavarotti Foundation, which was set up in the late artist’s name to continue his legacy.

Venezi and Grigolo also praised Domingo’s efforts to champion young talent in the classical music sphere throughout his career. 

“He is so humble,” said Grigolo. “The way he embraces young people is very important and is the future. Men like him and Luciano [Pavarotti] who have been so successful at a high level, have been important in helping the younger generation come through.” 

The 69th edition of the Taormina Film Festival will see Harrison Ford, Phoebe Waller-Bridge and Mads Mikkelsen touch down in the picturesque city for the Italian premiere of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny on Sunday evening.

Before then, Amber Heard is expected at the world premiere of her supernatural period film In the Fire, directed by Conor Allyn, who previously directed Frank Grillo western No Man’s Land. 

The film marks Heard’s return to the big screen after last year’s infamous trial with ex-husband Johnny Depp. 

Heard slipped into the opera gala on Friday evening midway through the event, but while paparazzi pursued her outside the venue, the opera crowd inside did not bat an eyelid as she took to her seat.

Another film set to world premiere over the coming days is Zoe Saldana and Garrett Hedlund starrer The Absence of Eden, from director Marco Perego, which will screen on June 30.

Festival runs from June 23-July 1, 2023. 

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