‘For every dollar you give away, you’ll get a hundred back. And for every buck you steal, you’ll lose a thousand.‘
Albert r. broccoli – 1909 – 1996
Twenty-seven years since his passing, one of Bond’s founding fathers and vital captains has been remembered in his ancestral Southern Italy.
Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli has been honoured with a striking bronze bust designed by master sculptor, Domenico Sepe. Cited in Villa Quintieri before being moved to Calabria, the fitting tribute pays ancestral homage to Cubby’s parents Giovanni and Kristina Vence – who lived and were married in the Italian town before moving to the US.
Cubby’s family, friends and Bond families attended the mayoral ceremony to unveil the bust – led by his proud children Barbara Broccoli, Michael G, Wilson, Tina Broccoli and Tony Broccoli. The four siblings were also given honorary citizenships in what has been affectionally called ‘Operation Broccoli’ and were joined by local dignitaries, Bond actors and regional film commission representatives. A short film season and a path of Bond poster imagery added to the summer commemorations.
“When we were in trouble, my father told us to go back to Ian’s novels, to start from the pages written by him” notes Barbara Broccoli, “We always tried to ‘keep alive the spirit of Fleming’, who was a great traveler and loved Italy. It is for this reason that we have chosen, over the course of sixty years, Italian places such as Siena, Venice, Como, Matera and Rome”.
Producer Michael G. Wilson also discusses a new academic sponsorship designed to promote new filmmaking talents both in Calabria and the UK’s NFTS. He explains how “we are therefore delighted to continue his legacy by launching the Cubby Broccoli Scholarship with the Universita Della Calabria in Cosenza and the UK’s National School of Film and Television (NFTS) as part of our shared commitment to nurture and empower up-and-coming filmmakers.”
