Original subtitles

Downloaded from YTS.BZ

Official YIFY movies site: YTS.BZ

All good?

Let's get the rest of these lit.

Got it.

Okay.

Need a light?

How's that one?

Fire is silence.

A symbol of creativity.

A symbol of profound human contemplation.

Fire is romantic.

Always poetic.

Always soul-stirring.

These fires are used to protect grapevine buds from the frost.

But fire has always been my life.

It reminds me of my childhood, life in the countryside,

falling asleep at night by the fire before going to bed.

And even now, as an adult,

I spend entire nights and evenings watching the fire.

I'm not sure what he's aiming for, but I know he has plans for the next 50 years.

One time Cucinelli called me at the crack of dawn.

I asked him how many he wanted, he said: "All of them."

He continues to astonish and surprise us.

Along with this order, he wanted busts of Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius.

So I offered to negotiate a new quote that included them,

but he said: "No need, I know honesty when I hear it."

When I first met him, I said: "I will never work for him! Never!"

But you can see how that turned out. Famous last words!

Whenever he's called to serve a purpose somewhere in the world,

he always ends up doing more than what's expected of him.

That's just who he is.

Brunello is pathologically organized.

He plans for everything, including the impossible.

Nothing's left to chance.

Nothing.

It's like his brain moves at lightning speed.

He sits there, thinking a million miles a minute.

You can almost see the gears spinning in his head.

Well, he reminds me of a fox.

Very sharp and extremely clever.

A fox is always on the prowl, like Brunello.

Not only does he have a clear vision for economic profit,

but also for moral responsibility.

He's done things that could be considered crazy,

but all geniuses do things that might seem a little crazy to the average person.

There's nothing that can stop him once he sets his sights on something.

And that's how it's always been.

I've spent about 40 years asking myself who we are.

What is the meaning of life?

And on a Sunday in November,

at age 60, I said:

"I'll decide on Sunday." I decided that the soul is immortal.

And this is what allows me to live

with a different kind of joy and serenity.

And I agree with Socrates' statement:

"I don't know what awaits us

after death.

But I'm sure it'll be different for the good versus the wicked.

And if it isn't, at least I will have lived better."

It all stems from his childhood.

That's where the first seeds were planted.

And as those roots grew stronger,

Brunello blossomed into who he is today.

He has a deep understanding of poverty.

And actually, he almost has a sense of gratitude towards it,

because it was the greatest springboard for what followed in his life.

I would like for this evening to be...

a birthday of gratitude.

Brunello approached his 70th birthday with a certain poignancy we could all feel.

It was a watershed.

This celebration marked the start of a new chapter that focused on the future.

You, young people,

who are the sentinels of this new world...

Start believing again

in the noble ideals of humanity.

Start investing again

in all that is justice,

wisdom, and concord.

Thank you.

Come, come.

Actually, I feel nostalgic for my childhood,

spent in the countryside,

in silence.

We were poor, but we had enough to eat.

We had no frills, but it was a good life.

Beautiful, healthy, clean, neat,

where brotherhood prevailed.

He grew up in a pretty big family.

They lived in this isolated farmhouse in the countryside

filled with cousins, uncles, and aunts.

All of them would sit around and tell stories to each other,

especially scary ones, like classic ghost stories.

I mean, back then there wasn't a lot of light at night,

so of course ghosts would pop out of everywhere.

All, right, kids! Guess what I've got.

Here, this is for you. How's the bread?

Is it good? Good.

Eighteen, 19, 20,

21, 22, 23.

Twenty-three! Okay, you go.

He has a bond with the land.

This bond is not only rooted in ideals and traditional values,

but also in the landscape and the colors.

Here, this is the house I was born in.

We were farmers, we worked the land,

we produced wheat, oil, corn.

That was all we had.

There were 13 people in our family.

Next door, there was a family of five people,

so it was a small village.

The farmhouse had no running water,

no electricity and no bathroom.

We had nothing.

We didn't have a television, radio, or newspapers.

Since we had nothing, we knew nothing.

I was 14 when I saw the sea for the first time.

He's unashamed to have come from a family of farmers.

Some would be embarrassed by that, but he's very proud of it.

We lived in harmony with Creation.

The sun's setting nicely tonight, so it'll be beautiful tomorrow.

From the sunset, we would glean the weather for the next day.

Those two clouds above the lake give me a bad feeling.

That just means that it won't rain tomorrow. Perfect time to grab the hay.

What happens if it does rain tomorrow?

The sun set, the first star appeared,

which we farmers called the "Beautiful Star."

Brunello, look, it's the Stella Bella.

It's the one that's the most luminous.

We obviously didn't own the property,

we were just sharecroppers.

Hurry up, and go help your uncle.

The best part is, in our room there was a hatch.

We could open it and climb down into the cowshed.

When it was really cold in the winter,

we'd open the hatch

and this fragrant warmth from the cowshed would rise up.

I'd mix milk, fresh from the cow,

with barley coffee and warm bread.

My eyes and my nose still recall

the shapes, the smells.

- Come on, let's go. - Let's go.

We collected rainwater and the dried skins of baby lambs.

We made mattresses with dried leaves.

We didn't waste a thing.

We would comb the rabbits

in order to harvest the so-called "Angora wool,"

which was valuable back then.

The rabbit was motionless, still, white with red eyes.

You'd comb it

and get this long and fine fur.

6-7 microns. A real gem!

- Why doesn't the rooster like scary stories? - Why not?

'Cause they make him a big chicken!

Then someone came to pick up this wonderful fur

which was used, not surprisingly, to make pullovers.

When someone came from out of town,

there was always a huge celebration.

"Who could it be?"

And my job was to lead the cows when we plowed.

The cows worked in pairs, you know?

And when we plowed the land, my dad would say:

Brunello, make sure that cow walks in the furrow nice and straight, okay?

We don't want the furrows all crooked.

One cow had to walk in the furrow nice and straight.

And I would say:

But why? Tell me what for, Dad.

Because straight furrows are a thing of beauty.

Just look at them.

My dad's straight furrows

taught me to appreciate the value of beauty.

It's raining while the sun is out, strange things will come about!

Hurry!

Brunello, what are you doing right now? Get inside!

Okay, mine's almost ready.

Keep stirring the glue.

There are so many aspects of this type of life, living in the countryside.

And although he speaks about it lightheartedly,

I don't think his life was as easy as it sounds.

Back then, I didn't realize our farm had 118 hectares of woods

and we couldn't cut a bush for firewood.

The landlord didn't allow us to cut down trees, so we did what we had to do.

So my dad or uncle would scout around during the day

to find a shrub they could cut down at night.

And because it was winter,

our parents were able to go and cut it down in secret,

even though it was freezing out.

There he is! Hey!

Everyone! He's here!

Come on!

The landlord would come by once a year.

We had to stand in front of our houses and bow.

- Good morning. - Good morning, Mr. Landlord.

Morning.

Do not go to school and help your folks out instead.

He would put his hand on our heads and repeat that same phrase to all of the kids.

Do not go to school and help your folks out instead.

Do not go to school and help your folks out instead.

- Watch over your brothers. - I will, Mom.

- Behave yourself. - Okay.

