SIAE press release: Ozpetek launches the proposal of a day of celebration dedicated to those who work in hospitals to safeguard the health of all

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The following press release is from member society SIAE.


Mogol: "People working in hospitals deserve the country to remember them even once the emergency is over".

Ozpetek launches the proposal of a day of celebration dedicated tot those who work in hospitals to safeguard the health of all.

Among the petitioners, Ennio Morricone, Nicola Piovani, Paolo Sorrentino, Giuseppe Tornatore, Gabriele Salvatores, Francesca Lo Schiavo, Gabriella Pesucci, Milena Canonero, Dante Ferretti, Vasco Rossi, Renato Zero, Caterina Caselli, Giuliano Sangiorgi, Ligabue, Roby Facchinetti, Carlo Verdone, Alessandro Gassman, Fiorello, Lilli Gruber, Giorgio Armani, Giovanni Minoli, Ciro Immobile, Fabio Cannavaro, Marco Materazzi and Marco Tarelli.

Ferzan Ozpetek, one of the most representative directors of our cinema, has put forward a proposal to dedicate a day to those who have fought and continue to fight the Coronavirus on the frontline, in order to remind us in the future of the fundamental importance and constant commitment of those who work in hospitals. SIAE, which supports the initiative and will launch an online platform to gather signatures, immediately welcomed the director's proposal.

Ferzan Ozpetek writes: «I got the idea of proposing a day dedicated to white lab coats - but for all, really all of those who work in hospitals – while talking to friends who are doctors and left Rome to go and help in hospitals in the North of Italy. Their stories on the phone sounded truly distressful. There were many deaths among doctors and health workers. I would like that if a child, maybe 10 years from now, asked us: "What does White Lab Coats Day mean?", we could tell him the stories of women and men who worked and sacrificed themselves in order to help others. It will also be a day of remembrance for those who lost their lives, but above all, it will be a day of celebration and appreciation for all those who work in hospitals. People we cannot, we don’t want, we must not forget once the current emergency is over ".

The date proposed by Ozpetek - and suggested to the director by Luciana Littizzetto - is February 20th, the day on which Annalisa Malara, anesthesiologist at Codogno’s hospital, discovered that Mattia, the 38 years old identified as "Patient One", had been infected with the Coronavirus.

And on February 20th each year, we hope, it will be white lab coats day.

«I support with great enthusiasm the proposal launched by Ferzan Ozpetek to establish, on February 20th each year, a day of celebration dedicated to white lab coats, that are not sparing themselves, that are sacrificing themselves and that are putting their lives at risk on a daily basis to protect ours" says SIAE’s President, Giulio Rapetti Mogol. "Doctors, nurses and paramedics but also people who ensure hygiene and cleanliness in hospitals. In order to always remind us of them, on February 20th each year. To this end, I askedSIAE’s Managing Director, Gaetano Blandini, to draw up a petition, open not only to the

90,000 SIAE’s members but to all artists and more generally to all citizens. I am, along with director Ozpetek, the first signer. I am confident that a very large number of people will sign".

On April 21st, the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers will launch the online platform www.festadeicamicibianchi.it: all those who want to support the proposal are invited to visit the dedicated website and endorse the appeal.

SIAE’s Managing Director Gaetano Blandini has submitted the petition to the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella and for their information to the President of the Italian Senate, Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati and to the President of the Italia

Chamber of Deputies, Roberto Fico. The Head of the Italian State is being asked to become promoter of the initiative so that the Italian Parliament can establish a "White Lab Coat Day". The letter, of which Mogol and Ozpetek are the first signatories, has already been signed by 144 authors, artists and personalities from the world of culture and sport.

«We are proud that this initiative is being promoted, through SIAE, by men and women who create culture, show business and the world of entertainment in our country. As the famous musician and composer Jean Michel Jarre, President of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers, recently wrote: “Culture makes us all resilient and gives us all hope. It reminds us that we are not alone", states Blandini.

Petitioners of the letter:

Andrea Bocelli, Al Bano, Alba Rohrwacher, Alberto Brandi, Alessandro Cattelan, Alessandro Gassman, Alessandro Genovesi, Alessandro Lai, Alessandro Usai, Alexandre Pato, Amadeus, Ambra Angiolini, Andrea De Sica, Andrea Purgatori, Angelo Barbagallo, Anna Bonaiuto, Anna Ferzetti, Anna Foglietta, Antonia Dell’Atte, Diodato, Arturo Muselli, Beppe Marotta, Biagio Antonacci, Brando De Sica, Camilla Nesbit, Carla Signoris, Carlo Degli Esposti, Carlo Verdone, Caterina Caselli, Caterina Vertova, Checco Zalone, Ciro Immobile, Claudio Baglioni, Claudio Bisio, Claudio Santamaria, Cristian De Sica, Dante Ferretti, Domenico Procacci, Donato Carrisi, Edoardo Leo, Elena Sofia Ricci, Emma Marrone, Ennio Morricone, Eva Riccobono, Ezio Greggio, Fabio Canino, Fabio Cannavaro, Fabio De Luigi, Fabio Volo, Fabrizio Gifuni, Fausto Puglisi, Ferzan Ozpetek, Filippo Sugar, Fiorella Mannoia, Fiorello, Francesca Lo Schiavo, Francesca Schiavone, Francesco Pannofino, Francesco Vezzoli, Gabriele Salvatores, Gabriella Pescucci, Gianni Romoli, Giorgia, Giorgio Armani, Giorgio Marchesi, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Giovanni Minoli, Giovanni Veronesi, Giuliano Sangiorgi, Giulio Rapetti Mogol, Giuseppe Tornatore, Guendalina Ponti, Iaia Forte, Ivan Cotroneo, Jasmine Trinca, Javier Zanetti, Kasia Smutniak, Lapo Elkann, Laura Pausini, Ligabue, Lilli Gruber, Luca Argentero, Luciana Littizzetto, Mara Venier, Marco Balsamo, Marco Materazzi, Marco Tardelli, Margareth Mazzantini, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Mario Lavezzi, Massimiliano Pani, Massimo Boldi, Maurizio Crozza, Mauro Balletti, Michelle Hunziker, Milena Canonero, Milly Carlucci, Miriam Leone, Moira Mazzantini, Myrta Merlino, Nicola Piovani, Nicoletta Mantovani, Ornella Muti, Ornella Vanoni, Paola Minaccioni, Paolo Fresu, Paolo Genovese, Paolo Ruffini, Paolo Sorrentino, Pappi Corsicato, Pier Francesco Favino, Pierluigi Pardo, Piero Maccarinelli, Pietro Valsecchi, Pivio, Raul Bova, Renato Zero, Roberta Armani, Roberto Cicutto, Roberto Faenza, Roby Facchinetti, Romina Power, Saverio Costanzo, Serena Autieri, Sergio Castellitto, Serra Yılmaz, Silvano Taiani, Silvia De Sica, Silvio Orlando, Sonia Bergamasco, Stefania Rocca, Stefano Accorsi, Stefano D'Orazio, Teo Teocoli, Tilde Corsi, Tomaso Trussardi, Tosca, Valeria Golino, Valeria Solarino, Vasco Rossi, Veronica Bocelli, Vittoria Belvedere, Vittoria Puccini, Zucchero Fornaciari