In the first of our new series which profiles our faculty members, we spent a few minutes chatting with our Program Director Robb Horsley and finding out what he loves about Rome…
Name: Robb Horsley
What do you do? Program Director for the Rome Art Program, Filmmaker
Where are you based? London, UK
What’s your background? I trained as a filmmaker at New School for Social Research in New York, completing my bachelor degree at London College of Communication and my Masters degree at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
Any major shows and/or awards? Films have won first prize at Dance on Screen Film Festival, London and been the official jury selection at Amiens Film Festival, France. I have work held in public collections at Arts Council England, BBC, Film London, American Dance Foundation, Berlin Poetry Foundation, The British Council and IMZ Germany
When in Rome… Try the local dishes of Rome and Lazio, like Fiori di Zucca Fritti, Filetti di Baccala and Spaghetti Amatriciana. Of course you can still get the usual globally recognized Italian dishes in Rome, but the local classics always taste better here.
My other favorite pastime is hiring a scooter and getting inadvertently lost thanks to the myriad of confusing one way streets. Not that I recommend this, walking or public transportation is much safer… (Scooting in Rome)
What’s your favourite painting or drawing location? Fontana dell’Aqua Paola is very cinematic. We featured it in one of our films, it also appears as one of the opening locations in The Great Beauty.
Tell us a Secret About Rome: Largo Argentina, the main traffic hub in central Rome (where all the buses and trams seem to congregate) is actually one of the most important historic sites in Rome. It contains the ruins of Teatro di Pompeo, the location of Julius Caesar’s assassination. Currently it is occupied by rescue cats who live at the on-site cat sanctuary.
Where is the best spot to relax? There is a beautiful little park just a few yards away from the Piazza die Cavalieri di Malta keyhole on Aventine Hill. It is a bit of a hike to get there which helps keep it quiet, most passersby have come to see the keyhole.
What do you always have in your bag when going around the city: A camera
You choose…
- Michelangelo’s Pieta or Canova’s Pauline Bonepart? Do I get to keep it? In that case I’ll be controversial and pick the Canova
- Caravaggio’s Calling of ST Matthew or Raphael’s Transfiguration? The Caravaggio, for the stunning use of light.
- Fellini’s La Dolce Vita or Wyler’s Roman Holiday? La Dolce Vita is much more of a serious piece of work – you’d have to be in the right frame of mind to take it on. I could watch Roman Holiday anytime, it is a wonderful confection.
To paraphrase Monty Python (see below) – What have the Roman’s ever done for us? They invented Ice Cream!
Thanks to Robb for sharing his Rome with us, more from the faculty in weeks to come.
Quote from… Monty Python’s Life Of Brian
Reg: All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh-water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
PFJ Member: Brought peace?
Reg: Oh, peace? SHUT UP!