- Stay safe, okay? - I'll be careful.

- Bye, Mom. - Bye, Mom.

- Have a good day. - Wait for me!

When it came to school, my dad was adamant.

"No, these children must study!"

January brings the snow.

And February's brief and cold.

March comes with the sun's first ray.

And April blooms in a colorful way!

He walked to school,

even though it was several kilometers away.

June brings hot days full of light.

We'd leave at 7:00 and we'd walk about an hour.

Myself, my brothers and my cousin.

- Teacher's gonna quiz us today. - But they quizzed me yesterday, though.

There was a farm about 100 meters before the village.

We'd stop there and change our shoes.

- Hurry! - Okay, I'm trying.

- Come on, hurry up! - Yeah, I am.

- Do you have yours on? - Almost.

- I'm ready. - We're gonna be so late!

Cucinelli!

Multiples of nine.

Nine times one, nine. Nine times two, 18.

Nine times three, 27. Nine times four...

Some of the kids would make fun of him because he was from the countryside.

They would point out a haircut or the way he spoke

because he was different.

I think it really affected him back then.

- Nine times ten is 90. - Well done!

After school, we'd stop by the farm to change our shoes again,

and then walk back home so we could go see to the animals.

Or more like, tend to them.

Come on, let's go! Get them out!

- Go on, that way! - Go on!

- Go on! - Hey, let's go!

Go on!

Do you wanna wait?

It's the perfect day for some hot soup, isn't it?

- Thank you, darling. - Wonderful.

- I had a long day today. - Pass me your plate.

Not for me.

Bon appétit.

- Bon appétit. - Bon appétit.

This is life in the countryside.

Dinner was a very special time.

There was silence, spirituality, intimacy, conversation.

I never saw my parents fight.

There was always joy.

And I always carried this joy with me in my life.

After dinner, we would look at the stars.

I spent evenings and whole nights gazing at the stars.

And still today, I love the stars.

Yeah, lift it up, come on, let's go.

The best time of the year was when we reaped wheat.

Wonderful!

Here.

We'd reap,

we'd make sheaves, and at night we'd eat in the fields.

The most important thing was the first bale of wheat

that my grandfather Fiorino would give to the community.

We had nothing,

but my grandfather would give the first bale, not the last,

to the community.

You ready, Father?

His family was particularly committed

to helping their community and those in need.

A lot of people might not know this,

but Brunello is actually a deeply religious person.

As a child, I was an altar boy on Sundays.

I liked listening to the Gospel.

Orlando Furioso, Chapter 1:

In pursuit of Angelica, R-E-O-STO's introduction.

"Of noble knights and ladies, arms, and love,

of chivalry, and noble deeds I sing,

when the Moors from Africa did remove..."

In front of the fire, my mom

used to read me Orlando Furioso.

"In his furious wrath, Agramante, who was their youthful king..."

"...vengeance

for Troiano's death, he swore, on Charlemagne, the Roman Emperor."

"King Agramante obtained a golden ring,

one stolen from a queen of India.

Then after, he gave it to a baron called Brunello,

who a little further along the path we now take is walking,

whoever shall wear it on their finger is proof..."

She profoundly loved Brunello.

Probably because he's the youngest son, or because he's the craziest!

My mother's name was Maria. I recall her as simple and cute.

She was slightly heavyset. She used to make me study.

She never scolded me.

I used to be afraid of the dark.

So I would go to bed with my brothers

and to calm me down, my mom used to give me grapes.

Because during the grape harvest,

we hung bunches of grapes to dry in the room.

For you, Brunello.

Giovannino. Enzo.

She would also give them grapes because they didn't really have much to eat.

She thought it might hold them over.

My grandma prayed every night that they'd fall asleep quickly

because she was worried they'd cry out of hunger.

- Good night. - Good night, Mom.

Good night. Sleep tight, okay?

Giovanna keeps insisting that she doesn't want to pay.

- Well, it's her life. - Yeah. I know, she'll do what she wants to.

When I wasn't sleeping, I'd see monks,

friars, and knights,

and they somewhat scared me.

Hey, Fiorino! It's about time! We've been waiting all day.

I got here as fast as I could. What can I say? The priest took his time.

Go.

Hope you're ready.

Grandpa Fiorino would take Brunello to the bar on Sundays to play cards

with all of his friends there.

And that's how he was introduced to that life.

In a document from 1936,

the police stated that he,

even as a Socialist, was a good person.

Don't look.

What's this?

You played right into it his hands.

I don't have anything.

Okay, we have to play this well, my boy.

And I was Grandpa Fiorino's advisor.

- Grandpa, you really messed up today. - In what way?

First of all, you took it with the Knight of Coins.

So what?

But you should've played the three 'cause the king was already out.

Your friend used his ace, to swipe your card.

That's how he won that round.

Well, aren't you a smart, little "Foxcub"?

He always called me "Foxcub" because I was small and blond.

He taught me all the card tricks.

Until one Sunday he said to me:

Brunello, let's see what you got.

Play this round for me.

And I felt like a grown-up because I was playing.

- So who's winning right now? - Good move.

Wait, was that a seven?

Go on.

For Brunello, playing cards is about reading people quickly.

And he was good at it.

Should I use a three or an ace?

What do you mean? The ace.

Low cards. I don't have a choice here.

He has a highly mathematical mind.

And he remembers everything.

- Trump it? - Trump it?

Bring out the big guns, huh? Come on.

No points, but I'll put this down.

- You go. Got a good card? - Yes, but for briscola.

- Another one? Come on. - Fair and square.

He really made the most of that hand. Am I right?

He cleaned us out with one card.

- Kids, come and eat! - Coming!

- Finally. - I'm starving.

- Thank you. - Here you go.

- Bon appétit. - Thanks, Dad.

In our family, we saw soul-sickness firsthand.

My mother's malaise of the soul.

Sauce is perfect today.

She always looked at me with that loving but melancholy gaze.

Uncle Checchino's malaise of the soul,

he had a feeling of unease he didn't know how to explain.

So I grew up enveloped in such thoughts too.

Brunello, I hear you're pretty good with numbers.

So can you tell me how much grain we're going to harvest?

- Around 130 quintals. - Oh, yeah.

I hope it's more than that.

Uncle Orlando, who was cultured even if he hadn't studied,

used to say:

You'll become a famous engineer.

And make a fortune.

- Right? - You getting confirmed soon, huh?

When you do, the archbishop will put a nail right here in the middle.

He's just joking with you.

Stop it.

What are you reading, Uncle?

"Plato.

Phaedo."

What is that?

It's philosophy. Take it.

I've always been drawn to spirituality.

One day, I even went to the seminary

because I was intrigued

by silence,

perhaps by the malaise in our souls.

Actually, he wanted to become a priest someday

because he felt a calling for a higher purpose.

He was very devout, it was almost as if...

Well, there aren't words to describe how devout he was.

In those days, for a humble family of farmers,

having a son who became a priest was seen as highly prestigious.

You gained higher social status.

But I had never slept away from home.

I slept there one night.

But I went back home the next day because I missed my family.

He didn't have what it took to be a priest.

His overwhelming love for his mother was the main thing that brought him back home.

In our household, the older brother

handed his clothes down to the younger brother.

