Rita Rusić

Rita Rusić (Italian: [ˈriːta ˈruːzitʃ], Croatian: [ˈriːta ˈruːsitɕ]; born May 16, 1960), also known as Rita Cecchi Gori, is a Croatian born Italian producer, actress and singer.[1] Rusic's career began as an actress with a major role in the 1982 film Attila flagello di Dio. She was eventually moved into the film industry, with Il pentito in 1982. Later that year she also began filming Joan Lui - Ma un giorno nel paese arrivo io di lunedì.

Rita Rusić
Rusić with Diego Abatantuono in Attila flagello di Dio, 1982
Born	(1960-05-16) May 16, 1960 Poreč, Croatia, Yugoslavia
Nationality	Croatian-Italian
Other names	Rita Cecchi Gori
Occupation	Film producer
Years active	1982–present
Children	Vittoria Cecchi Gori Mario Cecchi Gori Jr.

Following her work as a singer and an actress, Rusić became a producer in the early 1990s. Since then she has been a recognized producer for over 80 films. Many of these films were released primarily in Italy, but a number of them had global success. Rusić also featured on the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars.

Early life

Rusić was born in 1960 in Poreč, in the Istrian region of Croatia (then part of Yugoslavia). In 1981, she met filmmaker Vittorio Cecchi Gori, whom she eventually married.

Career

Model (1977–1981)

Rusić started her career as a fashion model at the age of 17. Her modelling career started in Milan, where she worked on mainly advertising campaigns for both magazines and television. Her modelling work led her to work for Fiat, Tampax, Timex and Cognac.

While she was working as a model, she was awarded the beauty pageant titles of Miss Santamarina and Miss Zelena Laguna. While studying medicine at the University of Milan, she met Vittorio Cecchi Gori and subsequently moved into the film industry.

Singer and actress (1982–1992)

Rusić's first notable film as an actress was the 1982 film Attila flagello di Dio. After acting in several other films during the 1980s, she began managing a film business with her husband Vittorio Cecchi Gori. Following her debut performance as an actress, Rusić moved into the music industry, releasing two singles in 1984 and 1985. Her debut single was Love Me or Leave Me Now.[2] The following year, Rusić released her second single, titled Sex Without Love. The song featured on the soundtrack for the film Joan Lui - Ma un giorno nel paese arrivo io di lunedì, which she also starred in. The single was recorded with Adriano Celentano.[3] In 1988, Rusić starred as Alexandra in the Italian produced film, The Third Solution. The film is based on The Pope's meeting with the head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.

Becoming a producer (1993–present)

Rusić's next major role was as a producer in 1993 on the film Storia di una capinera, where she was Executive Producer. During the same year she was also a producer on two other films, Arriva la bufera and Le donne non-vogliono più. In 1994, she worked as a producer alongside her husband on Il toro.[4] The Italian comedy-drama film was directed by Carlo Mazzacurati and was awarded with the Silver Lion and the Volpi Cup for best supporting actor to Roberto Citran.[4]

In 1995, Rusić produced the film, The Star Maker. The film was originally known as L'Uomo delle stelle in Italy, was directed by Giuseppe Tornatore, while the title role was played by Sergio Castellitto. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in its year of release.[5]

Rusić produced the Italian science fiction film, titled Nirvana in 1997. It was directed by Gabriele Salvatores and starred Christopher Lambert, Diego Abatantuono, Sergio Rubini, and Stefania Rocca. It was also screened out of competition at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.[6] Rusić produced Il ciclone and Fuochi d'artificio, and was the domestic and international distributor of Life Is Beautiful, three-time Oscar winner: Best Actor, Best Music Score and Best Foreign Movie, best price of the jury in Cannes Film Festival, and best Italian movie by David di Donatello.[7][8] Later that year she produced an adaptation film called On Guard, from the 1858 historical novel Le Bossu by Paul Féval. The film is about a skilled swordsman named Lagardère who is befriended by the Duke of Nevers. When the duke is attacked by his evil cousin Gonzague, the duke in his dying moments asks Lagardère to avenge him and look after his infant daughter.[9][10] After divorcing Vittorio Cecchi Gori in 2000, Rusić became a producer on her own and founded the agency "The Rita Rusić Company". In 2006, she appeared as a leading actress in a TV series 48 Hours. In 2007, she also restarted her career as a singer.

In May 2008 Rusić published a book titled Jet Sex Diario erotico sentimentale, published by CHI Mondadori. In 2009 she went back to acting, appearing in the film Polvere by Massimiliano D'Epirus and Daniel Proietti, playing the part of the mother.[11] She is the creator and writer of the first 12 episodes of the Italian TV series Amiche mie. She was in a jury of Miss Italia in 2009 and 2010. She participated as a guest in hundreds TV shows, including as a judge in several episodes of the Italian version of Dancing with the Stars, replacing Fabio Canino. She also appeared in other reality shows, The Factory in 2006 and Thank God You Are Here in 2009.

Filmography

Year	Film	Credits	Role	Notes
1982	Attila flagello di Dio	Actress	Uraia	as Rita Rusić
1985	Il pentito		Unknown	as Rita Cecchi Gori
	Joan Lui - Ma un giorno nel paese arrivo io di lunedì		Singer in the temple
1988	The Third Solution (as known as Russicum – I giorni del diabolo)		Unknown
1993	Le donne non-vogliono più	Producer	N/A
	Sparrow
1994	Il toro
	Poliziotti
1995	Storia d'amore con i crampi
	I laureati
	La scuola
	Pasolini, un delitto italiano
	L'uomo delle stelle
	Viaggi di nozze
1996	Sono pazzo di Iris Blond
	Ritorno a casa Gori
	Ferie d'agosto
	Vite strozzate
	Il barbiere di Rio
	Fantozzi – Il ritorno
	Il ciclone
1997	Ovosodo
	Naja
	Nirvana
	Camere da letto
	Banzai
	Life Is Beautiful
	Fuochi d'artificio
	On Guard
1998	L'amico del cuore
	Gallo cedrone
1999	Lucignolo
2000	Ogni lasciato è perso			as Rita Rusić
2001	Stregati dalla luna
2002	Un amore perfetto
	Angela
2008	Scusa ma ti chiamo amore
2009	Polvere	Actress	Mother
	Scusa ma ti voglio sposare	Producer	N/A
	Baciato dalla fortuna

Discography

• Rita Rusić – Love Me Or Leave Me Now (1984)
• Adriano Celentano featuring Rita Rusić – Sex Without Love (1985)

References

1. Maltin, Leonard (August 5, 2008). Leonard Maltin's 2009 Movie Guide. Penguin. pp. 1397–. ISBN 9780452289789. Retrieved July 9, 2012.
2. "Rita Rusic – Love Me Or Leave Me Now". discogs.
3. "Adriano Celentano – Joan Lui Soundtrack". discogs.
4. Enrico Lancia. I premi del cinema. Gremese Editore, 1998. ISBN 88-7742-221-1.
5. "The Star Maker (1995)". The Internet Movie Database.
6. "NIRVANA". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012.
7. Box Office Information for Life is Beautiful. Archived June 19, 2013, at the Wayback Machine The Wrap. Retrieved April 4, 2013
8. Life is Beautiful Archived July 13, 2012, at Archive.today The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Retrieved December 28, 2010
9. "LA VITA E BELLA". festival-cannes.com. Archived from the original on January 18, 2012.
10. "Le bossu". IMDb. Retrieved April 8, 2012.
11. "Polvere (2009)". IMDb.

External links

• Rita Rusić on IMDb