Film screenings + talks
April 21—25, 2026
Fondazione Sozzani, Milan
On the occasion of Milan Design Week, from April 21 to 25, 2026, Francesca Molteni, together with Muse Factory of Projects in collaboration with Fondazione Sozzani, presents “RACCONTI DI DESIGN E CITTÀ. Film screenings + talks” — a program of documentary films and talks exploring contemporary projects and visions. These include portraits of designers and architects, masters of Italian design, radical movements, design methodologies, and stories of new neighborhoods and cities in transformation.
The project highlights the cultural and social dimension of architecture and design, addressing not only professionals but also a broad and international audience eager to discover the world of creativity and its protagonists, told through the language of cinema, during the week in which Milan reaffirms itself as the capital of design.
The program features six documentary films, ranging from masters of Italian design who shaped its history — such as Alessandro Mendini, Gio Ponti, and the figures of Italian Radical Design — to contemporary agents of change, including Elisabetta Trezzani/Renzo Piano Building Workshop, Cino Zucchi/CZA, and Humberto Campana/Estúdio Campana.
The audience is invited to discover the new headquarters of the Fondazione Sozzani at Via Bovisasca 87 in Milan, which not only hosts the Foundation’s programs but also preserves its archives dating back to 1990 and includes a library dedicated to photography and fashion, supporting its educational activities.
The screenings are preceded by talks with architects, designers, curators, and key figures featured in the films.
A project curated by Francesca Molteni with Muse Factory of Projects, in collaboration with Fondazione Sozzani.
Special thanks to Nicola Paccagnella / Arte Applicata.
PROGRAMME
Tuesday, April 21, 6:30 PM
With Elisabetta Trezzani, partner and director of RPBW, and Fulvio Irace, Professor Emeritus of Architectural History
Inside Renzo Piano Building Workshop
Directed by Claudia Adragna and Davide Fois, duration 52’
The documentary portrays the working method of the Renzo Piano Building Workshop: meetings, phone calls, project reviews, unexpected challenges, and construction-site difficulties — the place where the miracle of creation unfolds, from initial sketches to the final building. Behind it all is Renzo Piano, with two of his greatest qualities: being a mentor while maintaining critical distance from a project, and the ability to visualize problems and find the most effective solutions.
Wednesday, April 22, 11:30 AM – MILAN PREMIERE
With Cino Zucchi, architect at CZA, and Marco Amato, Director of Lavazza Museum Nuvola. An open project to the city
Directed by Luca Caon, duration 52’
Designed by Cino Zucchi, Nuvola is the core of a major urban regeneration and transformation project that, starting from Lavazza’s headquarters in Turin, involves the Aurora district in dialogue with the city and its inhabitants. The film shows how architecture has come to life, transforming an abandoned site into an open, multifaceted space oriented toward the future.
After its premiere at the Artecinema Festival in Naples and screenings in Toronto, Istanbul, Zagreb, London, Turin, Rome, Seoul, Winnipeg, and New Zealand, it finally arrives in Milan.
Thursday, April 23, 11:30 AM
With Humberto Campana, architect at Estúdio Campana
We The Others. Forty Years of Collaboration in Design: The Life and Work of the Campana Brothers
By Maria Cristina Didero and Francesca Molteni, directed by Francesca Molteni, duration 55’
The film explores the life and work of Brazilian designers Fernando and Humberto Campana on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of their studio. From cactus-shaped toys made as children to their latest project in their hometown of Brotas — a park where twelve “green pavilions” are under construction — the documentary offers, through a series of interviews and Humberto’s voice and presence, a portrait of the extraordinary lives of these two artists.
Friday, April 24, 11:30 AM
With Salvatore Licitra, Gio Ponti Archives, Paolo Rosselli, photographer, Elisa and Fulvia Mendini, Alessandro Mendini Archive
Loving Gio Ponti
Directed by Francesca Molteni, duration 35’
The first documentary dedicated to the great master, featuring testimonies from his heirs and interviews with contemporary protagonists. A portrait of the man and the architect — an aspiring painter and a pioneer of Italian design — who, over more than fifty years of activity, experimented tirelessly with everything, from the smallest object to large-scale urban planning, from designing a handle to conceiving a masterplan.
I Wanted to Be Walt Disney. Alessandro Mendini
Directed by Francesca Molteni, duration 31’
He wanted to be Walt Disney — and became Alessandro Mendini. The creator of a parallel universe, ironic and tragic, deeply personal yet capable of speaking to the world in every language: architecture, art, design, writing, and criticism. A key figure of the 20th and 21st centuries, who in the film recounts a dream turned into reality, much like Walt Disney. A journey enriched by encounters with figures such as Alberto Alessi, Emilio Ambasz, François Burkhardt, Germano Celant, Anna Gili, and Joseph Grima, alongside obsessions and utopias, such as the pursuit of the perfect design object.
Saturday, April 25, 11:30 AM
With Francesca Balena Arista, design critic, Elisabetta Trincherini, Head of Poltronova Archive, Maria Cristina Didero, independent curator
SuperDesign. Italian Radical Design 1965–75
By Maria Cristina Didero and Francesca Molteni, directed by Francesca Molteni, duration 55’
“SuperDesign” is a film about 19 protagonists of the Italian Radical Design Movement who, through their own words, retrace its history and legacy: Emilio Ambasz, Franco Audrito, Dario Bartolini, Lapo Binazzi, Andrea Branzi, Germano Celant, Gilberto Coretti, Pietro Derossi, Piero Gilardi, Ugo La Pietra, Roberta Meloni, Alessandro Mendini, Adolfo Natalini, Gaetano Pesce, Gianni Pettena, Franco Raggi, Charlie Stendig, Cristiano Toraldo di Francia, Jim Walrod.
What remains today? What is the legacy of the Radical Movement in a historical moment where the speed of cultural change has produced not only widespread conformity but also a loss of values?
RACCONTI DI DESIGN E CITTÀ. Film screenings + talks
April 21—25, 2026
Screenings in Italian and English:
Tuesday, April 21 at 6:30 PM
From Wednesday, April 22 to Saturday, April 25 at 11:30 AM, 3:30 PM, and 6:30 PM
At Fondazione Sozzani, via Bovisasca 87 – Milan
Open daily from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM
For information
info@museweb.it
www.museweb.it
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Muse Factory of Projects is an independent production company based in Milan, founded in 2009 by director Francesca Molteni after years of collaboration with television networks, publishers, and production companies. Muse specializes in documentary films focused on cultural, social, and environmental themes, explored through the lens of historical and contemporary design. With its audiovisual expertise, Muse has built a multidisciplinary team of authors and professionals who oversee every stage of production across various formats including feature films, video installations, and audiovisual content for public and private cultural institutions. Muse productions have been selected by major national and international film festivals, as well as Italian and international broadcasters.
Fondazione Sozzani was established in 2016 by Carla Sozzani and is dedicated to the promotion of culture through photography, fashion, the fine arts, and applied arts. The Foundation has assumed the patronage of Galleria Carla Sozzani and continues all relevant public functions that the Gallery has supported since 1990. Sara Sozzani Maino curates and coordinates projects dedicated to education, responsibility and the next generation of crea