And mother would darn, take in, let out...

But I never wanted to wear

my brother's pants.

Brunello, look at these pants I got for you.

- Pretty cool. - They're corduroy, feel it.

And my mom gives me a pair of corduroy pants, green.

- Aren't they nice? - Yeah.

- You like them? - I really do.

But I never liked the color green.

He was surrounded by greenery, but doesn't like the color green.

Who knows why!

- Beautiful, huh? - Yeah.

I love the green of the countryside and gardens,

but I don't like wearing it.

- Aunt Ginetta, take care. - I love you.

- Love you. - I'll miss you. Go say goodbye.

The land only provided so much.

Our parents just wanted to give us a chance at a better life.

My grandfather wanted to have a steady paycheck for once,

so he decided to go work in a factory.

It was the dream of the '60s.

Leaving the countryside to become a factory worker.

I can't believe we're moving to the city.

So long, kids.

When we moved to Ferro di Cavallo,

in Perugia's outskirts,

my life changed overnight because we suddenly had

hot water, television, and electricity.

But no silence.

The most shocking part was the television.

We didn't chat anymore during meals because we watched TV.

It short-circuited Brunello.

Having grown up in the countryside,

he found himself in an unfamiliar world and struggled to fit into the city.

Reinforced concrete is made from iron,

but it will also contain a mixture of cement, and water, sediment, and some aggregates.

You were still a peasant.

We always spoke dialect.

I didn't know certain words in proper Italian.

And the city schoolmates always teased us because of this.

Since it's a little different from normal concrete, and due to iron,

it's also known as--

The only moment I think

I was ever humiliated in my life.

But eventually, when Brunello finally moved to Ferro di Cavallo,

that's when he realized that if he actually wanted

to try to make some friends, he had to go to the bar.

Gigino, I need you to sign something!

Hi, Gigino!

- Hello. - Hi, Gigino!

Don't worry, okay? I'll pay you back, I promise you I will.

- Cups! - I only like cups when they have booze in them.

- Know how to play? - Yeah.

Sit down.

- Game? - Scopa.

You deal.

Cut it.

His eyes absorbed every detail that they could.

He always took in everything in order to figure us out.

- Scopa! - Again.

He wanted to win.

When he played, he played to win.

No contest.

Very few people counted cards like me.

Counting cards in the game of scopa

means that in the last hand, I know exactly what cards you have.

It's pure math!

Scopa!

Well, for him, the bar was kind of like a dream.

And by that point in his life, he was no longer in regular contact with nature.

Instead, he came into contact with society.

Got something?

Just put down whatever.

Thank you for the seven.

- You want 2 or 3 points? - Three points.

Thank you. Scopa!

Scopa.

Don't tell me you have a knight.

- Thanks. - Right here. Thank you.

- Two points. - Okay. Are you sure?

Gigi, I'm gonna win my money back this round.

So maybe now you can pay--

- Pay-- Pay your tab! - Gigino! Gigino! Gigino!

All in all, in that bar, Bar Gigino,

I spent ten years.

Ten years!

The secret to a good life is money and holiness.

But the secret to a fun life is in the cups!

I'm next, though.

- Hey, man, you like that? - It's always you.

Bar Gigino was a place of pranks, games, and joy.

A place where we gathered,

only men,

of all ages and walks of life.

Slackers like me,

architects, artisans, laborers.

And I could say that this is where it all started.

Here you go, sir.

Your cup of coffee.

Gino, I'll pay my tab soon.

Yeah, yeah, okay, sure, whatever.

Weather's bad.

You'll be fine, though.

- Careful! - Of course.

You're in serious trouble now.

"No one is free who is not master of himself."

Epictetus. "Live every day of your life as if it were your last."

Seneca. Scopa.

Campa, this is for you.

- Vannozzi, for you. - Thank you.

- Schillaci, phone. Gigino, electric bill. - Thanks.

- Fagioli, military office. - No.

How come it's never just a postcard?

Have a good one!

In all my days, I've never seen this many useless politicians

lie and weasel their way into this glorious party of ours,

and we can't watch it get destroyed

while these oppressive damn politicians do nothing and sit on their ass!

Only one woman hung out at the bar.

Her name was Lella, she was a streetwalker.

Hi, Gigino!

- Hey, Lella! - Hi, Lella!

- Hi, Lella. - Hello, guys. Hey.

Hey, were you able to score today?

- How about you guys? - Not really.

- We're in the same boat. - It's hot.

- Enjoy. - Thank you.

"To love significantly is to will the good of the other."

Thomas Aquinas.

"Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards."

Kierkegaard. Scopa. "Everything flows."

Heraclitus.

Giocondo, wake up. We're playing cocincina now.

Who's up right now?

Me, Brunello!

I'll put 50,000 on Brunello.

Yeah, you got it.

We played cards to win

because it was also a source of livelihood at that age.

Not huge amounts, but enough.

To go to the movies, the pizzeria,

a restaurant, to go dancing somewhere.

Where else would we get the money?

We had to be clever to scrape up money, but we had Brunello.

If there were four of us playing a round of cards,

at least two of us were in on it together in order to cheat the fourth guy.

I bought myself a camel coat,

almost floor-length,

and I felt handsome.

We heard that there was a beautiful girl who always rode the bus to Solomeo.

So he rode his Vespa,

with his blond hair flowing in the wind, and he'd be following right behind.

I kept showing off, but she didn't look.

Then one day...

Looks like he's got a crush on you.

I was 16, he was 17.

We were just kids when we met.

Since it was very cold out, I rode close to the bus

so the exhaust would warm me up.

Some of my friends would laugh, but I found it sweet.

He never gave up.

Imagine how much carbon monoxide I inhaled.

My strategy was basically to play hard to get.

You couldn't tell who was male or female

because we had long hair.

What's wrong, honey?

I think life in the countryside might've been better.

But we worked so hard to come to the city.

I know, but factory work is demeaning.

They treat us like animals.

Most of the time, I can't even look them in the eye.

You can't argue with them.

I've turned into a slave.

God, what have I done to deserve this?

Don't give up, my love. Things will get better with time.

I hope so.

One night, he caught sight of his father breaking down to his mother.

With tears in his eyes, his father said, "We might have water and electricity here,

but in the countryside I felt like a person, I was free."

He tells that story about his father often.

He talks about how seeing his father being mistreated at work really stuck with him.

Not a day goes by that he doesn't think about that very moment.

Because unexpectedly, that night,

he was confronted with harsh reality.

That image of his father was the catalyst to change his life.

It forced him to reflect and reconsider how he envisioned his future.

Brunello's father had a strong personality, so he was rebellious.

But... at work, he followed his boss's orders.

His father was extremely disappointed.

He had high expectations for this new life,

but unfortunately, he found himself in a world where he was being mistreated.

Despite everything, my father was a good man.

A person who was too humble... to be offended.

That always made me suffer.

I started thinking: "I don't know what I'll do in life...

but I'd like to try to live and work for human dignity."

That was a turning point in my life.

What's the moral theory in Kant's Critique of Practical Reason?

Well, it's an autonomous morality that's founded on reason.

It states that behaving in a civil way...

