Marco Perego Saldana says he sees himself not simply as a producer, but as a “protector of cultures.” The visual artist, director and producer shared that view at an open lecture at the Catholic University of Milan, where he arrived with the youngest of his three children with actor Zoe Saldana.

Perego said he took his wife’s surname for the sake of their children, explaining that he wanted his actions to reflect the importance he places on women’s roles. His family, he said, represents diversity: Saldana is Latina, their three children are Black, and their parents live with them.

Women are also central to a film Perego is producing in Rome. Written by Perego and Alex Dinelaris and directed by Janusz Kamiński, it stars Valeria Golino, Isabella Rossellini and Tommaso Ragno. The story draws inspiration from Perego’s mother, who lost her voice for three years after developing aphasia in 2004. In the film, Golino plays a woman who loses her voice while visiting her son in America. Perego described it as a contemporary story about the importance of being able to express oneself.

In New York, he is producing a film directed by Luca Bigazzi and starring Saldana. The couple previously worked together on the short film “Dovecote,” set in Venice’s Giudecca women’s prison and presented at the 81st Venice International Film Festival.

Perego’s profile as an international producer grew at the latest Cannes Film Festival, where two films he co-produced received major awards: Cristian Mungiu’s “Fjord” won the Palme d’Or, while Andrey Zvyagintsev’s “Minotaur” received the Grand Prix. Perego said “Minotaur” follows the relationship between two people before revealing a broader story connected to Ukraine and Russia.

He also recalled arriving in the United States in 2001 with no money and no knowledge of English, and said he had at one point lived in the subway. Persistence, he said, has remained important to him, as has seeking advice and surrounding himself with people he considers more capable. Working with his wife, he added, has taught him a great deal.

Perego said the United States had given him opportunities he felt he could not have found in Italy. He praised the way different cultures can come together there, while describing Italians as highly individualistic and less inclined to work collectively.

Sources: ANSA Cultura.