Dario Fo and political activism in ’74, the photographer Bordoni: “His magic in my shots”

“Yes, I took those photos”, confides Bordoni to Adnkronos. “I worked for Paese Sera and that was the year of occupations. I was sent to the Faculty of Architecture in Valle Giulia, which was occupied”. The shots are not just the portrait of a great artist, but the photography of an entire era. “It was a very eventful time,” explains the photographer. “There were protests almost every day, in various faculties. It was the period of protests over Vietnam, the period after the Hot Autumn.” Details that also emerge clearly from the images, with his fight posters. But 1974 was also a tragic year: “There was the Italicus train massacre – recalls Bordoni – and precisely in those years the Red Brigades were already starting to make themselves felt, unfortunately they started shooting”.

At the center of that ferment was Dario Fo. But what did he say in that speech? “He was a particular type,” says Bordoni. “He made a speech that in the end was also political, but it started from afar. He talked about a bit of everything and then got to politics. Being left-wing, that was his orientation”.

What struck the photographer most, however, was not so much the political content, but the Fo’s extraordinary ability to hold the stage. “The nice thing is that, once the photos were taken, I stopped to listen to him. He was someone who knew how to capture attention. If you pay attention to the photos, you can see that the children in the audience were paying a lot of attention. He was able to capture the interest, beyond the concept he expressed. It was very theatrical.” Such a magnetism that Bordoni himself, despite having to return to the editorial office, remained to listen. “Even I, who was young at the time, sat down with them to listen to everything he said.”

According to Bordoni, some echoes of those years still resonate today. “In certain cases I find similarities. For example, there were anarchists then and even now they are returning, as are certain student protests. It is a similar period in some ways, and you have to be very careful.” However, a figure like that of Fo is missing. “It’s true that even now many public figures expose themselves, but not like him. Dario Fo was unique. He had this incredible ability to talk for hours, touching on various topics. There wasn’t always a logical thread, but in the end he concluded. It was fascinating.”

Those photos were the only occasion in which Bordoni met Fo for work. “He didn’t come to Rome often. It was an exceptional case.” After the shots, there was no time for introductions. “I had to return to the newspaper. In those days we made three editions, morning, afternoon and night, and we needed photos. The roll of film was developed, the photos were printed, dried and taken to the editor-in-chief. Those were different times.”

“There is a bit of nostalgia”, Bordoni finally admits. But it’s not just the regret for youth. It’s thereto nostalgia for a world that allowed the luxury of time: the time to develop a photograph by hand, to listen to a speech for hours, to let a thought settle. Today, decades later, those photos continue to speak. They talk about Fo, the kids who listened to him, the banners and the hopes of an entire generation. (Of Loredana Errico)