One night, two friends were discussing Kierkegaard, Kant, and Schopenhauer.

The command of reason is unconditional.

- The categorical imperative says so. - It's our duty.

You have to act in a manner so the maxim of your will can hold at all times.

- It has to be universal. - It has to be universal.

I couldn't partake in the discussion because I knew nothing about philosophy.

- And so if we all began acting in a way... - Can I join you?

Sure, have a seat.

If we were all to carry out a certain action,

would that action benefit society as a whole or not?

But that's not the only thing that matters.

We must act by treating humanity both in ourselves and in others,

not merely as a means but as an end in itself.

That's the dignity of man.

I wanted to know who this Kant was.

I bought Kant's works.

And found him very difficult.

But that's when I read the statement that shaped my life:

"The starry heaven above me

and the moral law within me."

Which is what my dad always said.

You have to be a good man.

- Let's end this. - Yeah.

Four points.

Yeah, do it.

- Here you go. - That's a lot.

Better luck next round!

You're always so lucky, Brunello.

- I could kiss you! - Swords then?

Sure.

- Here you go. - Don't mind if I do.

- Can I watch? - Sure. Why not?

Yeah, man. Come on in.

How's it going?

Here. Sit.

In the '70s,

mental hospitals closed down.

When Perugia's closed, a strange guy turned up in Ferro di Cavallo.

He was cross-eyed, but with captivating eyes.

- What's your name? - Gianfri.

Good to meet you. I'm Brunello.

- I'm Galletto. - I'm Michele.

Federico.

I'm Massimo.

- Lorenzo. - I'm Pino.

- Stefano. - Franco. Hi.

We whole-heartedly took him under our wing.

He would hang out with us.

He'd dine with us.

We'd go to the movies, he'd come watch soccer games.

But his passion was trains.

And every day I would take him to watch them go by.

- Everything you wanted? - And more.

- Nothing again. - You just get the cards you're given.

Sorry.

You'll lose the next one.

- Briscola? - Points.

- Got nothing. You? - Same.

Nothing for me to play.

I'm pretty sure you'll get lucky soon.

The only time I got lucky was the other morning.

Lella, did you nail him or what?

I can nail whoever I want.

That's the Lella we know!

Cheers to Lella.

To Lella!

Lella, don't you want something different?

Like a regular job and to live a normal life.

Then the guys might stop teasing you.

Brunello, I've been living this way since I was young.

I know it's not a good life, but it's the only one I know.

I wish I could move away and start fresh, you know.

It's never too late to make a change if you want to.

Do it.

That would be the dream, but it's never as easy as it sounds.

I appreciate your advice, Brunello, but I just don't think it's realistic.

Two points.

Good move.

I'll go low too then.

Father Alberto would also come to the bar. He was an important figure for Brunello.

He had a great deal of trust in Brunello, and Brunello trusted him in return.

I'll get swords.

A man of culture.

He was a priest who had a progressive outlook on life.

- Give me a break. Give me a blank. - Okay, fine. Here's a low card.

- A king or knight? - A king.

Okay.

He was a great philanthropist.

When the war ended, he had the bishop give him a castle.

He gathered about 300 orphans there

and fed them, gave them an education.

He absolutely loved soccer.

He would even drive to go watch the Milan team play.

He smoked. He smoked like a chimney.

He enjoyed a good glass of wine.

Overall, he was really good company, through and through.

But when...

he celebrated Mass...

he was a saint.

A true saint.

Even if there was only one person sitting in the church,

he would celebrate Mass with passion

and incredible spirituality.

Father Alberto truly cared for Brunello.

He felt a paternal affection for him.

Not only did he help Brunello morally,

but also when it came to points of view, intellectually.

- What should I do? - Points.

- Thank you! - Dang!

- Oh, my-- - Stop.

There's a priest, watch it!

I think he'll forgive you this once.

Hope so.

That was an amazing round.

He lost it all in the last hand!

- Poor guy doesn't even have any tears left! - I know, right?

- Seriously. - There's always next game.

- And that last point we rode out on? - Seriously, it was perfect!

In all my years in this bar, I've never seen anything like that.

All right. Good night.

- Bye, Gigino! - Good night.

Gigino closed his bar at night,

and we'd stick around and chat

until 4, 5, 6 in the morning.

We'd talk about politics, women, the economy,

philosophy, math, religion.

About unfulfilled dreams, things that weren't working, our plans.

At one point, we planned a rabbit farm, it didn't go well.

Then we tried a snail farm, that didn't go well.

We planned an earthworm farm, but that didn't go well either.

Nothing ever went well.

And we imagined what we would do.

"What are your plans?"

"What will you do in life?"

He really didn't do much until he was 25.

And his brothers always spoiled him a lot.

They even gifted him a brand-new Kawasaki.

He never got off of it and rode that motorcycle everywhere.

He pretended to go to a university, but he barely even took one exam.

My dad would say: "My son is studying engineering."

He didn't know I wasn't taking exams.

He lived a life of leisure with no obligations.

Ready?

There we go.

Wait a minute, what are they wearing, guys? Come on, describe them to me.

Why did they run?

His father would scold him a lot.

"Cut that girly hair of yours!"

He would say his son was a good-for-nothing.

He'd say to my mom: "The little lord does nothing all day!"

I didn't see it as "nothing."

I didn't think I was being idle.

I felt like I was enriching my soul.

Federica was the bridge that eventually led Brunello to Solomeo and his life there.

She lived in Solomeo

and that's how I started to get to know this run-down village.

In the past, Solomeo was damaged by an earthquake.

On one of my first dates with Brunello, we stood before this castle that had survived.

And he said that the castle was beautiful

and that he would maybe want to renovate it someday.

And I said: "What are you talking about?"

He fell so deeply in love with Federica that he came to love her village as well.

Federica's dad would say:

"Who is that guy with the strange hair?"

His hair was so long, it went to all the way to his shoulders.

So when he rode his motorcycle, he looked like a wild horse.

"Who are you dating? A hippie?!"

"Are you sure?"

Federica said: "He's a guy I like and he lives in Ferro di Cavallo."

The fact that he lived in Ferro di Cavallo

wasn't exactly known as a great calling card at the time.

It was a troubled love story from the start since her parents didn't approve of him.

Because my mother's parents were clothing retailers,

they thought that my father wasn't good enough for her.

If they had it their way,

they probably would have preferred that she dated someone who was more well-off.

"Federica, why are you dating him?

He's a deadbeat! What kind of life can he provide for you?"

To which I said, "Dad, stop. Just go play briscola or something."

Obviously, I didn't tell him that Brunello played briscola for money.

The house is paying out!

- Came up empty today. - Almost!

I just swept the table three times with the same seven and he didn't even notice.

- What do I owe you? - Twelve, baby.

There you go.

One night, a friend from the bar challenged me to a new game.

Brunello, you're the best scopa and briscola player in the world.

I know a thing or two.

Have you ever heard of something called "scopa in reverse"?

- What's that? - It's scopa, as usual,

only I begin with 10 points, you start with 0,

I give you the whole suit of Coins and we play to 11.

I went home

and practiced for seven hours until 8:00 a.m. on my own,

playing with the dummy.

It's your turn.

Golden Seven and the Prime.

