Franco Battiato: the documentary “Il coraggio di essere Franco” airs on Rai3

More than five years after the passing of Franco Battiato, Rai3 pays tribute to the great Sicilian singer-songwriter with “Il coraggio di essere Franco”, the docu-film airing tonight in prime time on Rai3 (later streaming on RaiPlay). Directed by Angelo Bozzolini and first broadcast on Rai1 in 2022, a year after the death of the artist from Jonia, the documentary traces the long personal and creative journey of the Sicilian musician through archival footage, testimonials and previously unseen material.
The story follows all the key stages of his career: from his beginnings in experimental music to pop success in the 1980s, up to his more mature phase, marked by an interest in spirituality and philosophy and by a constant artistic quest that led him to push beyond the boundaries of the traditional song format.

Guiding the narration is the voice of Alessandro Preziosi. The documentary also gathers testimonials from artists and friends who shared Battiato's journey, including Alice, Sonia Bergamasco, Willem Dafoe, Morgan, Luca Madonia and Giovanni Caccamo. During the film, Morgan performs “Battiato mi spezza il cuore”, the song written during the singer-songwriter's illness, which in 2017 forced him to withdraw from the scene, cancelling all live commitments.
One of the most valuable aspects of the documentary lies in its extensive use of previously unseen material. Through the account of his niece Cristina Battiato and contributions from the family archives, Rai, the Cineteca di Bologna and Universal Music, an intimate and personal portrait of the artist emerges. The film also features exclusive footage shot in his homes in Milan and Milo, at the foot of Mount Etna, and in places linked to his spiritual search.

Among the rarest documents are handwritten texts dating back to 1966 and photographs from Battiato's first musical project alongside Gregorio Alicata, the duo “Gli ambulanti” — testimonials that recount the beginnings of one of the most innovative and influential musicians in the history of Italian song.

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