Hey, you must be stupid. Scopa!

Brunello, give me the Coins. Oh, yeah? What would I do that for?

You lost 27 so you clearly don't know how to play the game at all.

Brunello, who are you even talking to?

The “Dummy.”

Oh, please, God, save my son.

And I won 94 games out of 100.

Everyone told him he was crazy.

Doesn't surprise me, though,

because the world usually sees most visionaries as crazy too.

My parents would keep asking me:

"So, what does Brunello even do for a living?

All he does is play cards!"

One time, my uncle took him on a welding job,

and my father accidentally touched a freshly welded pipe.

He never went again.

After that, he asked himself: "Can I do a job like this?

No, there's no way that I can."

Eventually, life happened and things took a turn.

So I decided to open up a boutique.

She often took me along to shop for the store

and would pick out the collections...

And I started becoming familiar with fashion, thanks to Federica.

Federica knew how to handle him,

with her intelligence and her simplicity.

And while she takes me around to fashion houses,

I get called to model

for Ellesse.

I was at the company every day,

listening to their conversations

about marketing, sales, and style.

He was always on the lookout, listening to everything.

The owner, Leonardo Servadio, was a man with exquisite taste.

He said: "We can sell things for a bit more or less,

but they must be beautiful."

He was very fond of Brunello.

It was as if he channeled his entrepreneurial spirit into him.

Hi, Gigino!

What is that? Grass on your head?

Never seen that before.

In the end, the bar was the place

where I conceived this microenterprise.

The idea was born there, from our daily conversations.

It's true that Brunello goofed around a lot in the early years of his life,

but then he fell in love and got his act together.

- Ready? - Do it.

This is crazy.

I started pondering...

what could I do in Umbria?

Sweaters were being made everywhere,

knitted or not, small looms, big looms.

In Umbria, there were always these women knitting in the basements of their houses.

That was the inspiration.

Then I hear talk about cashmere.

What is this cashmere?

Cashmere is something...

so precious that you never throw it away.

Great!

So I said:

"Who knows?

Perhaps I could create something you never throw away."

That was definitely the most important moment for him,

because that was when he finally defined a clear goal for his life.

During that time, I read an essay by a renowned economist,

Theodore Levitt.

He claimed that developed countries should focus

on high-quality products

since developing countries would eventually enter the market

and make low-priced goods.

A wool pullover cost 5000 lira back then.

But he said: "Mine will cost 50,000

because it'll be high-quality and I'll still make a profit."

So he opted for the noblest, most precious raw material.

That was the start of cashmere.

I told my dad:

"I want to start making cashmere pullovers."

He didn't know what "pullovers" were,

he didn't know what "cashmere" was.

He said:

"I don't understand a thing.

It's up to you. God help you."

When I decided to go into cashmere,

I knew nothing about it beyond the name.

The first time I touched it,

I was struck by the feel of it.

Back then, cashmere was usually for men,

in classic designs and fairly conventional colors.

And I came up with the idea to make it exclusively for women,

with fits that were modern and colorful,

with vibrant, pop colors.

And so began my wonderful relationship with these beautiful animals.

I found a small cashmere yarn producer in Umbria named Mr. Bacelli.

"Mr. Bacelli, could you give me 20 kilos of raw cashmere?

I have no money, though."

He gave Brunello the cashmere for free because he believed in his vision.

I'll never forget what he said: "Pay me when you have the money."

Make sure to be careful and really do your best, okay?

'Cause this pullover has to last a century.

I'm a seamstress, not a miracle worker.

I went to a small workshop...

"Could you make six women's pullovers for me?

A little longer

and slightly more fitted?"

His goal was to make something of value, but to approach it with a new vision.

He was the one who invented colored cashmere.

It was almost sacrilegious.

Because cashmere used to only be gray,

charcoal,

camel-colored,

and beige.

No one had ever made colored cashmere before.

Who says that cashmere can't be dyed?

It's not like a rule.

Brunello had a very clear and focused vision.

- Hello? - Come on, let's play.

- No, I'm too distracted. - Brunello!

Phone call for you!

Federica!

- Federica! - Federica!

So have you thought it over some more?

No, I'll color them!

I'll find the time, I'll figure it out!

I can do blue, yellow, a nice orange, green!

Something sexy, cashmere like you've never seen before, trust me.

He even has a dyer!

I even have a dyer, Federica.

Don't worry about the money.

- I'll pay when I can. - Who is that?

Yeah, he said he'll give me 20 kilos to start.

We'll take it one step at a time, okay, Federica?

Such a pessimist. You have to be related to Schopenhauer.

The first color we tried was orange.

Here's the orange.

- So? - No.

- No? - It's not the right orange.

- Why not? - No.

- Well, tell me why. - Well, because this orange...

It's just too much of an orangey-orange.

- It's orange! - But I feel like I need my own!

So tell me what you want me to do.

An orange that's more intense.

Just add some more red. Humor me.

Here you go.

Now this is my orange!

And suddenly, I stopped going to the bar.

The bar ended up losing a great card player.

But, out of the ashes, a tireless worker emerged.

I opened my small workshop.

I called it a company, but it was just 24 square meters,

a tiny space.

I'd even go on Sunday mornings

just to look at the few sweaters I had made.

I'd clean the table. Even if it was clean, I'd clean it again.

I spent time there, with the sweaters...

In the end, we had a new product.

Well, it definitely works.

- Like it? - Yeah.

It's a beautiful color, it's perfect.

- Thoughts? - I like this one more.

This one still needs a little work.

- It's not ready? - No.

My microfactory was our love nest.

This is my favorite.

And our daughter Camilla was conceived amidst cashmere pullovers.

Stunning!

Come here.

- You like it? - Yes. It's beautiful.

- Isn't it? - Yeah.

Now the problem was how to sell these cashmere pullovers.

The quality of the pullovers was unquestionable,

but in a market where he was unknown, he had to figure out how to attract attention.

He reached out to a couple of friends, and they agreed to help him.

They were peddlers in Germany.

What are "peddlers"? People who went to Germany

and survived by running little hustles.

Back in those days,

Germany was widely known as the Mecca for Italian knitwear.

And we went into Room 814

in Munich's Hilton Hotel,

where the trade fair took place.

- Shouldn't we open the door? - Don't be stupid,

we can't let anyone inside yet.

But how will they see the clothes?

Every room kept the doors open,

Mr. Armani and Mr. Versace, which were huge brands.

But my two agents had come up with a plan to get us noticed.

But then what are we here for, huh?

Make a scene with me. Send me out!

- Thanks. - You're welcome.

- Goodbye. - Bye.

It's important... punctual, punctual! No delays!

Yeah, sure.

All right?

Oh, the color! Blue. More intense, more intense.

The other colors are lovely.

Lovely! Bravo. A huge hit, for sure.

- Thanks. - Thanks, Mr. Cucinelli.

I'm so impressed.

Wonderful work. Pity you don't have more.

But we make everything by hand.

And that is precisely why I love your pullovers.

It was sheer performance.

The colors, the sensuality...

Truly original.

Real actors.

I'll be seeing you in Umbria.

In Umbria. Thanks.

In Umbria!

People couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside of that room.

At the same time, he was inside, watching them through the peephole.

So many people!

- Thank you. - And now we open the door, huh?

In just under two days, we sold 11,800 cashmere sweaters,

which was insane.

German customers would even pay up front, in order to get a discount.

Pay within ten days, 4% discount.

He paid all of his suppliers up front, and since they were paid in advance,

they would prioritize Brunello's orders before the other clients,

who paid after 30, 60, or 90 days.

He delivered his products to stores faster than the competition.

It was a strategy.

A strategy that was carefully planned.

Every single risk he took was calculated.

Federica, do you mind coming in tomorrow?

We started to expand our manufacturing network

and needed to hire a few more people.

It was like a family affair.

Mom even helped with the creation of the pullovers.

She was like a consultant.

These orders are really flooding in.

- Well, this is exciting. - Yeah.

And before we know it, the orders will double!

Are you ready to get to work?

- This one is so much better, isn't it? - Yeah, it's nice.

January.

Hello?

Mr. Marcus, how are you? How have things been going?

Yes, we have every department working on your order right now.

He acted as the secretary, a sales rep, and even the technical manager.

You want to speak to Accounting?

Just one moment, I'll get him.

Hello?

Yes, Mr. Marcus. Hello.

He would use different voices, pretending to be other people within the company.

But it was always him.

No, the bank doesn't have to get involved with the order.

No need for a letter of credit.

It's all fine. You see, our dear boss, Brunello, told me.

All calculated risks.

You want to speak to the boss?

Hang on a second.

Hello, sir.

Yeah, we'll ship it all by the 18th.

Give my best to your wife.

We got married in March.

Unfortunately, the weather was horrible that day because it was windy and cold.

All of my friends had brought tons of confetti to throw at us

instead of sugared almonds.

The confetti was a disaster because of the wind.

There was confetti that ended up all over Solomeo.

They kept showing up on the streets for years.

When Federica and I got married,

I decided to come live here in Solomeo

because I felt this is where my soul belonged.

It was a special place.

There was a strong sense of community.

Life there was steeped in tradition.

For Easter, Father Alberto organized the Good Friday procession

with all of us taking part.

They dressed me up as a Roman centurion for the performance.

They even gave me a spear.

And who played Jesus Christ?

Father, I'm hungry now.

Christ!

Look!

If you are the Son of God,

tell these stones to become bread!

And just like Jesus Christ, Brunello was tied to the cross,

and then it was lifted up and leaned against the wall.

I was in a kind of trance for three hours.

And now...

it is finished.

My God!

My God!

Why hast thou forsaken me?

It was a wonderful performance.

People came from all over just to watch it.

Thank you.

And I pray the Lord

will bless you.

Good night.

Father Alberto was instrumental in shaping Brunello's decisions.

They even worked on some projects together.

He fired Brunello up to take action.

One day, I said to Federica: "I have an idea.

I'd like to buy the small castle in Solomeo,

the tower,

and use it as the company headquarters.

"Are you crazy?"

I went to see Attorney Mattii, the owner.

"Attorney, in regards

to this castle, this tower,

would you ever consider selling it to me?"

My father was attached to the castle.

So naturally, selling it wasn't something that we wanted to do.

It was a long process, almost like a courtship.

"I want to renovate it so it lasts another thousand years,

to leave it to those who come after us."

What finally convinced my father to sell the castle

was Brunello's pitch to fully renovate it.

You could tell it was something that he would take seriously.

He said: "I've decided, Brunello.

I'll sell it to you."

The payment was through promissory notes, bills of exchange.

There was a whole stack of them!

Using bills of exchange worried me.

He said: "Don't worry.

When they expire, we'll renew them."

And so he started signing and signing and signing.

The works took a few years,

it took a lot of juggling to make ends meet.

I didn't make any profit at times, but people liked my product.

And finally, we moved into the castle.

I wanted my company to be rooted

in the great values: ethics, morality, and dignity.

I wanted to prove one can combine profit

with quality of life of the people who work with me.

These women cook with local, high-quality ingredients.

This is our humanistic enterprise. These are our real investments.

There are no set hours, everyone has a key.

What matters is to believe in it.

Then the company began to grow quickly.

The Germans started talking to the Americans...

...when they met during fashion shows in Milan.

O Lord, may the children learn from their parents and teachers,

as examples of how to grow in the way of Jesus.

The word began to spread.

Let us pray.

Lord, hear our prayer.

Let us pray now for Brunello,

who brought his newest collection to New York.

And if all goes well with the sales,

there will be plenty of work for our whole community.

- Let us pray. - Lord, hear our prayer.

My first big trip was to New York.

It was impressive.

We showed the men's collection for the first time,

a small collection with six to seven pullovers.

We were at our booth, anxious.

And in came Mr. Pressman,

perhaps the most important man back then in the world of men's fashion,

and he picked up a pullover.

He liked it and asked:

"How much is this pullover?" "200 dollars."

Expensive.

He looks at five to six other pullovers and then picks up the first one again...

And asks: "How much is this?"

I said: "100 dollars."

He looks at me and says: "But...

I thought you said 200 dollars?"

"Mr. Pressman, you would've said it was expensive all the same!"

Then what happened?

He bought that pullover

for 200 dollars.

And he displayed my designs

at Barneys New York, the world's most beautiful store.

That's when our American adventure began.

In the West Village, there was a 120-square-meter space.

I told him I wanted to open a store there,

and he said, "We don't need stores!"

But eventually I convinced him to open the first store in New York.

It was an absolute success.

One day, at our showroom in Milan,

the famous Mrs. Joyce showed up.

Her store in Hong Kong was every designer's dream.

She said: "Hello, Brunello.

I'd like to buy 1 million dollars of pullovers."

That was about 25-30% of our revenue.

She completed the order and wrote "letter of credit."

I said: "No, Mrs. Joyce.

A letter of credit from you? Are you kidding?"

"You don't want a letter of credit? You trust me?"

How could I not trust Mrs. Joyce?

He's called the "king of cashmere," he has 90 employees,

a thriving company that exports practically all over the world.

Then something happened in the fashion world,

and Brunello could sense that some big changes were coming.

An impending crisis, yes?

Yes, exactly. I believe this crisis...

In Umbria, major brands were starting to emerge.

And small, single-product companies wouldn't have survived.

There was no way.

Many clients asked:

"Could you envisage the Cucinelli style not just in sweaters

but in jackets and pants too?"

Brunello realized he had to act quick, so he stepped on the gas.

And so we decided to go with the total look.

He went all in.

For women, we developed

that sense of style we had

starting from knitwear.

For men, it was easier,

I just opened my own closet.

And took out my jackets and pants.

My colleague and I thought he was a little crazy.

And we took inspiration from the way I dress.

He always has these crazy ideas that take you by surprise.

Every morning at work, we wonder: "What will he come up with today?"

But in the end, his ideas always turn out to be great ones.

I'd say that out of anyone in China, I knew Brunello Cucinelli the best.

If I had to guess, I think about 80% of my wardrobe is made up

of Brunello Cucinelli pieces.

I love the brand because all of their clothes really flatter the curves of my body well.

And most importantly, they give me confidence.

When you look good, you feel good.

The production budget was extremely limited,

so I preferred to pay out of pocket because I wanted to buy nice clothes

for my character to wear.

Throughout the series, most of the clothes that I wore

were from a Brunello Cucinelli collection.

I heard people would take pictures of the clothes my character was wearing

and go to Brunello's stores so they could ask for those same exact outfits.

In this era of globalization,

he chooses to remain focused on his humble roots.

It's like a paradox

because he sells his clothes worldwide.

But he's deeply grounded.

Maybe that's the secret.

It's easier to navigate this world

when you have strong roots.

I believe the start of my success helped my mother

heal the malaise in her soul.

But she left us early, it was very painful for me.

Also because, a few days later, Father Alberto called me

on his deathbed and said:

"Promise me you'll renovate the house

and the church of our beloved Solomeo."

"I will, Father Alberto."

"I'll be watching you from up there!"

Father Alberto, so what do you think?

Did we do well?

Mr. Cucinelli's idea was to start with the castle,

and then continue to restore the whole village of Solomeo.

The façades, the fences, and the sidewalks.

That's all thanks to Brunello.

He's extremely focused on renovations,

on preserving things.

That's all part of his generosity.

He says he doesn't want to be the richest man in the cemetery.

From the moment we started generating real profits, one rule has been

to take 20% of those profits

and devote them to projects we call "beautifying humanity."

He talks a lot about beautifying this world.

But he just doesn't talk, he acts.

I've always been a dreamer.

Because I've always felt like a guardian.

If you feel you're a guardian and not an owner, everything changes.

Because if you're an owner, you're afraid of losing.

If you're a guardian,

you never feel the loss of what's entrusted to you.

He always says:

"I want to give back as much as I possibly can."

It's a powerful lesson

because these are not just empty words.

I see him do it.

There was a plot of land near the church earmarked for micro-apartments.

I asked the owner:

"If you sell the land to me,

we'll build a big theater there.

Then at night, when we're dead,

since the cemetery is nearby,

we can come back now and again to watch the shows."

He smiled and said:

"You seem a little crazy,

but I'll sell the land to you."

"Of noble knights and ladies,

arms, and love!

Of chivalry, and noble deeds I sing.

When the Moors from Africa did remove

across the sea

and harm to France did bring.

Which, in his furious wrath,

Agramante, who was their youthful king,

vengeance for Troiano's death, he swore,

on Charlemagne, the Roman Emperor."

We were looking at Solomeo,

at this vast and beautiful valley,

and we could see that the village was filled with abandoned factories.

They were typical concrete warehouses without any windows.

He hated them.

I took my dad to see the Solomeo valley.

"Dad, I'm thinking of buying all of those warehouses."

"What for?" he asked in fear.

"I want to demolish them

and plant vineyards, orchards, olive groves, wheat,

and build a great park of beauty."

He said:

"You sure are crazy.

But do it."

He tore it all down.

I don't understand why anyone would spend millions

to demolish all the warehouses in the area...

just because they spoil the landscape?

He didn't knock them down to build something new,

but to restore the land's dignity and give Solomeo its valley back.

He planted 30,000 trees in the valley.

This is who he is.

He's always on the quest for perfection in everything.

A house was blocking the view of the monument.

So the next day, the house was gone. It was rebuilt 500 meters away.

My wife and daughters call me "Attila" because he's the destroyer.

When I want to demolish something: "Here comes Attila!"

The park belongs to everyone.

You can stroll in it, play sports.

Eat a cherry, an apricot.

A slice of paradise.

In fact, when the business required bigger spaces,

I wanted the new facilities to overlook it.

Good morning.

Sixteen by sixteen?

Two hundred and fifty-six.

You did that with a calculator!

Morning.

Hello.

Everyone said it was utopic

to believe in a contemporary, humanistic form of capitalism,

but we did it.

For Brunello, humanistic capitalism doesn't necessarily mean sacrificing growth.

There's no contradiction there.

The biggest thing is to make sure that people are placed

at the forefront of every decision.

His message defies convention.

He consistently compensates all of his employees

well above the market rate.

His humanistic vision towards capitalism allows people to work with dignity.

What Cucinelli realized was simple.

He understood that people work well when they live well.

He says: "Well done!

You're doing a great job." He's always encouraging us.

You're good people.

Thank you.

Every three months, there's a big company meeting.

"Meeting" so to speak since I'm the only one talking.

Maybe we could call it a "rally."

But I share the company projects and choices with the employees.

The collections are doing well and so are the deliveries.

Business is thriving, maybe even too much.

The true value of craftsmanship is quality.

I dare anyone to visit

to visit Brunello Cucinelli's workspaces, they're unparalleled.

They're not cramped, oppressive factories.

They're flooded with natural light.

All of our factories are designed in a way

so that our employees never lose connection with the outside during working hours.

Being able to see if it's raining or sunny outside helps employees work better.

A kind, generous, and gracious work environment.

This is kind of what I wanted...

Oh, the lights have been turned off.

That means it's lunchtime.

Rigatoni with tomato sauce,

my great passion.

And eventually, after a certain point,

Brunello started to feel a growing and pressing need for financial growth.

I started seriously considering listing the company on the market.

I tend to be a pessimist so I wasn't entirely comfortable with it,

because it felt like a giant leap into the unknown.

Procedure requires meeting the investors

just a few days before going public.

I spoke to the banks and told them I had an idea.

He invited them to our home.

He welcomed the bankers into their home, and served them bread and oil.

They took the bankers around to visit the neighborhood and the company,

then my mom cooked dinner for everyone.

By the end of their visit, they were basically like relatives to me.

The first day at 9:30,

trading began.

He asked the congregation to pray for the successful outcome of this new endeavor.

I went on-stage to speak.

If you're after a business

that profits at the expense of humanity,

then this is not the company you should invest in.

It truly stood out because the speech he gave focused far more

on the humanistic side rather than the financial one.

"We are now public, we'll make tons of money, you'll all get rich..."

Nothing like that.

On the first day, we grew by 50%.

It was a massive success.

And actually, he attributed that success to our prayers,

but it was really because of the high quality of the product.

Since then, the company has paid dividends

to our foundation,

which allocates them to projects for humanity.

That is the only thing he uses the money for.

In Malawi, he built a hospital, monuments, and gardens.

We restored our Etruscan arch in Perugia

which is 2250 years old.

Another fine renovation was Perugia's Morlacchi Theater

from the late 18th century.

And last year we finished work on the Perugia Cathedral.

A magnificent construction from the 15th century, truly special.

I told my dad:

"Dad, I bought an airplane."

"What do you mean?"

I took him to see it and he said:

"Watch out...

debts work on Sundays too."

He was a witty man

who loved loyalty.

These animals give us a material unlike any other in the world.

The temperature needs to drop to minus 45

for the goats to produce this undercoat...

that's beautiful and soft.

They seem to be sleeping, they're serene.

It's an ancient ritual.

It reminds me of when, in the countryside,

we used to comb rabbits.

It's the same sort of ritual.

Freshly combed, they were just as beautiful.

White, clean.

A little creature like this can produce,

at most, 200 to 300 grams of beautiful cashmere a year.

What does that mean?

That to make a pullover, you need two goats a year.

I wonder how, in one of the driest places on earth,

like the Gobi Desert,

animals can survive

and produce something so incredibly...

soft and unique.

This is really the law of nature, isn't it?

For over 1000 years,

everything's been the same.

Nothing has changed.

Not the landscape,

not the way they are combed.

Not even the way the shepherds talk to them.

Back to square one.

I'd start from the beginning: color.

Let's start with the jackets.

Go.

We need to be good at preserving our identity.

A pocket square.

We tested the look of these with our cashmere already.

Brushed, beige and gray inside.

He continues to be involved in every aspect of designing our collections.

With a splash of color underneath...

He is very involved... maybe even too much!

This so-called quiet luxury.

Too much.

He tries on the jackets and checks the pilling by hand.

He puts on the pants to see if they might pinch at the knees.

Look at how good they look.

Two hundred and fifty grams.

He believes elegance can also mean wearing a double-breasted jacket, tie, and ripped jeans.

Jeans should always be paired with a tie.

Lovely!

Because it gives you a clear identity.

You think you've thought of everything,

then he'll come by and say something that makes you go:

"Why didn't I think of that?"

Less turquoise.

Tone down this peacock tone.

In the early years, he preferred to use bright and vivid colors.

But with beige and gray, they become muted.

But nowadays, our collections are known for their use of neutral colors.

- Raise your hand if you like colors. - We love colors.

We're doomed.

Green cannot be used at all,

or at least, it can't be called "green."

- You want to convince me about green? - Of course.

We try to use other names instead, like "American khaki"

or "gray with a hint of sage."

In the end, it has a strong shape

and holds its form...

This is my thinking spot.

I made the most important decisions of my life here.

Here, in early January 2020,

I got a call from our Chinese president, Michael.

"Brunello, something's happening that really concerns me.

There's talk about some strange illness."

The pandemic brought many sleepless nights.

There was pain and fear.

But on every March 15th, swallows arrive in Solomeo.

And on March 15, 2020,

I looked out and saw the first four or five swallows.

And I made a major decision

that could've cost us everything, even the company.

I held an international call

with everyone who works with us,

about 9000 people.

And with a touch of pathos, I said...

that we wouldn't lay anyone off for two years,

and would guarantee the same salary as the previous year,

and wouldn't ask anyone for discounts.

The pandemic has taught us some valuable lessons.

First of all, it has shown us

to not turn our backs on poverty.

Eventually, we started to recover from the impact of COVID.

But for many months, the economy, society, and people

had been heavily impacted and suffered greatly.

So there was a longing for the future.

And in many ways, Cucinelli represented and gave voice to that longing.

Prime Minister Draghi called me:

"Would you come to the G20

to share your insights about humanistic capitalism

and human sustainability?"

"Esteemed temporary guardians of Creation...

I am honored to be here among you,

distinguished leaders of our wonderful Earth.

With some emotion,

I wish to share my idea with you."

It's interesting to me

because when he knows he has to address a large audience,

paradoxically, he finds clarity in his solitude.

"My idea of human sustainability."

He'll practice and rehearse the speech over and over,

just like an actor would rehearse a scene.

"That's what I mean by humanistic capitalism."

"By humanistic capitalism."

The G20, under Italy's presidency, begins today in Rome.

That G20 summit was filled with an atmosphere of hope and optimism.

There was a shared desire to bounce back.

At the table with all of the world leaders, I gave him the floor to speak,

just like we had planned to do.

Ten seconds before, I said:

"Saint Augustine, help me to find the right words."

I'd been preparing that speech for a month...

I'm honored to be here among you,

the distinguished rulers

of our wonderful Earth.

You are the temporary guardians of Creation.

You are the keepers of the world's beauty.

On behalf of all humanity,

show us the way forward.

The first was Boris Johnson, who said: "Nice speech."

Then Mr. Macron said to me:

It was a beautiful speech because Cucinelli put humanity

at the heart of his narrative.

Pythagoras.

He puts them in his home, the park, the garden, and the workplace...

He likes being surrounded by philosophers.

Plato, Socrates, Seneca, Aristotle.

Those were the first ones he ordered.

Then Pythagoras, Epicurus...

I think I've made all of them by now.

How nice!

Look at this part here...

THE SOUL OF MAN IS IMMORTAL

Like it, Brunello?

Beautiful!

Very beautiful.

I WILL MAKE AN INVENTION THAT WILL STAND FOR GREAT THINGS

Inspired by Marcus Aurelius, I live as if each day were my last.

But I plan ahead as if I were to live forever.

Emperor Hadrian said:

"I feel responsible for the beauty of the world."

He never mentions the product.

What we need is to rediscover grace,

kindness,

normality of life.

Instead, he talks about something more meaningful and profound.

People are enthralled by it.

Brunello once said: "These are my values,

and I can promise you that my product is rooted in them."

Books were my first homeland.

Books have shown me the path of life.

"He who builds libraries

builds granaries for generations to come."

These words by Hadrian

inspired me to build

the Universal Library of Solomeo.

Open to the world.

It contains half a million books from all cultures.

By building this library, he essentially created a vast archive

that holds the collective knowledge of humanity.

I love books.

My granddaughter, Vittoria, says:

"Grandpa, you build libraries, but some people burn them."

"Don't worry, Vittoria.

There are those who build, those who burn,

and those who rebuild."

We are the ones

who build.

Cucinelli is not homo faber, focused solely on profit,

but homo sapiens, devoted to shaping his own identity.

The rector called me and said:

"We've decided to award you an honorary degree in philosophy."

A wonderful thing, since I don't have a degree and hardly studied.

I clearly remember seeing his father tearing up throughout the ceremony,

from beginning to end.

In 2021,

GQ UK named me Designer of the Year.

My father was waiting for me at home

with a tuxedo and a blue bow tie

to take a photo with the award.

Brunello's greatest joy was witnessing his father's pride.

To him, seeing his father proud was almost like a reward for all of his hard work.

Brunello works more than me, more than I ever did.

He has so many things to think about,

to take care of tomorrow, for example.

- So his is a harder life? - Yes, I think so.

More stressful, you know?

It takes a toll on the mind.

When my father passed away,

I spent the night alone with him.

"Where have you gone?

What are you seeing?

What have you found?"

He takes great care of his soul.

He does it by reading philosophy,

and also by spending time alone with his thoughts.

He doesn't seek glory or triumph.

The only thing Brunello desires is to create something that will stand the test of time.

And I believe he has accomplished that.

He has created a legacy that is not just a financial one,

but a way of life.

He understands that his role goes beyond that of a mere businessman.

He wants to see if, in a world so divided,

he can leave behind something more than just

the most beautiful products that we love to wear.

I miss the bar.

I miss my friends.

I miss the pranks.

But I'm happy

to have turned my company into a big family.

All right.

- Well? - Hello!

A bit tricky to organize but...

Cheers!

Cheers!

I've often thought about my epitaph,

but if I had to say

what I want written on my tombstone:

"He was a good man."

I'd really like that to be written...

because when a child,

grandchild, or a great-grandchild visits, I'd want them to say:

"Grandpa, great-grandpa...

it seems he was a good man

who loved beauty."

Scopa!

Bravo, Brunello.